 | |
 Former headquarters inCamillus, New York | |
| Industry | Knife Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1876; 149 years ago (1876) |
| Headquarters | , United States  |
| Owner | GSM Holdings, Inc. |
| Website | Camillus Home |
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TheCamillus Cutlery Company is one of the oldestknife manufacturers in the United States. The company was founded in 1876 and produced millions of knives until it filed forbankruptcy in 2007. Itsbrand name andintellectual property rights were purchased byAcme United Corporation, which re-launched the Camillus brand in May 2009 using modern materials.
The 14-year-old Adolph Kastor (1856–1946), is a son of a Jewish family fromWattenheim, Germany, immigrated to New York in 1870[1] where he started to work for his uncle Aaron Kastor in hishardware supply business,Bodenheim, Meyer & Company. He started off in charge of cow chains but gradually promoted to thefirearms and cutlery department.
In 1873, Bodenheim, Meyer & Company lost one of its founders and restructured asMeyer & Kastor. Due to poor sales figures, Meyer & Kastor had to close its doors in September 1876. Only a few weeks later, Adolph Kastor started his own company,Adolph Kastor & Bros. onCanal Street in New York City, where heimported and distributed German-made knives.[2]
In 1897, when theDingley Tariff wasenacted, the knives became too expensive to import. The only solution Kastor saw was to manufacture knives domestically. Eventually, his search led him to Charles Sherwood and his small knife manufacturing business inCamillus.
With Adolph Kastor in charge, the company started to expand. They bought new machinery, such as steam-drivendrop forge hammers andfly presses and they adopted new techniques, like usingaluminagrinding wheels. By 1910, the Camillus Cutlery Company was producing close to a million knives a year and had about 200 employees,[3] many of them German immigrants. The company even built adormitory to house its German workers.
DuringWorld War I, Camillus shifted production to support theAllied forces. The company also manufacturedmarlinspikes,surgicalscalpels, and a foldingknife/spoon combination for theRed Cross in those years.
In the 1920s, the knife manufacturer introducedstainless steel to its production, and started making collectible character knives, which honoured famous people such asGeorge Washington,[4]Babe Ruth,[5] andBuck Rogers. It also began manufacturing private label products forSears,Craftsman,Woolworth and many others.
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DuringWorld War II, Camillus shipped more than 13 million knives of various styles to the Allied troops.[6] In 1942,U.S. Marine Corps officers Colonel John M. Davis and Major Howard E. America working in conjunction with cutlery technicians at Camillus developed the KA-BAR Fighting Utility Knife.[7] After extensive trials, the KA-BAR prototype was recommended for adoption, and Camillus was awarded the first contract to produce the KA-BAR for the Marine Corps.[7] Camillus made more KA-BARs than any other knife manufacturer producing the model during World War II.[7] During the war, Camillus also made theM3 fighting knives, theM4 bayonets and many other utility knives for U.S. forces, includingmachetes, multi-blade utility knives, TL-29 Signal Corps pocket knives for signalmen, electrician's mates, and linesmen, and combination knife/marlinspike pocket knives for use by theU.S. Navy in cutting and splicing lines.
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After World War II, Camillus was quick to shift back to civilian production. It introduced many new products, and in 1947, Camillus began manufacturing a full line of officialfolding knives for theBoy Scouts of America (BSA).[8]
During theVietnam War, Camillus again manufactured a large number of knives for the armed forces, for instance apilot survival knife, aUSMCKA-BAR combat knife and a four bladedutility knife. After the Vietnam War (1975), the company continued its growth by adding more new pieces to their already wide product range.
In the 1960s, Camillus was sold to the Baer family of New York City.[9]
Camillus began using Delrin a synthetic bone from circa late 1960's through at least the 80's.
Camillus produced the Hand Made #89 Rancher Indian Delrin Stag Stockman 3Triple Blade Pocket Knife withSword Brand Blades in the 1970s. Highly collectible today. |Knife image provided by Darren Spitzenberger|
In 1991, Camillus acquiredWestern Cutlery Company.[10] ThisBoulder,Colorado company had been making knives since 1896.[11]
In 2001, Camillus collaborated with custom KnifemakerJerry Fisk, the only Knifemaker to be declared a Living National Treasure, to produce aBowie knife.[12] That same year, Camillus began a partnership with custom Knifemaker Darryl Ralph to produce a line oftitanium framed tactical folding knives.[12]
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Since the turn of thecentury, Camillus Cutlery saw itsrevenue decline due to stiff overseas competition and allegedly poor management practices. As a result, employees implemented a four-day workweek after the normal factory shutdown atChristmas 2005. A few months later, Camillus’ management proposed largewage andbenefit cuts. Workers didn't agree and the company was subject to a months long strike. In response, management locked the workers out for several months.[13][14] In November 2006, the striking employees ultimately accepted the original contract offer[15] but the company only retained 15 of the 78union members andlaid off the rest.
The lock out ultimately took its toll on Camillus as customers dried up and the company subsequently filed for bankruptcy and closed on February 28, 2007.[16] On September 18, 2007, the product brand names and intellectual property of the company were acquired by Acme United Corporation in a bankruptcyauction for $200,000.[17]
After the bankruptcy, the original Camillus factory remained empty until it was partly destroyed by fire on February 11, 2013.[18] The former Camillus Cutlery headquarters have since been turned into apartments and retail space.[19]
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In May 2009, Acme United re-launched Camillus at the 2009National Hardware Show inLas Vegas.[20] The traditional Camillus knives were almost entirely replaced by new modern knives with durable handles andtitanium carbonitride bonded blades.[21]
In December 2011, Acme United signed an agreement withLes Stroud to build and sell Camillus survival knives and tools, co-designed and promoted by the outdoor adventurer, known from the TV seriesSurvivorman.[22] Next to Les Stroud, Camillus joined forces with several other so-called Pro Staffers.[23] The Pro Staff team consists of formerGreen Berets, expert hunters, Special Forces, adventurers, firemen and survival experts. Amongst them is Grady Powell, a formerU.S. Army Green Beret who is now the host ofDiscovery Channel’sDual Survival. Also part of the Pro Staff is Jared Ogden, a formerNavy SEAL who was the star of theNational Geographic Television programUltimate Survival Alaska.[24]
In 2013, Camillus re-launched its knives in Europe. Today, Camillus is being distributed in twelve European countries, as well as in Australia, South Africa and the Philippines.
Since the relaunch, the brand annually introduces new knives. In 2017, for example, Camillus brought a new collection of hunting knives to the market, as well as a new tactical knife family, which was created in collaboration with Camillus Pro Staff members, Jared Ogden and Grady Powell.[25]
In November 2023, Acme United sold the Camillus brand and product line to GSM Holdings Inc,[26] which, under its GSM Outdoors umbrella, comprises over 40 hunting, shooting sports, rugged outdoors and fishing labels.
