Found an old knife - what do I do next?

GranPaSmurf

GranPaSmurf

Joined
Jan 7, 2024
Messages
5
I found this in my junk drawer. I've only recently begun to appreciate knives since I found an old Case knife in my kitchen knife drawer.
I would like to give this knife to the granddaughter of the original owner, but I don't want to affect its value if I clean off some of the patina. It's evident from the rough cutting edge and scratches that this was a useful tool for the old guy.
So far, I've only given the pivot points a liberal drink of knife oil.
I'd like to clean the blades before I gift it to his granddaughter. So here I am asking the experts to help me not make a rookie mistake.
 
GranPaSmurf said:
I found this in my junk drawer. I've only recently begun to appreciate knives since I found an old Case knife in my kitchen knife drawer.
I would like to give this knife to the granddaughter of the original owner, but I don't want to affect its value if I clean off some of the patina. It's evident from the rough cutting edge and scratches that this was a useful tool for the old guy.
So far, I've only given the pivot points a liberal drink of knife oil.
I'd like to clean the blades before I gift it to his granddaughter. So here I am asking the experts to help me not make a rookie mistake.
Click to expand...
Welcome to Bladeforums!!

We're all going to ask you to show a picture of the knife. At least tell us what brand shows up on the blade tang. But a picture is required to say anything intelligent about it. There are threads on Bladeforums with instructions on how to post pictures.

Also, the moderators might want to move this to the Traditional subforum as I suspect the knife will belong there.

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
Welcome to Bladeforums!!

We're all going to ask you to show a picture of the knife. At least tell us what brand shows up on the blade tang. But a picture is required to say anything intelligent about it. There are threads on Bladeforums with instructions on how to post pictures.

Also, the moderators might want to move this to the Traditional subforum as I suspect the knife will belong there.

Zieg
Click to expand...
Got it. I was searching to find how to upload a couple of images when I saw your reply. Can you point me to 'how to ' post an image?
 

How do I post pictures from a.....

Whatever kind of device you have? There may be an app for that. Look for a picture/file sharing host. Prefreably one that is NOT porn related. You can use imgur.com, flickr, or any others. There are tutorials online on the "How To" part, search for it. In the mean time, searching here for...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
This looks like a Schrade TL-29 electrician knife. Many of these have been made and they are not rare. My advice is to clean it up and sharpen it without losing the more interesting marks and signs of its previous life. We cannot advise its dollar value unless you have a gold membership here, but you can search in eBay and other websites (probably in other threads here, too) to get an idea of what it's worth.

How well does the lock hold?

Zieg
 
Use a pencil as a scraper. I like to use a flat wide carpenter’s pencil. But any pencil will do. The graphite is softer than the steel. It will knock off any crud or corosion leaving the patina. Then wipe it wit something like a lysol wipe.

Then decide if you want to be more aggressive.

It is a common pattern, but I think wood handle TL-29’s are special. It is a fine keepsake, I hope she treasures it.
 
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It wouldn’t matter what the condition is since the real value is that it was her grandfather’s tool. I would oil it, wipe the loose soil off and otherwise leave it alone. Every mark on that was likely made by her ancestor and should be valued as such. So until she decides to carry and use it, I wouldn’t even re-sharpen the knife.

n2s
 
The Zieg said:
This looks like a Schrade TL-29 electrician knife. Many of these have been made and they are not rare. My advice is to clean it up and sharpen it without losing the more interesting marks and signs of its previous life. We cannot advise its dollar value unless you have a gold membership here, but you can search in eBay and other websites (probably in other threads here, too) to get an idea of what it's worth.

How well does the lock hold?

Zieg
Click to expand...
Thanks for the replies - the lock works well, I assume as it was designed to work. Takes about the same thumb pressure as my EDC, CRKT Hootnanny. I've already given the blades a bit of a sparkle, just pushing the gunk off with a pencil
 
On old knives that have sentimental or collector value I like to use mineral oil to clean the metal parts and it lubricates the action as well. It will dissolve most grease and old oil deposits without doing any harm and still leave the patina. I put it on liberally to soak crud loose and then wipe off with a soft cloth. Then if there’s anything still stuck I use a pencil and eraser. I try not to soak the wood or other natural materials as it could swell them but a light film shouldn’t hurt anything and wipe it off dry.

If the knife isn’t of any significant value and going to use it, I will first use mineral oil to clean it then polish and finish it and sharpen it to how I want it.
 
I really like these knives. I had access to my dad's TL-29 as a kid and always liked how sharp the "screwdriver"/secondary blade was. I think his was from his navy days and ended up buried in his shop. I'll look for it next week.

Zieg
 
You can clean the blade with 0000 steel wool. Scrub gently until no more rust comes off. Then, use WD 40 on a paper towel and continue to wipe the blade until the paper stays white.
A tiny bit of the steel wool can be placed in the blade well and manipulated with a toothpick to dislodge gunk and corrosion there. Be careful to not leave any steel wool near the blade pivot. Again, WD 40 on Q tips or folded paper towel will clean the remainder of the stuff out of the blade well.
 
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