I couldn't bring myself to let it go by.

C

Captain O

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I went to [an online store] and found the 2007 Military Issue Camillus TL-29 with 1095 Cro-Van steel blades at five cents less than I would have paid for a new 440A Colonial unit made in China. These were some of the last of it's kind made in the US of A and with some decent materials. $29.95 isn't a bad price and the added Chromium/Vanadium should make for a durable and utilitarian knife as they were during the Vietnam War. Just holding the piece will take me back to the days of smelling JP5 and hot coffee on the hangar deck. :thumbup: :cool:

This knife will likely remain with me until I draw my last breath. There are some "old standby" knives that cannot be recreated (to the original specifications) without considerable expense. This is one of them.

I'll let everyone know when it arrives.
 
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popedandy said:
Congratulations on getting something that will mean a lot to you.
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Thanks. This is from the "you had to have been there" department. In all services, the TL-29 was as ubiquitous as a mess kit. Once a tool like this becomes a part of your history, you never forget it as long as you live.
 
Captain O said:
Thanks. This is from the "you had to have been there" department. In all services, the TL-29 was as ubiquitous as a mess kit. Once a tool like this becomes a part of your history, you never forget it as long as you live.
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Nice purchase Captain! Hope it serves you well.
 
Excellent score, and kudos for not letting it get away. I too will be interested in your impressions of this treasured by many classic.
Thanks, Neal
 
I picked one up from the same seller on The Bay a couple/few months ago. I keep telling myself that one day I'll modify it, but I've been too chicken so far. Congrats on the pickup!
 
Thanks to all. There is another Vendor that's selling the same knife for a dollar less. I'm still happy. If you really want a TL-29 (for use or collection) I would look (and buy) now before the prices skyrocket. There are a few offerings that pre-date WW2 for collectors. A good TL-29 is such a "user friendly" knife. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines that were issued these knives all know this. If you own a good one they provide "yeoman" service. This is another knife that far "outboxes it's class". It belongs in just about every tool box you can imagine. From WW1 to date, the TL-29 is just an "unsung hero" of our military.

Buy one. You will never be sorry you bought it.
 
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Nice find, and a nice knife. It's especially nice to get it when they just aren't made that way any more.
 
Happy you found one that brings back so many memories for you. I hope it serves you well.
 
Picture, if you will, a 19-year-old sailor, just out of "A" School picking up a familiar knife/tool he'd seen in the hands of other adults and veterans. Many liked it, others had no opinion. In his hands, it proved indispenable in solving more than one logistic dilemma. It was a handy tool that, if broken, was immediately replaced by the Squadron Supply.

There's a certain "romance" aside from the machine/human intimacy of these units. As I said, "you had to be there" to understand it.
 
Do not cite vendor names unless it is a vendor with a BF dealer membership.
 
Camillus72 said:
Great... Now thanks to you I had to go and buy one! :D
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You'll get over it... not! :) I hope you enjoy it. The steel in the Camillus makes a substantial difference in their ability to hold an edge.

If you had one in the military, it will be as good, or better, than you remember.
 
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Captain O said:
You'll get over it... not! :) I hope you enjoy it. The steel in the Camillus makes a substantial difference in their ability to hold an edge.

If you had one in the military, it will be as good, or better, than you remember.
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Oh I'm sure I'll like it, Camillus is in my name, after all :D

I never served in the military, but my father did and he still carries his TL-29 whenever he leaves the house. I just sharpened it for him not too long ago.
 
So many men carried different knives in the military, a large number of enlisted personnel were issued the US Navy Mark 1 Deck Knife. (based on the hunting knives of the 1920's and '30's). Many of you know that I bought a moden KaBar version of the Mark 1 in 2015. This is a great " once in a lifetime purchase" knife just like the TL-29.

These knives were made famous by their military service, but many had their roots in civilian hands. The TL-29 began in the hands of both civilian and military electricians as well as mechanics. The USN Mark 1 Deck Knife as I had stated earlier, began as the pre-WW2 hunting knife civilians had relied upon since the early 20th century.

Some great ideas never really need changing. Slight improvement in materials can bolster how well they perform, but the original design is marshaling onward on nearly 100 years after it's inception.

Great designs seem to live on forever, don't they?
 
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