unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

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button_man
Posts: 632
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm

unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by button_man »

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I started watching "The Bishop Misbehaves" (1935) on TCM (Turncoat Classic Movies) this morning; but after maybe half an hour, my interest waned and I turned it off. But there was one early scene that interested me greatly: 'Red' the barkeep pulled out this huge flick-knife and snapped it open..... it was only on-screen for a moment, and not at a good angle for viewing..... but it really did look like one of those very basic and simply-made knives that I have always called "camp knives" -- not sure if I heard the term someplace or made it up myself, years ago.

To me, a "camp knife" is characterized by wooden scales with no bolsters; a clip point blade; and a lanyard hole. It also has to be big.
And there are no inserts, paint, logos, or any sort of frills or decoration at all. It's totally functional and that's it. Period.

Attached is a photo of such a knife.... just under 12" long OAL. (Ricasso marked: "STAINLESS" over "BRAZIL") The one in the movie was all of that, and could even have been a bit longer. It looked huge. And there is no mistake about it being an automatic.... Red's arm and hand didn't move, and the blade came flying open with a loud SNAP.

I've never seen or even heard of a switchblade like this. Has anyone else seen one? If you actually own one, I'd love to see some photos....!
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Attachments
camp_knife__Brazil__233c.jpg
camp_knife__Brazil__233c.jpg (318.36 KiB) Viewed 1320 times
Tom19176
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Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:23 am

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

sheffield knife.jpg
sheffield knife.jpg (35.27 KiB) Viewed 1273 times
perhaps this?
button_man
Posts: 632
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by button_man »

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Tom, it's difficult to make any statements with certainty because I only got a VERY brief glimpse of the knife. I can't be sure that it really was
a "camp knife" style of knife -- I can only say that that was the impression that I got from that momentary look at it. But I don't think that it
had bolsters or guards.... and from the way that Red held the knife, I don't think it had a lever either -- I think it was a button-open knife.

Maybe somebody with more technical know-how (and a better computer) than I have, could try to find this movie online and
capture a couple frames of Red's knife, and post them here.....?
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Tom19176
Posts: 3619
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:23 am

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

I looked at the movie clips and they did not show the knife ...Couldn't find the full movie
button_man
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by button_man »

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I think that it might be possible to watch it on TCM through some sort of "On Demand" feature;
not sure if this costs extra or requires a premium-level account or something like that.....???
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jerryk25
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Location: Pittsburgh

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by jerryk25 »

What you show is most similar to a "007" folding manual Lockback.

The one model has a heavy blade and when the brass rivet "sex pin" pivot is loose,
the heavy blade will gravity flick with some practice, because the lockback is not that robust
and the lock tab drag on the blade heel is not so intense.
Attachments
007-wood-knife-03.jpg
007-wood-knife-03.jpg (15.65 KiB) Viewed 1171 times
007-wood-knife-02.jpg
007-wood-knife-02.jpg (60.41 KiB) Viewed 1171 times
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jerryk25
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Location: Pittsburgh

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by jerryk25 »

The only other knife that is "All wood" without metal bolsters is the Cumosa. .
Also known as the Edge Co kit only marked "Mexico"
It is not exactly a "Pull-Ball" knife.

To open the blade with one hand, (there is NO button on this automatic)
You wrap the lanyard around your pinky finger, (not shown in drawing)
then your thumb and trigger finger can "push" to the knife as a whole, stretching the inner linear coil spring .
This pulls the hook plate out of the bottom, releasing the blade.

The blade hits "Battery at open" when the blade heel step, hits the folded metal body under the wood scales.
and then the blade pulls inward like an OTF , , but only 1/8 inch, enough to engage the flats of the keyhole.
When the blade is rotated closed, it is not folded enough for the keyhole flats to engage 180 degrees opposite.
This necessitates the wide foot at the bottom bolster,that houses the hook plate.

I didn't see the movie, the Cumosa is smaller than the 007 folder.
But I suppose there may be a bigger version somewhere.

This drawing does not show how the spring is attached to the blade heel correctly.
When you close the blade, the Linear coil spring does not "wrap around" the blade heel.
The spring hooks thru a hole at a point that does not expose the spring,
but still is offset enough to impart rotation.

I have one. . .or at least I think I do. . .it was never one of my favorites
and I may have given it to a kid with one arm. . . a while back. . .
I gave him a box of knives. . he was carrying a sheath knife all the time.
Attachments
Cumosa-Mexico-022.jpg
Cumosa-Mexico-022.jpg (52.4 KiB) Viewed 1166 times
button_man
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Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by button_man »

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jerry ~ I am familiar with the "007" knife. I have a couple variants, as seen below.

The bottom knife is marked "ROMO 007" (with an arrow through the 'ROMO') on the handle. The scales are flat,
with rounded edges; they could possibly be some kind of fruitwood but I'm not an expert in wood and this is just a guess.
The ricasso is marked either "D.M.O.R." or "D.M.G.R." over "007" -- the letters were over-struck and sort of filled-in.
On the back, the ricasso is marked "stainless" over "steel" over "Japan".

The middle knife has dark wood handles that are possibly stained; and the knife feels too lightweight for those
to be rosewood. As with the bottom knife, the scales are flat, with rounded edges.
The front handle is marked "SEYMOUR 7" and there are definitely NO zeroes in front of the "7".
The front ricasso is marked "stainless" over "steel" over "Japan".

The top knife has rounded rosewood scales; across the top of the blade is an etch-type marking that says
"Ka-bar" over "1179 U.S.A.". This knife was bought a couple years ago at the flea and is a duplicate of
the Ka-bar 1179 that I bought retail back around 1973 or so, if memory serves.

It is possible that the Japanese knives and the Brazilian knife were produced later, to capitalize on the
popularity of the Ka-bar 1179. I don't know this for sure; it's just a guess.

Clearly, large knives with all-wood scales and no bolsters or guards have been made by any number
of companies for at least fifty years. I would love to know whether the knife in the movie, which
appears to be similar to these, was a commercially-made switchblade in this style; or just a
"camp knife" that somebody modified into an automatic.

It is certainly possible that the knife in the movie opened with a pull-cord around the pinkie finger,
as you describe. I just didn't get a clear enough look, for long enough, to tell one way or the other.
But I am certain that the movie knife was much bigger than the Mexican Cumosa. I swear that it was
at least 13 inches and very possibly more.
.
Attachments
3_camp_knives__243c.jpg
3_camp_knives__243c.jpg (558.56 KiB) Viewed 1136 times
Seymour7__249cc__detail.jpg
Seymour7__249cc__detail.jpg (120.2 KiB) Viewed 1136 times
KBar_markings__243cc.jpg
KBar_markings__243cc.jpg (25.57 KiB) Viewed 1136 times
Tom19176
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Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:23 am

Re: unknown British "camp knife" switchblade

Post by Tom19176 »

The Japan and other models of the 007 were copies of the KaBAr 1179. I have sooo many of the Japan ones and KaBars.....
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