camillus electricians knife

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harpers ferry

Joined
Feb 11, 2005
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I've had this knife for 35+ years it was my dad's. It has one knife blade which is non-locking and one screwdriver blade. The screwdriver locks into place. The middle brass blade separator keeps the screwdriver from unlocking once it is extended., sorta like a liner lock, but not quite? :confused: :confused: The scales are hard black plastic. It has a lanyard loop. Both blades pivot from the same bolster.
I would use this old knife more often but I can't pull out the screwdriver blade without using pliers. This blade is the stiffest thing I've ever encountered. What gives, any suggestions?
 
I just bought a new one of these at a gun show a couple months ago. ($8, I was happy!) Mine has stainless scales, but I poked around on Camillus' website (and elsewhere), and it looks like it's otherwise the same model as ever.

I certainly feel your pain- the springs are extremely tight on mine, too. Not that I have to use pliers, but I can't open them if, say, my thumbnails are wet and soft. Kind of a PITA, really.

Is there any sort of reason electricians would need a super-stiff knife? I can't think of one...
 
I think the actual model number is TL-29, I have a Camillus one just like that, it belonged to my late father. He was a radio teletype operator in the Air Force in the 1950's, and they were issued to guys that did his job, but he died in 1977 when I was 9 and I have never been able to find out if the one I have is the actual one he was issued, or one he picked up later. He left the A.F. and went straight to work at GTE as a lineman, and worked there 20 years until he died, so he could have picked it up then.

Mine also has a very stiff screwdriver, it must be designed that way on purpose.
 
my dad was a civilian electrician W/ the Army. So it makes sense tat maybe it was some type of issue type thing?
this knife has always been stiff in pulling out the screwdriver blade no matter how much cleaning and lube, but I'll try again.
 
harpers ferry said:
my dad was a civilian electrician W/ the Army. So it makes sense tat maybe it was some type of issue type thing?
this knife has always been stiff in pulling out the screwdriver blade no matter how much cleaning and lube, but I'll try again.
Click to expand...

The Camillus TL-29 was issue for many communications and electrical workers within the U.S. Military rom WW2 through Vietnam, I would LOVE to somehow prove mine was my father's issue knife, but since they are not serial numbered there is virtually no way to. I have over the years tried to question relatives to see if anyone remembered him saying "I brought this knife home from the service", but I almost always get the same answer, those that new him say they remember him "always having that one", but not specifically when he got it.

My best evidence for him bringing this one home, is that fact that he kept quite a bit of other stuff he was issued also......
 
I was a 31V (tactical communication systems operator mechanic) when I served in the Army from 1986 to 1992 and I had the same knife issued with my tool kit at Ft. Lewis in the 9thID.
And both blades on mine were rather stiff even after I lubed and worked them.
After breaking a thumbnail once I bought myself a Victorinox Soldier model (after all, what other model would a Soldier choose, right) and never looked back.

Allen.
 
Yes those were the original liner locks, the model is quite common and you should be able to find a new one at hardware shops, etc. I used to buy them at Sears and still have and old one from Colonial that I once gave to my father in law and inherited when he passed away.

Cleaning and oiling may solve the stiffness problem, if it has nostalgic value like mine does you can just buy a new one to use, they are not expensive.

Luis

Edited to add a couple of links:

http://www.camillusknives.com/camillus/duratool_27b.shtml

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=CM1770
 
They were still issuing them as a wireman's tool when I left the Army in 2000. Same as my dad has always used. His and everyone I ever used in the Army had the extremely stiff screwdriver blade.
 
I have my granddad's from boker-I, too need pliers. I cleaned it, but I think that the springs are not so springy anymore.
 
I was issued a black handled one of these in the Air Force in 1981 and have always liked them since. Mine had a very stiff spring on the screwdirver blade also, a real nail breaker.
 
It's good to here I was wrong, I thought they had stopped issueing them. They are a great old knife!

Now if they would jsut go back to issuing the 1911A1..........
 
Yup, I was issued one too...

AF from 85-89, EIG comm unit out of Griffiss AFB in Rome NY.

I got a couple, actually. Spring on that screwdriver blade was stiffer than a....er, it was real stiff ;)

Glenn
 
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