All About Pocket Knives

Apart from the 15+ million knives made for the military, what, in your opinion, is the most widely available USA Camillus FOLDING knife available? Or put another way, which was the one most units were made of?

For me, it looks like a toss up between the TL29 Electricians/Linesmans knife, the Barlow and possibly the Cub Scout knife?

After the TL-29 (maybe) it would have to be the 72 carpenter/whittler.

smokepole wrote:Apart from the 15+ million knives made for the military, what, in your opinion, is the most widely available USA Camillus FOLDING knife available? Or put another way, which was the one most units were made of?

For me, it looks like a toss up between the T29 Electricians/Linesmans knife, the Barlow and possibly the Cub Scout knife?

Willem,
I think you are on track with the more common Camillus patterns.
When you consider knives Camillus made that are not under their own name, I think the TL-29 may still be the most common pattern they made. At one time they made the TL-29s for most of the US companies, including, as I recall, Case.

Scout knives are probably the next most common, especially when you consider various patterns and companies they made them for.

Barlows were certainly common as well.

The 15+ million knives made for the Military; that was just for WWII. They made military contract knives before WWII and many millions after WWII.


TJ- The #72 is by no means rare, but I don't think is is close to being the most common.

Thanks TJ and Dale, I am learning every day! I am reading as much as I can, and the more I read, the more I believe it is a massive pity that Camillus was allowed to close down - the US government might have done better saving Camillus than some of the banks they bailed out.......
Hindsight is 20/20 vision but looking back and considering what information is available, I think it might have been avoided, even if it meant scaling down for a while. And I think it is an even bigger pity that the Intellectual property and brand name has been sold - there is a very real opportunity for a smaller operation making higher end knives - a good quality, genuine MADE IN THE US of A, under the Camillus name will attract enough attention and sales to make it fly - of that I am convinced.

Dale, I must also tell you that I find your custom jobs on the TL29 very inspiring!

smokepole wrote:Dale, I must also tell you that I find your custom jobs on the TL29 very inspiring!

Agree... me wants one

tjmurphy wrote:After the TL-29 (maybe) it would have to be the 72 carpenter/whittler.

t.j.,glad to find someone who likes the 72 camillus whittler as much as i do-i've got 36 of them-a photo is posted under"my camillus collection"-as much as i like them(i carry one every day), my favorites are the old camillus "wedge" whittlers, but i've only got 5 of those, and i'm scared to carry one-if i lost one of those, i'd have heart failure!!!