All About Pocket Knives

Good looking family Dan!

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 1:23 am I am doing pretty okay. Good to be back!

Today I gathered up my electrician's knives for a family portrait.

Electrician's Knives Family Portrait.jpg

Good to see you back around the Forum Dan .
Nice group of E K s

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 1:23 am I am doing pretty okay. Good to be back!

Today I gathered up my electrician's knives for a family portrait.

Electrician's Knives Family Portrait.jpg

Good looking group Dan. Good to see you posting again.

Here are some of mine. These aren't even the users.

Some aren't the regular size frame, or even close to it.

Sabre Toolbox (made in China, 1990s?) Screwdriver locks via lockback instead of linerlock. Pretty cheaply built, but I couldn't say no for $8 with free shipping.
Robeson Shur-Edge Utility Jack. At 3 1/8" closed, it's a lot smaller than the typically 3 5/8 closed TL-29. However, it has more tools--adding a handy awl. Built in the 1920s and 1930s, they usually featured ivory celluloid handles with advertising. They were already pretty badly shrunk, and during its short stint as an EDC, a chunk fell out at the center pin. Going to be rescaled soon.

Channellock #11 (Camillus 27). Granddad had a pair of Channellocks that, until about 5 years ago, were still in the original package, and the #11 was featured on there. Recently found a mint one for cheap. It is also my only shelf queen Delrin #27.

Klein (by who, I don't know, guessing Utica). This is a rarer early version of the three-blade often called a "Janitor's Jack". As with most older Klein Tools knives, it is marked "M. Klein and Sons" and instead of the more typical woodgrain Delrin, smooth black synthetic material is used instead (so could be Camillus). Instead of a hawkbill a small, short coping blade is included. A much better setup.
The screwdriver is slightly bent, so I'm having this one rebuilt into a two-blade Jack with bone handles; and possibly having it made in to an Easy Open.

Sure is good to be back. And a nice little group from Cody! I have still only found the one Channellock.

I've got these three, scruffy but solid, single blade tools from Empire.

A nice trio you have there, Joe!

Thank you, sir.

FRJ wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 4:38 pm I've got these three, scruffy but solid, single blade tools from Empire.

Nice trio!

I'm wondering why the lockback never became popular on this pattern. There are the old examples like the Empire, then there's the Buck Work-Man electrician's, my Sabre (which I'm guessing was basically a knockoff of the Buck in a way)), and then SOG had a "Contractor" series model in which both the blade and screwdriver locked using lockbacks, but that's been about it.

Everyone posting some nice looking Electricians knives. Thought I would post the few I have. I also have a long line Camillus with black delrin handles, but that stays out in my shop.

Nice group, Smitty! I don't think I've yet seen an electrician's knife on a Barlow frame.

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 1:01 am Nice group, Smitty! I don't think I've yet seen an electrician's knife on a Barlow frame.

Thanks Dan. Ric Nor was an electrical supply wholesaler. The company was formed in 1914 and went out of business in 1966. The knife tang stamps reads Boston, however Ric Nor was primarily located in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The Electric Mate was an electrician knife made for Ric Nor by the Providence Cutlery Company located in Providence, Rhode Island. When I first received it, I posted about it here. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=59813&start=400

fished this one out of the bay to add to my New Britain CT knife collection (even though it's a Camillus from NY).....

A most excellent score, Tom! Seems to have been used very little, if at all. It's also a new 27 for me to hunt down...

bestgear wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 12:21 pm fished this one out of the bay to add to my New Britain CT knife collection (even though it's a Camillus from NY).....

Very nice Tom!!

When I joined the Coast Guard they sent me off to electronics training to be a Fire Control Technician. When I reported aboard ship I was issued a lot of tools and one of them was an electricians knife. That was 1966. I still have it. When I reenlisted in 1973 same thing happened. So I got a new one. Still have that one too. Along the way I picked up a couple of others. The 1967 one is a Colonial, and I have picked up another Colonial. I also have a Camillus, and the 1973 one is an M Klein and Sons. (I know only three but one colonial looks like the other)

Nice little group, Peter!

PeterDE wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 5:16 am When I joined the Coast Guard they sent me off to electronics training to be a Fire Control Technician. When I reported aboard ship I was issued a lot of tools and one of them was an electricians knife. That was 1966. I still have it. When I reenlisted in 1973 same thing happened. So I got a new one. Still have that one too. Along the way I picked up a couple of others. The 1967 one is a Colonial, and I have picked up another Colonial. I also have a Camillus, and the 1973 one is an M Klein and Sons. (I know only three but one colonial looks like the other)

Nice post!

Nice group!

The Colonial electrician's knife is special to me, as Granddad gave an identical one to me as one of the first two knives I ever owned.

Schrade Walden 204S--guessing late '60s, early '70s.

Got this one for free. The seller sent me this one by mistake (in place of an older cocobolo 204), and said that to avoid the cost of shipping it back, I could keep it; and get the right knife as well.
Rough, but a nice EDC. Soon may become a one-blade, but I've decided I'll save that for a pair of nicer Bokers that the original oner tried to reprofile the screwdrivers down to fit a #2 Phillips and failed, miserably, rounding the screwdrivers off. What makes these good candidates is that other than the poorly done mods, they're mint.

Cody the 204 was my first electricians knive I bought when in the trade 1975.

PeterDE wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 5:16 am When I joined the Coast Guard they sent me off to electronics training to be a Fire Control Technician. When I reported aboard ship I was issued a lot of tools and one of them was an electricians knife. That was 1966. I still have it. When I reenlisted in 1973 same thing happened. So I got a new one. Still have that one too. Along the way I picked up a couple of others. The 1967 one is a Colonial, and I have picked up another Colonial. I also have a Camillus, and the 1973 one is an M Klein and Sons. (I know only three but one colonial looks like the other)

Nice looking group and great backstory.

These all have deep red handles, most in some form of shrinkage as they're cell relatives that don't seem to outgas.

Colonial--second knife I owned, first electrician's knife I ever owned. The screwdriver was rusted shut into the frame, and it took a couple years for me to realize it had a screwdriver--I was 10 when I got it, and I was 13 or 14 when I finally got the screwdriver out. Been retired since I was 17, when it was replaced with a Camillus #27--the first of about 5.
Imperial---shell handle. I didn't know Imperial made shell-handle electrician's knives. Needs a LOT more cleaning. I actually forgot I had this one until I was going through my collection, and decided to get all my electrician's knives into Sack-Ups since they are about the most-numerous same size, same pattern knife I have.


Sears Craftsman 9560. I think it's a Camillus product, but am not sure. The only other I have is the same as an SW 204S with woodgrain Delrin.

cody6268 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 11:32 pm These all have deep red handles, most in some form of shrinkage as they're cell relatives that don't seem to outgas.

Colonial--second knife I owned, first electrician's knife I ever owned. The screwdriver was rusted shut into the frame, and it took a couple years for me to realize it had a screwdriver--I was 10 when I got it, and I was 13 or 14 when I finally got the screwdriver out. Been retired since I was 17, when it was replaced with a Camillus #27--the first of about 5.

20220425_185251.jpg

Imperial---shell handle. I didn't know Imperial made shell-handle electrician's knives. Needs a LOT more cleaning. I actually forgot I had this one until I was going through my collection, and decided to get all my electrician's knives into Sack-Ups since they are about the most-numerous same size, same pattern knife I have.


20220425_185335.jpg


Sears Craftsman 9560. I think it's a Camillus product, but am not sure. The only other I have is the same as an SW 204S with woodgrain Delrin.

20220425_185203(1).jpg

Nice Trio Cody!!

I agree. A very nice trio!