TL-29 Information overload....

[orvet]

No, it could have been made for the civilian market and not the military. If it has the TL-29 stamped on the handle then it is military. I have never seen a military Camillus TL-29 with wooden handles with the TL-29 stamp on any sort of wood handle other than Rosewood. Keep in mind however that Rosewood is one of the largest families of tropical Hardwoods. Rosewood can look like other types of wood.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Well, I asked because of this knife in an AAPK store: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... ilus-tl-29

[orvet]

I think that's the case where rosewood has been miss identified as walnut. It looks to me like cocobolo, which is member of the rosewood family commonly used for knife handles.

The 1946 catalog list the #27 electrician's knife and says it has rosewood handles.
The 1965 Camillus catalog also list the #27 as having rosewood handles.

I don't believe Camillus made the electricians knife for the military with any wood other than rosewood. They may have used a different wood the handle all in SFO, like Sears or Wards, but I don't believe they did so with any military contract knives. The DOD contracts I usually pretty specific.

[orvet]

Here is a copy the specifications for the TL-29 as of October 27, 1943. Notice under the specifications that it refers back to the 1938 specifications which supersede the specifications for 1935.

This S card was the information the factory workers used to put together the knives, and told them what blades to put in the knife, how to face the blades what liners to use what tang stamps to use etc. it was quite specific.

I have often heard people say, and have probably even said it myself, that sometimes people would grab an old stamp and make a batch of knives with an old tang stamp. Indeed, Tom Williams himself told me that, however I don't think that was as common as some people think it was. If you look carefully at this S card for this order of TL-29s you will notice it is very specific, including the stamp to be used on the handle. If the workers followed the S card tang stamps would be correct.
Notice this order from 1952 is using Rogers board for the handle material.

Here is the back of this S card which gives additional information; some were stamped and some were not stamped.

Now in my previous post I stated that the 1946 catalog and the 1965 catalog both list the #27 electrician's knife as having rosewood handles. But now we see as early as 1952 there were military orders using Rogers board handles.
I also recall Tom telling me that Rogers board was also used on the Barlows for a while. I basically later on both the #27 and the #51, Barlow, both had Delrin handles. Exactly when the change came, I am not sure.

[carrmillus]

........dale, what is "roger's board" and what does it look like????......... ...............

[carrmillus]

.......answered my own question by looking back at the first post!!!!............. ............................

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Awesome - thanks Dale!