My new Klein electricians knife

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pyro777

Joined
Sep 15, 2008
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338
After waiting for it to come after ordering it, its finally here. I ordered a 3 blade klein electricians knife with a hawkbill blade (they call it a curved sheepsfoot), a spear blade, and a flathead blade. The knife came in a clamshell package and was entirely coated in oil from the factory, the blades a carbon steel so that was to prevent them from rusting while packaged. Playing with it at first I noticed all three blades had bur on the edge but other wise were centered, had even grinds, and no play. After cleaning the entire knife and running the blades over a steel removing the burs and a bit of sharpening up they were golden. The knife is rather thick, bulky and heavy but to me it is a perfect work knife that seems able to stand but to any task asked of it. I just have got to start using it in my wiring classes and the hawkbill works like a dream striping romex. One thing I did not quiet expect was the flathead blade came with a fairly sharp blade area that I did sharpen up just a bit more to use scraping and for other "beating" tasks that I would not want to use my main blade for.
2011-10-25_22-19-46_635.jpg

I also carry my old leatherman sideclip with me to use just in case I need handy access to pliers, cutters or screwdrivers. Together I think they make a really great team. I plan on asking for a ST300 for christmas to carry with it when actually working.
 
Nice. It's cool that the TL-29 form factor is still in production; it's been around for quite a while. Lots of great threads and photos in the Trad forum. Some of these are a great marriage of multitool-lite functionality/traditional styling.
 
Late in high school and all through college, I used an electrician's knife -- and I wasn't even an electrician! :p

Mine was a two blade, screwdriver/scraper and spearpoint. Great utility knife.
 
My boss gave me a Klein just like that in ~ 1977. It wasn't new.

Here's a reasonably recent pic:
100_2845.jpg
 
It's also worth noting that Klein owns Heritage Cutlery, which makes some EXCELLENT scissors and shears! :cool::thumbup:
 
Wow I didnt know that fortytwo that is indeed pretty cool. Thats a nice knife there knarfeng, I hope mine can develop as much character as that one.
 
I carry a TL-29 at work all the time; it's a great pattern. Just this morning, spending 4 hours at the top of a ship's mast replacing and rewiring a few antennas, I used my 2-blade Camillus to strip some wires, adjust a few hose clamps, etc. I keep mine on a lanyard, attached to the bail, so I don't lose it overboard.
 
that woulda been a great opportunity for some photos of your knife!
 
knarfeng said:
My boss gave me a Klein just like that in ~ 1977. It wasn't new.

Here's a reasonably recent pic:
100_2845.jpg
Click to expand...

Today I bought one identical to this at an antique store except it does not have the spearpoint blade. I plan to give it to my dad or brother for Christmas (they're electricians). Mind if I ask a couple questions?

How sharp should the hawkbill blade be?

Should the "screwdriver blade" be sharpened below where it widens out for the flathead?

Thank you!!!

Matt

PS: Yes, I know this thread is a few weeks old! ;)
 
I'm glad to see klein after all these years still putting their name on quality knives especialy the TL-29 they are the only manufactor I can think of that still produces them.
 
You can still find them with the Schrade & Camillus stamps (but over seas made). You can still find real Schrade made ones around too - if you look hard enough.
 
I have my hawkbill and spearpoint blade about as sharp as I can get them with the resources available to me. You kinda need to have the hawkbill sharp to zip through romex if thats what your gona use it for, also I have my screwdriver blade only slightly sharpened to aid in scraping whatever needs to be scraped.
Ive been using my knife pretty heavy since I got it to help wire up the practice walls in school. I can say that the screwdriver blade has saved me some steps up going to my tool bag, specially on the latter prying out staples, it holds up pretty well against light prying.
 
pyro777 said:
I have my hawkbill and spearpoint blade about as sharp as I can get them with the resources available to me. You kinda need to have the hawkbill sharp to zip through romex if thats what your gona use it for, also I have my screwdriver blade only slightly sharpened to aid in scraping whatever needs to be scraped.
Ive been using my knife pretty heavy since I got it to help wire up the practice walls in school. I can say that the screwdriver blade has saved me some steps up going to my tool bag, specially on the latter prying out staples, it holds up pretty well against light prying.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks. One guy told me that the hawbill is dull because it is used to ream out metal conduit after cutting it. That didn't seem to make much sense to me. Thanks!
 
M3mphis said:
Today I bought one identical to this at an antique store except it does not have the spearpoint blade. I plan to give it to my dad or brother for Christmas (they're electricians). Mind if I ask a couple questions?

How sharp should the hawkbill blade be?

Should the "screwdriver blade" be sharpened below where it widens out for the flathead?

Thank you!!!

Matt

PS: Yes, I know this thread is a few weeks old! ;)
Click to expand...

Well, on mine, I like the hawkbill sharp enough that I could cut into the center of a box with it and cut open the box that way instead of having to start a cut at the edge. But some fellas used it to split open the outer layer of romex and they kept their hawkbill blades pretty dull.

I've never sharpened the screwdriver blade on mine.

Howsoever, be advised that different guys use the tools differently, so I can't guaranty that your family will want theirs set up the way I set up mine.
 
I've carried a similar army issue TL-29 electrician knife in my toolbag since 1975. Still comes in handy.
 
To my knowledge Klein has never made its own knives. It has contracted them out. While they do sell some Japanese non-electricians knives, the electrician knives have always been, and continue to be, US-made. Rumor has it that the current ones are made by Utica.
 
Very cool. Thanks for sharing.
I have a Camillus version of this model.

CamillusElectricians.jpg
 
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