Show your Vintage Boy Scout Tools

gpw_42 · Oct 19, 2020

This thread is intended to show your vintage BSA tools.

I'm not a BSA collector, per se, but have gathered a few BSA things since my time in Scouts. I think the only BSA items I had as a kid were the nesting stainless knife, fork & spoon set; everything else was more affordable "on the economy" brands, rather than BSA brand. However, the BSA had some nicely made tools from a variety of manufacturers, starting long before I joined. Here's my eBay purchased ScoutLite and my Eagle award set.

Show off what you have!

mc4life27 · Oct 19, 2020

gpw_42 said:
This thread is intended to show your vintage BSA tools.

I'm not a BSA collector, per se, but have gathered a few BSA things since my time in Scouts. I think the only BSA items I had as a kid were the nesting stainless knife, fork & spoon set; everything else was more affordable "on the economy" brands, rather than BSA brand. However, the BSA had some nicely made tools from a variety of manufacturers, starting long before I joined. Here's my eBay purchased ScoutLite and my Eagle award set.

Show off what you have!

So what you bought you regal scout award off of eBay? Come on where is the fun in that

Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

Username already in use · Oct 19, 2020

Well, not a tool per se, but it does keep the rain off. I posted this campaign hat made by Sigmund Eisner Co in New Jersey on another forum to get some info.

Bought at the flea several weeks ago and knowing nothing about them, I took a chance that is may be something special.

Well, S.E. Co. lost their contract with the scouts in 1932, so this had can be no newer than that. Based on the features of the hat itself, it's been dated to 1928-1932 time frame.

Sigmund Eisner Co. made uniforms for the U.S. military, the Boy Scouts, and military uniforms for other nations as well.

It's in fantastic shape and valued at significantly more than I paid. :rocker:

Username already in use · Oct 19, 2020

mc4life27 said:
So what you bought you regal scout award off of eBay? Come on where is the fun in that l

Being that the name for the Eagle Scout award has been redacted from the image, I'm willing to bet that it was earned by gpw_42.

Furthermore, I fail to see how your comment adds anything to this particular discussion. Unless of course, it was meant in jest. If in fact, that is the case, I would suggest the use of an emoji to help make that more clear. :dunno:

gpw_42 · Oct 19, 2020

Username already in use said:
Being that the name for the Eagle Scout award has been redacted from the image, I'm willing to bet that it was earned by gpw_42.

Furthermore, I fail to see how your comment adds anything to this particular discussion. Unless of course, it was meant in jest. If in fact, that is the case, I would suggest the use of an emoji to help make that more clear.

UserName, thanks for the post - that's an incredible hat! And a bargain to acquire is always nice.

I know of at least one Scout marked hatchet and some different (vintage) knives around the GJ; hopefully the owners will link or post onto this thread.

I'm guilty of leaving an opening for someone to misconstrue my intent. The Eagle Award set came to me "the old fashioned way." As UNAIU pointed out, that's why I covered my name on the card (see the orange piece of cardstock over the name?). What I should have written is: "Here's my Eagle Award set, and an eBay purchased ScoutLite."

Username already in use · Oct 20, 2020

gpw_42 said:
I know of at least one Scout marked hatchet and some different (vintage) knives around the GJ; hopefully the owners will link or post onto this thread.

Speaking of hatchets... I picked up this leather sheath from the flea a few years ago. Still looking for a hatchet at a reasonable price to put in it.

Mick56 · Oct 20, 2020

Here's a hatchet handle I picked up at a garage sale awhile ago.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Well, now all you guys need is someone with a head, and you can all flip for it! :lol:

On a serious note, they are not easy to find at a reasonable price in the wild. I don't have one, either. I see plenty of them often enough at fleas, but either overpriced, or more modern than I want.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Username already in use said:
Sigmund Eisner Co. made uniforms for the U.S. military, the Boy Scouts, and military uniforms for other nations as well.

The CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner, is his great-grandson. I live in a small town just east of Red Bank. In fact, my house was once part of what was known as East Side in Red Bank, an area famous for its bungalows where all the Vaudeville people used to summer over, before it was incorporated as its own town. Perennially voted as "the hippest town in New Jersey" (a marketing blessing and curse), it boasts the Count Basie Theater (he was born here, too), a Performing Arts Center, a park with free concerts on Thursday nights in the summer, and a shops and restaurant district all in turn of the century style buildings. Eisner's former factory buildings are now restaurants and a huge antiques mall. The Red Bank Public Library, right on the Navesink river, is named after him.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Here are a pair of knives - a hip-sheath skinner and a pocketknife, I recently posted elsewhere, on top of my 1972 manual...

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Close-ups of the fixed-blade knife...

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

...and the Cubbie, made by Camillus.

bushmechanic · Oct 20, 2020

I ended up with a God and Life medal, I think with the four star pin, though I have no recollection of how I actually earned it.

I've always studied religion, though; regardless of faith. Must have been idle curiosity, in the end. I can't remember, but that's the most likely reason.

Technically they should have given me a different one, from the looks of things, but maybe that changed. I was raised and signed up as Roman Catholic, which is supposed to get a Pope medal according to the webernets I just searched.

Pretty sure I actually know where that is.

Doesn't matter, in the end. I was kicked out eventually; I believe for repeatedly bringing a machete on camping trips or something of the like.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Here is another contribution that might come in handy for communicating with friendlies via Morse code after the power grids go down in the next Civil War. Or for dazzling paparazzi cameras when I get too famous. My money is on the former.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

bushmechanic said:
I was kicked out eventually; I believe for repeatedly bringing a machete on camping trips or something of the like.

That's funny. And ironic. I was politely asked to step down as a leader (at the age of 46!) after a number of small perceived infractions, a growing murmur that reached fever pitch when I organized an impromptu axe-throwing contest during a weekend camping trip in Hartshorne Woods. I still get a last laugh picturing the looks on all their smug helicopter parenting faces when they've undoubtedly caught on to how freaking insanely popular it has now become as an indoor sport!

mark-NJ · Oct 20, 2020

Private Lugnutz said:
...and the Cubbie, made by Camillus.

Nice!!

That’s my daily carry…It's been in my pocket for the last 27 years, but there was a "dark period" before that. Want to hear a story?

Like most kids, I joined Cub Scouts at the beginning of the school year. But it wasn’t until Christmas that I got the knife Ah, yes...the high water mark of every Cub’s uniform: the knife! And now I had mine! On Friday night meetings, it dangled brilliantly from the brass belt clip. I was so proud!

Within six months, I had lost it. No idea where, but it was gone. Solid gone.

Time passed, and one day a few months later my dad said “look what I found”; There, in his hand, was a rusty, encrusted, muddy, filthy artifact that once had been my knife. He had found it in the backyard somewhere where I had dropped it. It was in sad, sorry shape.

I felt like ****.

And I said something dumb like “well, it’s garbage now”, Dad agreed, and rather ceremoniously threw it into the trash.

As I turned to walk away, Dad said (while reaching into the trash), “Say...if you don’t want it, can I have it?”

[how stupid can parents be?] “Why would you want that?” I asked.

“I don’t know. But can I have it?”

“Sure”, I replied.

“So this knife is mine now, right? Mine forever? You said throw it out, so you don’t mind if I own it, right?”

“Sure dad”; [crazy old man; what’s he want that for?]

A few weeks later, he unveils his newest tool. “Come look at this”, he said. There, in his hand, was a clean, polished, workable knife!

“MY KNIFE!!!!”, I exclaimed!

“What? No!...this is MY knife. You said I could have it.”

Ouch. Valuable lesson learned. Age 6, I learned not to be so cavalier with value. And it was his, indeed. He used it for years.

On my 35th birthday, my dad handed me a small, gift-wrapped box. He said, “I think this can be yours again”. I had no idea what he was talking about. I opened the box, and there it was. I long ago learned to not get emotional over machinery, but I started to tear up nevertheless. It’s been in my pocket every day for 27 years since then. It’s in my pocket as I type this…

Camillus was an awesome company…something about the iron in the ground in upstate NY is just special, and these cub knives are fantastic knives! A couple of years ago I scored the ultra-rare Cub knife in white (made in 1980 for 1 year) for practically nothing on eBay.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Crying? Who me? I'm not crying. I got something in my eye.

Great story. They don't make 'em the way they used to. And I ain't talking about knives!

gpw_42 · Oct 20, 2020

mark-NJ said:
Nice!!

Ouch. Valuable lesson learned. Age 6, I learned not to be so cavalier with value. And it was his, indeed. He used it for years.

On my 35th birthday, my dad handed me a small, gift-wrapped box. He said, “I think this can be yours again”. I had no idea what he was talking about. I opened the box, and there it was. I long ago learned to not get emotional over machinery, but I started to tear up nevertheless. It’s been in my pocket every day for 27 years since then. It’s in my pocket as I type this…

Camillus knives are great for cutting onions....I just didn't foresee that specific connection when I recognized the need for this thread! Mark, thanks for sharing!

Lugz, I'm glad I'm not the only one around with the onion thing after Mark's story.

Username already in use · Oct 20, 2020

Wow, that story kicked me right in the feels!
But now I wanna see a pic of the knife!

r0ckh0und · Oct 20, 2020

I have had a few interesting Boy Scout items. An Exacto knife kit, First Aid kits complete. Also had some Catholic sashes. I usually give this stuff to a couple of Eagle Scouts I know that are collectors.

isb cornbinder · Oct 20, 2020

I have a multi function knife from my short BS time. Picture to follow.

bargainhuntingking · Oct 20, 2020

mark-NJ · Oct 20, 2020

Username already in use said:
Wow, that story kicked me right in the feels!
But now I wanna see a pic of the knife!

OK...because you asked:

All of my pocket stuff on my desk at work an hour ago. Not "staged"; this really is my daily carry...

The blade steel is pitted, but that's from the 6 months it spent in the dirt all those years ago...

The blade is 1095 steel, hardened. This knife holds an edge better than any other knife I've ever owned. Perfect size, in my view...

So that's that. Great little knife!

EDIT: here's the rare one...same knife, but in white! Only made for 1 year in 1980.

They also made them in light blue, too. Not as rare as white, but rare all the same. Had one of those, but my wife had it in her purse while going through airport security. Bye bye light blue Cubbie...

JHenke · Oct 20, 2020

Here is a few circa mid 1970's

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

mark-NJ said:
...here's the rare one...same knife, but in white! Only made for 1 year in 1980.

That's sweet. I see they went with a raised emblem, though. (If you guys didn't notice on mine in post #12, or Mark's above, the emblem on the ones with the blue scales is embedded. It's flush. The top layer is clear. Having handled all kinds of pocketknives, including TL-29's with raised emblems, they tend to get knocked loose and off. So I've always admired the embedded, flush design.)

TOTO · Oct 20, 2020

Private Lugnutz said:
I live in a small town just east of Red Bank.

Lugz,

For some reason I was thinking you were further south. (don't know why). Anyway, I grew up in Middletown before the family moved to Maine in 1975.

As the saying goes : "It's a small world"

Private Lugnutz · Oct 20, 2020

Indeed it is! I am a LL, HS, and college (D3) umpire on the side. I do games at Bodman Park just across the river occasionally. Lots of Middletown South varsity.

Provincial · Oct 21, 2020

I was never a Scout. My son started in Scouting as a Cub, and kept with it through Eagle. When it came time for a "Scout Axe", he chose a modern one with a carbon fiber handle. It is very sharp, and the handle makes it very light.

In June of 2019 I stumbled upon a "Boy Scout Axe" made by Collins. It was abused and neglected, and cost me very little. After thinking about it, I decided to fix it up and give it to my son for Christmas. I was able to get the handle out of the head, epoxy the split wood, and smooth the exterior surfaces. I soaked the head in vinegar until the rust was removed, then polished it gently. I couldn't remove too much of the pitting without removing the stamped logos, so I opted for leaving some pitting. The poll was mushroomed, so I peened it back close before I ground it back into the proper contour. I reassembled the handle to the head with epoxy and a new wooden wedge, then ground and honed the edge. I finished up by giving the handle many coats of thinned Boiled Linseed Oil.

Christmas was special that year, because my son understood the amount of work I put into the project.

The first three photos are "as found." The others are the finished product.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 21, 2020

Provincial said:
The first three photos are "as found." The others are the finished product.

I remember this from the axe thread, Jock. A great find (Collins much less commonly seen than [PLUMB] or Bridgeport), and a perfect illustration of a respectful, light touch resto.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 22, 2020

If only to keep this thread on Page 1, here is an Official Scout Handicraft Chest I have. Hopefully someone has a better example than mine (which is unfortunately losing the battle with rust eating that lid from underneath the decal...) and with the original contents rather than some of the mainly irrelevant "smalls" that I keep in it.

lolaetype · Oct 23, 2020

I still have my uniform shirt with all the sew on badges ; troop, district, rank, role, etc.

Also have my merit badge sash and Order of the Arrow sash, a bunch of neckerchiefs and slides, my pack and my messkit. All this from the 1961-1966 era.

I also have a lot of very fond memories of my time in scouting.

bmwrd0 · Oct 24, 2020

I too was a scout, from cub to life scout, and got kicked out. Cars and girls and whisky don't always mix with scouts. But, anyway, were were a heavy backpacking troop, doing a weekend trip every month (including snow camping and snow shoeing) and a 50 miler every summer. So we didn't tend to spend our money on BSA items, saving instead for backpacking gear.

But today, while at an estate sale, I picked this up in my never-ending search for packing gear I can no longer use:

But, who made it I wondered. So, checking the bottom, I find this:

Much better than the cheap pot-metal ones I usually find.

Catfishdan · Oct 25, 2020

Private Lugnutz said:
If only to keep this thread on Page 1, here is an Official Scout Handicraft Chest I have. Hopefully someone has a better example than mine (which is unfortunately losing the battle with rust eating that lid from underneath the decal...) and with the original contents rather than some of the mainly irrelevant "smalls" that I keep in it.

Nice severed foot you got there!

Private Lugnutz · Oct 25, 2020

Catfishdan said:
Nice severed foot you got there!

Thanks, Dan. Young red-tailed hawk. It's in a whole 'nother class of picking, but I got "dead stock" all over the house!

BonzoHansen · Oct 25, 2020

I have these old books laying around. I had a few older ones I ebay'd. Never got around to these

gpw_42 · Oct 29, 2020

Thanks all, for keeping the thread moving. I've been away, working on a 1952 M43 ambulance at a museum.

Bonzo, I like your book collection! My handbook disappeared long ago, which I still regret. I've gathered some others along the way, and may put together a group picture of them.

BMW, I was hoping you'd post that match safe here. Nice useful item, but the ounces sure add up for backpacking; it always seemed to me that the BSA equipment folks demonstrated a lack of understanding that detail, with some of the old school Scout gear they sold.

Lugz, that box is cool! Didn't know you were into throwing bones

Hack Fabrication · Oct 30, 2020

My collection:

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Eagle Scout 12/65. Order Of The Arrow 1966. National Jamboree Valley Forge, PA 1964. Lot's of trail medals, etc.

100th Anniversary knives, Henry .22's, and a Ruger 1022.

I had fun in Scouting, but I'm not in agreement with the way Scouting has gone.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 30, 2020

gpw_42 said:
Lugz, that box is cool! Didn't know you were into throwing bones

It's more of a "Gotcha" than a "Geetchee" collection.

And pretty happenstance. A friend of mine in Minnesota is all in. He has rooms and rooms filled with bones in display cases. Does the bugs thing. I have sent him specimens that he can't find there. A possum skull and a Great Blue heron skull and beak.

Hack Fabrication said:
My collection:

Jackpot! I knew we'd attract a real collector eventually. HAHA! :bowdown:

Did you guys have an Explorer troop where you were, Hack? Basically it was for young men too old to be Boy Scouts. Our Explorer troop's mission was river rescue and Appalachian trail first aid. I grew up at the foot of the Blue mountain at the Lehigh gap where the the Lehigh river passes through, in NE PA, and it has some serious rapids and one low dam. It provided power to a zinc plant, the industry that established the town. Most canoeists portaged around it. You could take it directly, but you had to do it right. If you went sideways, you'd get stuck in a rather powerfully turbulent eddy below and it would capsize you or strand you in a hurry. Anyway, we were always pulling people out of the river or retrieving their stuff. And we coordinated with through hikers. They'd come into town to pick up mail. And they would sleep in the rafters of our garage at times, as well.

Hack Fabrication · Oct 30, 2020

Private Lugnutz said:
Jackpot! I knew we'd attract a real collector eventually. HAHA!

Did you guys have an Explorer troop where you were, Hack? Basically it was for young men too old to be Boy Scouts.

More of a hoarder than a collector. Just never wanted to get rid of it. When all the 100th Anniversary stuff came out, I went on a buying spree. Still can't find the Thompson Center rifle that was supposedly made. My oldest grandson is a Cub Scout, his dad (my son), is the leader. I gave him my 1964 Jamboree jacket, along with a vintage Scout mess kit.

I was an Explorer when I earned my Eagle Rank. There were a half dozen or so of us that had gotten 'too old' for the regular Scouts. We formed our own Post, #64, and kept active until we all graduated from high school in 1968.

Never did Philmont, or Region 7 Canoe Base trips. Always wanted to, but there were 5 boys in my family. The National Jamboree was my big trip. Saw New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. on that trip. Took the train from SE Michigan (Monroe?). Lot of fun.

Dogwater · Oct 30, 2020

Probably bought this in 1966?

Show your Vintage Boy Scout Tools

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