TL-29 Electricians Knives

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:36 pm

I have a Klein Hawkbill with the same handles, someday I'll get around to rebuilding it

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 9:55 pm

Nice Jeff

That is the first M. Klein I have seen with that blade pattern and without a screwdriver blade.

I did a bit of research on the web and found the following info from Bernard Levine, posted on BF.

"Mathias Klein & Sons is a large electrical supply house in Chicago. It was founded in 1857. Since about 1911 most of its knives have been made by Utica/Kutmaster Cutlery Company.
This hawkbill was made for stripping the insulation from heavy cable.
The locking liner was patented in July 1906 by Watson & Chadwick, for Cattaraugus."

If Bernard is right & Utica did make the M. Klein knives (and I have no reason to think that he is wrong) then my theory of the knives with the wood grained handles seems to be wrong.

Maybe you are right Johnnie. Maybe there was a lot of them left after the war (though I have not seen the wood grain handles on any knives I have seen dated as WWII) and everyone got a bargain on them. Or, maybe it is just a popular style, or it is easy and inexpensive to make, or, or, or.........who knows?

Maybe this is one of those questions for which we will never find an answer.

I did run across an ad, circa 1917, (which I bought) for a M. Klein leather tool bag. Apparently leather was in short supply (remember we still used horses in WWI), and M. Klein found this a good time to sell tool bags. Maybe they were excess inventory, and the leather shortage provided a ready market? ::blah:: ::blah::

I hope all this didn't bore anyone too bad. This stuff is about the handle patterns and all the other peripheral things, is interesting to me. As my wife can tell you, I can chase a rabbit trail all day!

Dale

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:15 pm

Thats a good bit of info there Dale, Hey Jeff, that Klein of yours would reprofile into a dandy EZ pull wharnecliffe- Nevermind me, I can't leave anything alone

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:21 pm

get that rabbit dale! it's not boring to me. that wood grain plastic on m. klein's knives seems pretty universal. i figure during the war the plastic handles were contracted and made by one company filling orders for klein and other gov. contractors. caryyover after the war would seem likley.

here is a small one blade klein i'm about to rehandle. it had the wood grain plastic and one side got melted.

hey mm, i'm thinking of modifying this one to a wharncliffe

agteacher2 · Post by **agteacher2** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:29 pm

HMMMMMM? I do like a wharncliff or is it wharnecliff or wharnecliffe.

I wonder what Bark Mammoth Ivory would look like for a handle?

Jeff

jonet143 · Post by **jonet143** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:37 pm

how about wharnie?

upnorth · Post by **upnorth** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:02 am

I believe it is Wharncliffe! Confirmed by some of BF's British participants, and by google.
That would make a nice Wharncliffe, jonet143! Show us a pic when it's done!
http://www.rod-neep.co.uk/rod/knives/wharncliffe/

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:39 am

Yeah, it would make a nice wharnie, I bet mamoth bark would look just sweeet

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:40 am

Uh Oh, TL-29 go Boom! Won der how that happened?

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 3:06 am

Here is a single blade EDC Cammilus i just finished an hour or so ago.

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:21 am

jonet143 wrote:here is a small one blade klein i'm about to rehandle. it had the wood grain plastic and one side got melted.

hey mm, i'm thinking of modifying this one to a wharnecliffe

Johnnie,
That would make a great Wharncliffe. I love a good Wharncliffe myself. It is a very useful blade.

I like your theory about the surplus plastic handles, just one thing bothers me about it though: I have not seen any World War II era TL-29s with that material on the handles. Even the ones that I saw issued in Vietnam were the black composite handles. Other than that it's a great theory

I hate it when the facts contradict a good theory, especially when the theory makes so much sense!

Another dead end rabbit trail.

Dale

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:46 am

MM,

Nice piece of work. I am thinking of doing that with one of the many Camillus TLs that I have, but I have been thinking of doing something different with the handles.

Take a look at the handles on these two. I like the way the handles get thicker at the back. It makes for a better grip when doing heavy cutting.

Dale

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:15 pm

Here is another TL type knife. It is a RIC-NOR CO./BOSTON, U.S.A.

I have no idea who made it, but if I had to guess I would say Imperial, sinply because this knife is a shell handle, though it is a bit different from the Imperial. The Ric-Nor has the handles fastened by tabs inside the liner while the Imperial is fastened with tabs at either end of the bolsters. Neither is as well-made as the other TL-29s previously listed.

Dale

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:48 pm

You saure do like your electricians knives Dale, some very nice examples you've listed, and not the last of them I'm sure. You've almost got me to likin' them, screwdriver and all

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:48 pm

The next thing you know MM, you will be taking apart TL-29s and making single blade screwdrivers out of them.

LMAO,
Dale

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:09 pm

Actually, I already had plans on it

. i have some spare liners and about a half dozen screwdriver blades, why not?

Bear Claw Chris Lappe · Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:32 am

I just have 1 TL-29, this old Camillus one. It belonged to my late father who died in 1977.

From 1953-56 my father served in the U.S. Air Force and worked teaching others how to service Radio-Teletype machines. After that he worked from 1956-1977 for GTE starting as a Lineman.

In both the Military and at GTE, men who did his jobs were given TL-29's, but I do not know for sure if this was his Military or Civilian issue.

Blade Runner · Post by **Blade Runner** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:59 am

Super Knife Bear Claw

Gary

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:43 am

Chris,
There is no way I know of to tell the difference between the military & civilian Camillus TLs. I have a Camillus that looks like the one you pictured. It was issued to me in the Marine Corps about 1971.

A knife that belonged to one's father or grandfather is a real treasure. I am blessed to have knives from my Dad & both grandfathers. They are among my most treasured knives.

Thanks for sharing,
Dale

Bear Claw Chris Lappe · Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:37 pm

orvet wrote:Chris,
There is no way I know of to tell the difference between the military & civilian Camillus TLs. I have a Camillus that looks like the one you pictured. It was issued to me in the Marine Corps about 1971.

A knife that belonged to one's father or grandfather is a real treasure. I am blessed to have knives from my Dad & both grandfathers. They are among my most treasured knives.

Thanks for sharing,
Dale

Thanks, I've tried over the years to find out when he got it, but even his brothers just "always remember your dad having it", but can't recall when he first got it.

I've been lucky at getting "heirloom" knives, as theonly knife nut in the family everyone gives them to me. I have knives from my dad, maternal grandfather and both great-grandfathers.

Bear Claw Chris Lappe · Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:47 pm

Well last week this thread threw a craving on me to get a TL-29 to carry sometimes, I won't carry the above one that belonged to my dad for fear of losing it, so one night last week I tossed a bid that even I thought was low on one on Ebay, and danged if I didn't win this one.

It's a Camillus 27, brand new/unused, still in the factory packaging with smooth brown Delrin scales, and it may be the best "deal" I ever got on a knife, I won it for a whole $6.50!

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:10 pm

There seem to be a lot of Camillus TL-29s on ebay, probably more than any other brand. I have gotten used ones for as little as $2.00 each with shipping, in a lot buy. Ironically the Camillus seem to be of better quality than many other TL-29 knives available.

You got a good deal Chris, congratulations!

Enjoy your new knife, it has great carbon steel in the blade.

Dale

Mossdancer · Post by **Mossdancer** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 1:32 am

Hello;
Just received this from a friend today. It isn't like either of the two Remingtons on page one. I thought Remco could enlighten us some on it. It has the same tang stamp as another rem I have which id's to mid 30's. The handle is wood the bail is missing. The liner lock extends the full length of blade trough. Needs a good cleaning. My guess to model would be something like r2101. There is no r number at all.
wb

orvet · Post by **orvet** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:04 am

Great Remington WB!

I am still looking for a Remington, a Winchester and an Empire to go in my TL-29 collection. I have about 28 other brands, but those three have eluded me so far.

Dale

muskrat man · Post by **muskrat man** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 12:41 am

How did I end up with all of these thingies with screwdrivers on them?

camillus
camillus
camillus
camco
powerkraft
klein
18500 proto usa
kingston
sabre

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