All About Pocket Knives

Hi Im wayne and am new to this site but I have about a million questions... I suppose Ill start with my latest purchase. I bought a boker 9229 electricians or mechanics ive seen it called both with a locking screwdriver at a market for 20 bucks and cant seem to find one like it. I find plenty that resemble it but none are the SAME. Mine has 4 rivets and the loop with a real wood handle. The ones Ive seen have 2 rivets in the handle not 4 and plastic handles. I was hoping someone could tell me if mine is average or is it something special? Thanks

Welcome to AAPK, Wayne. Is it possible to post a picture? Especially a good clear picture of the tang stamp would be a big help in identifying your knife.

The electricians knives have been made for many years by most all makers and they changed as the years passed. There's so many of them, they don't tend to go for very much money. As you probably know, as with all collectables, condition is just about everything. Wooden handles tend to be on older knives and a tang stamp would help dating the knife.

Your knife was also referred to as a 'linemans' knife. Try googling TL-29, as already stated, just about every knife company made one or a version of one. Here's one that had the blade snapped off that I refurbished into a whittling knife (the one on the bottom).

I would love to post a pic have tried several times even followed directions on site but the window pops up and it just keeps goin and goin sayin its downloading the stamping on the blade says boker usa and on the other side it says 9229 with a tree in between the twos its in amazing shape some marks on the blade where it appears to have rusted a bit I have seen several on ebay but as I said they are not identical I have 4 rivets in the handle plus the loop with a wooden handle and those only have two plus the loop with a plastic handle Im sure its not worth a ton just wanted to make sure Im not ruining something rare by carrying it I like it and plan to make it my dailey knife the lock and linings are brass as are the rivets... I have several more case knives that I have collected over the years and am curious as to how to tell a second cut stag from bone my fathers knife I know is second cut stag but the others may be amber bone

wholly crap it worked

here are the stampings now that the pics are working

for now am really interested in why I CANNOT find a pic of this knife anywhere

I am obsessed with this thing I find several brands that are identical to it but none are boker all the bokers I find are plastic handle and less rivets stampings are the same but not the frame weird

Chevy, I've got one of the Boker 9229s that you mention with two pins rather than four like yours. There are some serious Boker historians on this board and once they see this thread they can probably clear up dates for you, but I'll say this - any Boker electrician's knife is somewhat unusual. You're going to see 50 Camillus for every Boker. From my little experience with these knives I would say that the one Big Barn showed is an older knife and the ones you and I have are probably from after WWII. I don't carry my Boker just because I only have one, whereas I have more Camillus and Kleins than I can count. So that's my two cents worth on this subject. Check out the Boker Studies forum and it will make a Boker collector out of you for sure.

well thanks for the imfo am hoping to get a date and on your advice I think Ill put it away am glad to know i found somethin good and I dont think the price of 20 buck was too bad

With four pins that knife was made sometime between the 1940s and late 1960s. Wish I could get closer, but there aren't many data points to compare. Definitely made before 1972, because catalog evidence shows they were using two pins and delrin handles by that time.
Here's a knife like yours in a 1953 catalog.

heavychevy90 wrote:wholly crap it worked

There you go folks, the quote of the week!


Wayne, Welcome to AAPK!

Phil

Thanks guys for the imfo now I at least have a time period I guess the question now is has anyone ever seen one like this I cant find one for sale anywhere and though its not worth alot is it as rare as it seems to be I mean a picture in a book is one thing but are there any out there? I guess Ill just have to be happy knowing that for now I seem to have the only one I can find

I had one about two years ago, but I replaced the scales, removed the screwdriver blade, and made a single blade folder out of it.
Perhaps I was a bit hasty....

thannks for all the imfo guys keep your eyes out let me know if ya see one anywhere am getting more and more curious.

I have to say I become happier every day when I check and find that noone has posted a pic of my new little Boker seems to be becoming quite the find for 20 bucks

Here's one on ebay .

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Boker-9 ... 4d01c68f73

wow and there ya go Ill have to keep an eye out and see what it goes for thanks I bought mine to carry I liked it just wasnt sure once I started lookin if I should I take really good care of my knives in fact if someone wants to borrow them I usually ask what there cuttin lol but in a week I havent found not one so was kinda thinkin I shouldnt thanks again

here's mine...
before
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... &mode=view
after
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... &mode=view

I would be surprised if that one on eBay goes for more than $10. That pattern just isn't that popular, and very few people know enough about the Boker brand to recognize that knife as being an oldie.

Could be wrong, I often am....

wow that came out nice I might bid on the one on ebay just to try and do it Im jealous it would be my first redo then I would have a million questions

Here is one of the more modern ones with sawcut Delrin handles and two pins, bought it today and had to pay $12.50, just couldn't get the old boy to go any lower. Has a nicely shaped Spear blade on it and overall pretty clean for the premium I paid; Chevy, your $20.00 investment is looking better every minute!

I just thought I was addicted before I found this site Im goin to a big antique market this sunday I cant wait and I feel like Im gaining more knowledge I always had a good eye its just nice to have people to show my finds too just wanna say thanks for the imfo and input guys

Chevy, yours is a lot cleaner than the one on ebay and worth every bit of $20. I think you got a deal. And OH, yours looks great too, with the sawcut delrin. Here's a shot of mine, two pin, smooth delrin.

So now we have seen four varieties of Boker TL - Chevy's four pin post war, Big Barn's old, probably pre-war four pin, OH's saw cut post war two pin and my smooth two pin post war. Plus Blue's custom job.

Wouldn't you like to have one of each?

heck yeah I do and am definantly gonna try and pick up the one on ebay I wanna try to do a custom like blues

just noticed OH's has less branches on the tree did they just wear off or did boker change this?