All About Pocket Knives

Picked up this Cattaraugus electricians knife today. I'm wondering if this is a ww2 tl29. Looks like it's old enough to be. I've looked online & can't find much info. Have seen some with bales & some not. Any info appreciated. Thanks

How do you release the lock for the screwdriver blade?
The earliest version of the TL-29 used in internal lock for the screwdriver blade which was released by pressing down on the spear blade. This was a version used during World War I.

Sometime prior to World War II, I think it was in the early to mid-1930s, the DOD specs for the TL-29 was changed to the liner lock version we know today.
Along with that change the knife was lengthened to 3-3/4" from the earlier 3-3/8" for the World War I version.
The length does become a little confusing though because electricians knives made for the civilian market did not have to follow the DOD specs for the TL 29.

Thanks, it measures 3.5" and it's the liner lock. Was this a military issue tl29 or is it considered a tl29?

At 3 1/2" it was probably made for the civilian market. The only TL-29s I have seen were either 3-3/8" or 3-3/4". I believe those are the only two dimensions ever approved for military issue TL-29s.
You are probably aware that TL-29 stands for; "Tool, Lineman, 29". That is the military nomenclature.
Technically other electrician knives are not TL-29s unless they are made for the military.

Does it have a model/pattern number stamped on the back of the tang? From what I've seen, the military versions did not, while the civilian versions did. I have an older (pre WWII) that is stamped 21087 on back of tang that was made for M.Klein and Sons that is stamped.

It's got no model #. I re measured this morn & it was a little bigger 3 5/8. I noticed online a bunch with model #...couldn't find any with # missing. Thanks for the help.

I would think yours was probably made for the military.
They were originally made for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, but other branches of the service use them as well. I had a Camillus TL-29 issued to me in the Marine Corps before going to Vietnam.