✅ SOLVED Nice folding utility knife, wonder how old?

[tamrock]

I just picked this almost mint condition Property of US Government CAMCO USA utility knife at a thrift store for $4.33 tax and all. Not a lot of info online, but one source says the one they have is from the 1950s. This thing is nice and tight never sharpened and still has residue of cosmoline grease on it. The knife blade is 2-3/4" long and the flat screw driver also has a blade edge. I was gonna use it, but being its like never been utilized, I now think I'll just leave it untouched. Any one know how old this would be and what its primary function was given out for?

 

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[RustyGold]

I would think it predates Phillip head screws because of the flathead on the one blade. World War II maybe. Very nice score!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

US Electrician's Knife.

Still available through the NSN service.

https://www.iso-group.com/NSN/5110-00-240-5943

 

[releventchair]

TL-29 model (if yours happens to be marked as such) dates back to Korea. (Radio Signal Corps allegedly. With Camillus manufacturing them. ) Camco knives were alleged to be from Camillus as well.https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=19005
Yours is newer it seems.(?)

An electricians /linemans knife.

Klien tools has made a copy as well.

 

[ticndig]

Man you got a good deal on that knife , I think it's one of the Camillus brands if so the steel is good.

 

[tamrock]

That's awesome. Even got a blueprint of the knife. Thanks Charlie

 

[gunsil]

TL-29 model (if yours happens to be marked as such) dates back to Korea. (Radio Signal Corps allegedly. With Camillus manufacturing them. ) Camco knives were alleged to be from Camillus as well.https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=19005
Yours is newer it seems.(?)

An electricians /linemans knife.

Klien tools has made a copy as well.

TL-29s were issued during WW2 and marked as such. Many other companies besides Camillus, KA-BAR and Case for instance, had military contracts for them. Camco is a Camillus brand from the 1950s. The pattern began as a Signal Corps knife in WW1 but was a bit thinner, some will be found with Signal Corps shields. By WW2 they were called lineman's knives. The TL stands for tool, lineman's.

 

[tamrock]

Thanks Gunsil, Had this one been stamped with the TL-29 mark, I would have found much more about it online. Sure are a lot of them out there for sale, but I think I'm gonna buy a decent used older one with the high carbon blade to have as a good pocket knife to use and keep this later one in unused condition, which this one has stainless steel blade and said not to be as effective as the earlier high carbon steel models that are better working knife in what I'm reading.

 

[gunsil]

I wouldn't use that mint condition knife either, it will have some decent collector value one day. Are you sure it's stainless? Most Camco knives I have seen were not stainless, if it isn't marked as such it likely isn't. TL-29s are good work knives, especially the older ones with wood handles if you can find them that haven't been worn out. The liner locking screwdriver/wire stripper blade has many uses and the main blade is a good general purpose size. There is a reason the government issued so many, they are just dang practical. I used to keep one in my car tool kit but now there is a swiss army knife in there with a phillips screwdriver and a scissor in it.

 

[tamrock]

I wouldn't use that mint condition knife either, it will have some decent collector value one day. Are you sure it's stainless? Most Camco knives I have seen were not stainless, if it isn't marked as such it likely isn't. TL-29s are good work knives, especially the older ones with wood handles if you can find them that haven't been worn out. The liner locking screwdriver/wire stripper blade has many uses and the main blade is a good general purpose size. There is a reason the government issued so many, they are just dang practical. I used to keep one in my car tool kit but now there is a swiss army knife in there with a phillips screwdriver and a scissor in it.

I'm not positive it's stainless, but I saw a YouTube about them and the guy in the video mentioned the dark patina on some blades indicated it was specific grade of carbon steel which he preferred over what he said some were made of stainless steel and will not have the dark patina as those remain bright and shiny over time.

 

[gunsil]

I think the youtuber is misinformed or doesn't know much. There are plenty of mint condition knives with carbon steel blades made a hundred years ago that exhibit no patina. I am pretty sure your Camco is carbon steel. I have never seen a TL-29 with stainless blades and most American and European cutlery companies mark stainless blades as such. There may be modern "lineman's knives" not made for the government with stainless but I don't think there were GI TL-29s that used it. The dark patina on carbon steel blades only comes from use and lack of cleaning, not just from age. By the way, stainless steel was not available for commercial cutlery use until after WW1, it was only invented and patented in 1916-1917. Nowadays we have many new modern stainless steel alloys that will perform as well as carbon steel in knives but they are expensive and not likely to be found in cheaper knives like TL-29s.