Glennbad's EO TL-29 conversions
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 5:23 am
Back in June, Trail started a discussion about customized TL-29/electrician's knives (here). Glenn posted a couple of his conversions, so I got a note off to him about maybe doing some work.
We bounced some ideas around, I sent him off a box of wood and some old electrician's knives (not new, not worn out), and time passed. Saturday I got a box in the mail:
The top knife is an EO conversion in purpleheart, with a lanyard hole; the bottom knife is a locking EO conversion in the original Camillus black plastic, with the original loop. My first thought on seeing them was to wish I'd sent new knives--his work deserves better than the knives he started with.
Both knives are nicely fitted. The locking knife, with the Camillus black plastic handles, could pass for factory. The lock is just perfect: still slightly stiff, but when it finishes working in it will be solid and reliable like my favorite old 194OT.
In this next pic, you can see the EO notches on the Glennbad conversions:
The middle knife is a Syracuse EO, about like the WWII USA EOs. You can just barely see it in this pic, but the steel liner of the Syracuse is a bit exposed due to shrinkage of the scales--it has bitten me a couple times. Glenn has the two conversions set up so that can't happen: the corners of the liners are just lightly broken. Notches are close to the same size.
You can also see the provisions for the lanyard in this pic. I really think that on a single-blade conversion, the lanyard hole is the way to go. The loop works well on knives with multiple blades, but on a single blade it just feels too wide compared to the thickness of the knife. (Retaining it on this knife was my dumb idea.)
I'd only change two things about these (well, three if you count starting with new knives instead of used knives). First, substitute canvas micarta for the scales: the knives are thin enough the "grippiness" of the micarta would be nice at times. Second, leave off that loop: the lanyard hole is much superior. That purpleheart knife just disappears in the pocket, and a short lanyard won't change that.
Jim
We bounced some ideas around, I sent him off a box of wood and some old electrician's knives (not new, not worn out), and time passed. Saturday I got a box in the mail:
The top knife is an EO conversion in purpleheart, with a lanyard hole; the bottom knife is a locking EO conversion in the original Camillus black plastic, with the original loop. My first thought on seeing them was to wish I'd sent new knives--his work deserves better than the knives he started with.
Both knives are nicely fitted. The locking knife, with the Camillus black plastic handles, could pass for factory. The lock is just perfect: still slightly stiff, but when it finishes working in it will be solid and reliable like my favorite old 194OT.
In this next pic, you can see the EO notches on the Glennbad conversions:
The middle knife is a Syracuse EO, about like the WWII USA EOs. You can just barely see it in this pic, but the steel liner of the Syracuse is a bit exposed due to shrinkage of the scales--it has bitten me a couple times. Glenn has the two conversions set up so that can't happen: the corners of the liners are just lightly broken. Notches are close to the same size.
You can also see the provisions for the lanyard in this pic. I really think that on a single-blade conversion, the lanyard hole is the way to go. The loop works well on knives with multiple blades, but on a single blade it just feels too wide compared to the thickness of the knife. (Retaining it on this knife was my dumb idea.)
I'd only change two things about these (well, three if you count starting with new knives instead of used knives). First, substitute canvas micarta for the scales: the knives are thin enough the "grippiness" of the micarta would be nice at times. Second, leave off that loop: the lanyard hole is much superior. That purpleheart knife just disappears in the pocket, and a short lanyard won't change that.
Jim
I'm really liking the one on top.
