All About Pocket Knives

With so much discussion about the TL -29 knives I thought I would post this old blueprint I found some where. I thought it was interesting.

Also here is a picture of the Camillus model 27 that I carry every day. Texas Ebony handles and a screw driver delete. Stays scary sharp Unique enough that every one that see it wants to have a look at it.

Let's see yours.

Jeff

Thats pretty cool Jeff,
I picked up two cammilus electricians knives a few days ago, with plans to remove the screwdriver and a rehandle, just have been looking for the free time to start on them. Nice one!

A great start to a good thread

I will start scanning knives, but first, here are some pics of a Schrade Electricians knife, window display or box insert, (I am not certain which it was). I believe it dates to the Schrade Cut. Co. era. I don't remember where I got these from.

Note that the 2nd & 3rd images are actually different halves of the same page.
Dale

Heres an ad for a Remington electricians knife. R4713

Heres one more, a R4548 with a blade lock.

Heres a rare Remington electricians knife. Its a R43 with aluminum handles and a internal spring lock for the screwdriver blade.

Great info RC and nice pic.
Remington is one of the brands I do not have in my collection. Nice to see a picture of one.

Dale

Here's a WW 2 military issue Case TL-29
Thanks
Gary

Here is an update to my earlier post. Mossdancer was able to combine the two pages into one page. Thanks W.B.

Dale

Here is a scan I happened to have handy.
The top knife is an Ulster and the bottom is a Kingston. This was the first Kingston I got, and is in pretty rough shape. Since then I have gotten some better examples, and will post some later.

Kingston Cutlery Co. was a company formed by Ulster & Imperial for the primary purpose of making knives for US Government contracts. Kingston USA (the knife shown) was a brand name that belonged to Ulster and was used from 1915 to 1958, according to Goins.

Dale

Here is the 4 I have

Upper Left: Utica w/wooden handles

Upper Right: Klein Tools, Chicago, USA

Lower Left: Colonial

Lower Right: Craftsman

Union Cut Co.

Very nice TL-29's !!

I love 'em. I used one recently rewiring and adding several boxes in my shop. It saved me lots of time and headaches, wondering where I left the screwdriver or my knife.

I really enjoy seeing the oldies with the shields.
Jeff

Here is a Cattaraugus from my collection. One of the problem with the TL-29 pattern is that the lock for the screwdriver often gets in the way of a clear pic of the tang stamp.

The tang stamp of this knife is:
CATTARAUGUS (arched)
CUTLERY CO
LITTLE VALLEY

I cannot see if there is a NY after the LITTLE VALLEY or not (nor do I know if there should be). This is the only Catt I own. Perhaps someone who is more familiar with them can fill me in on what the tang should read. I checked the fine research on Catts here on AAPK, but did not find a list of tang stamps.

Someone has obviously tried to replace the pivot pin in this knife and kinda made a mess of it. The springs are strong, but when they re-pined it they got it a bit tight. It has fair snap & half stops, but it could be better. I am tempted to take it apart and make new nickle silver bolsters and put a nickle silver pin in it.

Does anyone know what the original bolsters were made of? I would think steel, but that is a guess. Maybe one of you Cattaraugus aficionados could enlighten me.

Thanks,
Dale

hey dale, according to my reference books, there should be N.Y. under the LITTLE VALLEY. this stamp was used from 1886-1963. i believe the bolsters were steel. that's a fine old catt.

Thanks Johnnie.
I thought there might be a NY somewhere, as I thought I had seen reference to it at one time or another. If I take it apart & will be sure to get a pic of the whole tang stamp.

Here is a Schrade Walden version of the TL-29.

Compare that Schrade to the Craftsman one I posted, mine the bail had been removed, but appears it matches the schrade one pretty close judging by the handles.

More of those screwdriver knives!
The first picture is of an older Empire and a Schrade Walden. The Empire is an early version, where the main blade is depressed to unlock the screwdriver. The linerlock replaced that system, and proved more robust. Mine is a civilian version, I think, but military versions were made (see Silvey's book on Military Pocketknives). The Schrade appears unused.
Next pic is of two older Empires, not TL-29s, but sharers of some of the DNA!
The bottom screwdriver knife doesn't lock, but has a wrench (possibly for those old automotive lights that used carbide??)
And the top one is the other half of agteacher2's knife, a "blade delete"

Nice Empires Charlie!
I don't have an Empire TL-29 for my collection......yet, but I have been looking for one. I do believe you are correct about the square wrench in the blade of the one knife. They were used to adjust the old carbide head lamps on the very early automobiles. There is a specific name for it, which I can't seem to think of at the moment.

SFC-
You are right, the Craftsman & the Schrade Walden look very much alike. Now, check out the pic below of a Camillus Hawkbill TL, notice that the handles on all three knives are almost identical.

The question is who made what for whom? Did Schrade make the Craftsman or did Camillus make the Craftsman? Or, did Camillus or Schrade make all three? Or did Schrade & Camillus each make their own?

Albert Baer owned a big chunk of Camillus as well as Schrade. There were some patterns that Camillus made for Schrade/Imperial. The Frontier series is one example. Now, did Camillus make this style TL-29 for Schrade Walden? I don't know. I bet someone does know though, perhaps LT?

Dale

All I know is I want one of those TL's with the hawkbill wire stripping blade! Nice TL's Everyone

OK,
Here is one more. A three blade M. Klein & Sons with similar handles. I am not sure who makes it, but the pattern on the handles is similar to the Craftsman, Schrade Walden, and Camillus. I think someone once told me that M. Klein were made by Camillus, but I don't know that for a fact.

I have noticed that the handles on this brand seem to oxidize and get a grayish film in them that is a bit hard to get off. I haven't noticed that problem with the Craftsman, Schrade or Camillus. It may be a slightly different material in the handles.

Dale

I found one more TL-29 with the wood grain type Delrin handles. This one is an Ulster.

With so many knives that have the same type handles, I wonder if one company made them all, or one company made the handles for them all. It could be that more than one company made similar handles.

Anyone have any inside info?

Dale

maybe a company got the war contract for a generic handle for more than one knife co. could even carry over past the war. they are one of the most useful knife/tools ever.

jonet143 wrote:maybe a company got the war contract for a generic handle for more than one knife co. could even carry over past the war. they are one of the most useful knife/tools ever.

Johnnie,
You may just be on to something, IMHO. There is a common denominator in all those knives, if what I heard about M. Klein being made by Camillus is true.

We know that Albert Baer (the common denominator) bought Ulster in 1941. Later Ulster & Imperial joined forces to form Kingston Cutlery Co. which made mostly military knives, (though Ulster used the Kingston name before & after WWII). Approximately 1947 Schrade Cutlery joined Ulster & Imperial to form Imperial Knife Associated Companies (See Goin's). So it is easy to understand that Schrade & Ulster might share materials. But, Albert Baer also had a close association with Camillus. In fact, I understand, he owned a big chunk of the Camillus stock.

It is known that Camillus & Schrade made knives for each other & both companies made knives for Sears. So, if Camillus (or Schrade) made the M. Klein, it would be easy to understand that Camillus, Craftsman, M. Klein, Ulster & Schrade might share components, especially if one of them had a plethora of handles left after the war. I suppose it is possible that one or two of the companies made the same knife under the 5 different brand names.

Mind you this is all speculation, but it seems plausible.

Now, if we could find a Kingston TL-29 with the wood grain Delrin handles...........and then an Imperial.......hummm???!

Dale

I guess they used those handles on other knives also. I picked this one up on Ebay today for $1.64+shipping
It is a MKLEIN & SONS, CHICAGO, MADE IN USA

Jeff