Electrician's knives. And those that use them.

[knarfeng]

I worked as an electrician in the 1970's for a spell, working on household remodels. While I carried a Camilus-Buck 303 in my jeans pocket, I carried this one in my tool pouch. My boss dug it out of his "spare tools" bin and gave it to me so, it's considerably older than the 1970's when it became mine. I used the hawkbill blade for cutting open the old style fiber wrapped romex we frequently ran across in the 1940's and 1950's vintage houses we often worked on. The tang is stamped "M KLEIN & SONS". Klein was a manufacturer and supplier of eletrician's tools. They outsourced their knives. Don't know to whom. It still lives in my electrician's pouch, which still gets some occasional use.

 

[RickHuf]

I have a soft spot for klein since Dad's shop sold them and I remember those big ol' hawkbills back in the 90s.

Here are some of their linesman's knives. Top one is as made and the two in the middle have had the locks removed and new covers put on. The bottom knife had a screwdriver blade and a lock removed and new ebony covers put on.

Here is the original electricians knife with hawkbill


These are the Camillus electricians. One stainless and two carbon. All different tang stamp eras.

 

[Nizhoni]

The Schrade Walden 204s, the one that started it all.
Picked this up for pretty cheap for what’s its worth. Schrade made a fine tool and made them thickk.
The purpose built nature and craftsmanship is what got me into collecting. Probably my sharpest knife!

 

[gentleman_edc]

I just add a kutmaster TL-29 to

'Mr Knife’s never ending box o’knives GAW #74' https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/mr-knife’s-never-ending-box-o’knives-gaw-74.1950486/

 

[varga49]

 

[RickHuf]

Found a pretty decent Robeson! It's the only manufacturer I've really been looking for in the tl-29 format. Arched signature from the 20s-30s but I understand this may be war era? Regardless I'm a happy camper. The screwdriver blade etch is still going strong. Wood looks fairly good.

 

[stvpourciau]

I have some because they're abundant, there are variations, and a lot of them are made by Utica.
I don't carry them because I don't have that much use for the screwdriver, and because most of the screwdrivers are too hard for me to open without a screwdriver.

Klein tools knives are made by Utica

 

[MDole1982]

I liked the lines of the TL-29, but don't have much use for the screwdriver either. So when I saw this knife I had to have it.

I use that screw driver for everything! Box opening, letter opening, light prying, screwdriver. It saves my main blade from getting dull on simple tasks that don't need a super sharp edge.

 

[gentleman_edc]

View attachment 2432123

I am playing around in the car waiting for my daughter to get out of Joann's Fabrics.. so I have nothing better to do than take a picture of my case electrician's knife

 

[waynorth]

Before The "TL-29" style of electrician's knife, Empire came out with two styles of screwdriver/electrician/radio knives!! One was a single blade Lockback type, and the other had a locking screwdriver that was released by pressing down on the cutting blade!!
Empire:
Empire also made the two-blade version for Schrade Cut Co, with Empire's shield on it!!

 

[KentuckyBlackBird]

View attachment 2435725