The TL-29 Electrician's Knife | Review and History of an American Icon

[@terrancecoard388]

I saw this video a while back and it triggered a memory. Back in 1982, a neighbor who was an old Dutchman named Otto with a heavy accent gave me a tackle box of new and unused fishing lures. At the time, I was impressed by the lures which I never used because they were so beautiful and rare! He also included a pocket knife that I remembered was scary sharp! Today I finally made it to my shed and took out the knife. It is indeed a TL-29 Schrade Cut Co made in Walden NY. Otto also built rifles and hated the fancy shiny ones and would laugh saying the deer would run away and make fun of your shiny rifle glinting in the sun. Think Sargent Schultz. He gave me my first lessons on guns and hunting. When he said he was in the army in WWII I asked...whose army, and he winked and smiled but did not answer. To this day, I tend to buy old used guns that are not shiny. Time to use what I learned from The Knife Doctor and clean the grime off this knife after a few decades....still scary sharp!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for sharing, Terrance. I'm sure you opened a can of worms with this comment on old Otto. You might have to pull out a lure and go fishing. I'll be watching any responses with a heavy trigger finger on a non shiny.

[@ShawnSteiner-p7c]

Great video! I was an Electricians Mate in the US Coast Guard in the early 80's. I was issued one of those which I cared everyday I was in uniform. I still have that knife a long with a collection of other TL-29's I've accumulated. Most have carbon steel blades and springs, I have a few more resent models that are stainless steel. For years I worked in one of the US Navy ship yards. We were able to draw one of these knives from a pre-expendables supplies station along with gloves, paint brushes and other general items. You could pretty go and ask for another everyday if you wanted or need to! I rescued many of them from the trash, some that were fresh from supply that same day! They stop issuing these knives due to too many cut fingers! Some of these knives I gave to my Webelos Cub Scouts when they earned their whittling chit which allowed them to carry and use a knife (under adult supervision of course). I didn't like seeing them carelessly wasted.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for sharing, Shawn. They're incredibly low priced for what they are on the secondary market due to an absolute ton of them having been made. Great knives.

[@The_OG_MP]

I found one and bought it for about $15. I discovered that the one I bought was made in the 50s! Loved the addition of the history lesson in the video. It was very well done.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Much appreciated OG. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed the history. Welcome to the channel.

[@kenhamm5633]

Thanks for the great historical presentation. I have 2 TL 29s that were issued to me while in the USAF, 1 in 1970 and the other in the 80's. One I keep in my toolbox, the other with my other knives. Keep up the good videos!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks very much Ken. These certainly have a ton of history behind them, and are well worth owning a few.

[@christopherwelch5568]

When I was a kid in the late 70s I pestered my Dad to death for a pocket knife. He finally caved in and gave me one and it was the very same Camillus in your video. It was well-worn and dull... I think he found it somewhere. I still have it. My parents divorced not long after that and it's really the only thing he ever gave me as a kid that I have from my childhood. Thanks for the history lesson.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

The best knives are ones with sentimentality.

[@metallyillmark]

Good show my old chap! Love the history!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks very much, Mark.

[@rickbuchanan5762]

Retired Air Force Avionics MSGT. 1984-2005. We had them in our Flightline toolpouches which were later replaced by metal toolboxes (CTK).

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for your service. This is a true American knife. It's provided the country well.

[@pa1adin111]

That was a fantastic video. I hope you can make more in that format in the future.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Rick. They'll be times when it's appropriate.

[@Toadonthehill.]

Thanks Buddy that was an eye opener for me, I didn’t know the Electrician Knife had that sort of history. The Mini-Documentary was Brilliant 🤩. Keep them coming Brother 👍.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I think it's a must own for a knife nut. Thanks for supporting the channel Toad.

[@jeroenvoss6231]

Thank you for an entertaining history of a well known pattern.Quite the icon indeed. I really enjoyed the video, thank you TK have a very nice day.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

You bet Jeroen. Thanks so much for watching.

[@Jimthechevywheelman]

I got mine in high school. I’m class of 1975. The electricity shop instructor sold everybody one of these Camillus made knives. He had a huge box of them.! I love that class had it for three years,,, I lost that knife sometime during my first years, working on elevators(installation at that time) ,,, later years became a big Camillus fan.. not too long before they close their doors,,, really loved their Cuda line of knives, in my minor collecting and use of knives I tried to stay away from more popular case knives… just to be different I guess… so many knives out there so little time/money. ( space)

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

These were rugged beasts. Truly knives to get work done. Thanks, Jim.

[@markrobinson2849]

Cool knife, I had one issued to me while serving aboard a US Navy ship in the 80's as an Interior Communications Electrician. I remember it as being very stiff to operate and preferred my Buck 110 as my working blade. I kept the TL-29 in my tool bag but didn't use it much. It had carbon steel blades and I don't recall the manufacturer. I had it until last year when It finally reached it's end of service. My wife used in the barn to cut open hay bales for many happy years. It looked like the Camillis you have in the video.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for sharing your recollection. They do have a rather stiff pull on them, I can imagine the 110 was much easier to open. Have a great day, Mark.

[@bobbyking3503]

You did a great job! Enjoyed the history lesson. I never sat out to collect these but have accumulated quite a few. I'm forever finding them (Camillus, Ulster, Klein, Sabre. . .) at Yard Sales & our local flea market at bargain prices. Would love to find one of the early versions (w/ different locking mechanism).

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. They are very common, but no less significant. Thanks for the comments Bobby.

[@WAGONJON]

Very informative video. Very well established and narrated. Thank you for the information. It's much appreciated.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad you enjoyed it! Welcome to the channel.

[@Semitotal]

One of my favorite patterns for sure! Great little history lesson. I'm particularly fond of the Barlow-sized variations like the Electric Mate by Ric-Nor, but the classic, beefy Camillus version is the real deal.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Cool, thanks! Tough to beat the Camillus for T-29 build. Welcome to the channel Semitotal.

[@J.O.VenturesOutdoors]

This video is excellent my friend! Thank you for doing this!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad you enjoyed it! These types take a long time to produce. Thanks J.O.

[@rustyknifelover4463]

Carried my CAMCO 229 Electricians Knife yesterday. Love this pattern.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hey, Rusty good seeing you. Be well my friend.

[@jelkel25]

The TL29 has a sort of tidy well designed air to it which has its own appeal if you know what I mean. The SAK Spartan has the same thing, haven't used a Spartan in years but always have one for this reason. You really kicked this video into next gear TK! Outstanding!!!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Richard. Battle hardened, battle tested that's what the TL-29 is.

[@jonlouis2582]

I inherited one of these and never really knew the history of the pattern. Thanks for the informative film.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It's a knife rich with history. Cool that you learned something from the video. Take care Jon.

[@chaddamron3877]

BOOM-- dropping knowledge- best informative vid I've seen in a hot minute-- 💥💥🍻👍

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Chad, glad you enjoyed it.

[@JollyPeanut]

Nice knives. I enjoyed the History very much, Awesome job ..Thanks TK 😃👍

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hey JP, I hope you are doing great my friend. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the video. Take care.

[@RJsKnives]

I knew some of the history but I learned some new things. The documentary was awesome! I thoroughly enjoyed that video. Great job!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Awesome! Thank you RJ,. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it.

[@bigjsknives]

Great review man!!! I picked up a minty 70-80's Camillus last Weekend at the flea market for my youngest son since he's in school to be an electrician and is somewhat into knives like his old man. Very educational on this one!!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks, glad you found it useful BigJ. It gives you a whole new appreciation for the Electrician's knife.

[@UltraMagaFan]

I have 2 of those Camillus TL29 knives along with a Kut Master and a Queen hawk bill knife. They were all issued to my grandfather while he was an electrician in the Air Force. He enlisted in 64’ and retired in 95’. He got all of them in the 80s towards the end of his career. They’re newer knives. I’m fairly certain he used the hawk bill knives to strip thicker gauges of wire like 1/0 and 2/0 gauge and he used the TL29 knives to cut and strip smaller gauges of wire like 10 and 16 gauge. He may or may not have used the hawk bill knives to cut linoleum flooring too. I’m not sure what his job title was. I did not have a great relationship with him and I barely talked to him before he passed away. But I know he primarily did electrical work for the buildings on base. He didn’t do anything related to aircraft.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for sharing the info. Relationships with family can be difficult.

[@steveg.1502]

That was a great video TK! I really enjoyed that.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad to hear it Su. Thanks for watching,

[@alanroundtree6294]

This is a awesome video i collect TL 29 knives and i did not know a lot of this thank you

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad it was helpful Alan. Welcome to the channel.

[@superrad1659]

I have a vintage/antique(?) TL-29 that belonged to my Grandfather. He had a few, not sure if mine was from his time served in Korea or one he picked up after, but its OLD. And it's one of my most treasured possessions!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

The shear number of these keeps demand low. That's a good thing for a collector that knows to appreciate them.

[@coonplatoon]

My very first pocket knife was an electrician knife. I still have it 30 years later

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

They are built to last. Very durable knives. Thanks, coonplatoon.

[@Johnny35130]

I carry a Camillus Electrician knife, a 4" Crescent wrench and a disposable lighter in my pocket daily, & have for years. I can do many things with these 3 tools.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

They can be incredibly useful. Thanks for the feedback, Johnny.

[@halcooper6059]

I was wanting a video like this. Well done.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hey, thanks Hal. I'm glad I could bring it to you. Thanks for watching,

[@SpacecityEDC]

Great job 👍 I just picked one up from Rough Ryder. I was unaware of this pattern but once I saw it was intriguing to me especially when I reviewed it's history. Being an aircraft mechanic it's kinda a double catch, one just for my knife collection and one for my aviation tool collection once I found out that it was also issued to aircraft mechanics during the wars of past 😉 Thanks for sharing and again great video!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad you discovered this iconic knife Spacecity. It has a terrific military history. Welcome to the channel.

[@WilliamsKnifeLife]

Great video on the TL29. I have a few different manufacturers of those. Still a useful knife to this day.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yea you're right, even if never use it for a slotted screw it still has plenty of usefulness. Thank William

[@felinebline7154]

Tremendous presentation!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Much appreciated Rick. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@felinebline7154]

@@ThriftyKaniffy 100%

[@davidkurle5418]

I hope one of the knife companies watches this video and hires you to do the voice work for their ad videos. lol That bit of history was awesome, my friend.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Ha. Doubtful David. Thanks for the compliment though. Take care.

[@paddyspotatopeelers2154]

Fantastic and informative, dam I got to up my game.lol.atb paddy 👍 😀

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks 👍 Paddy, glad you enjoyed the presentation.

[@robertspangler6144]

I've got a RR version. Well built knife. Don't really care for the " Be Prepared " shield though.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I'm not sure why the Boy Scout motto is used in these strange ways, I completely understand. Thanks Robert.

[@knifedelights7473]

A very interesting pattern and I have collected a few of them.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

There's a lot of them out there. Some better than others. Thanks KD.

[@dannyparrish724]

Bought an old knife at a flea market for $5. You just got me clued in that it is an electrician’s knife. It is also made by Camillus. Thanks

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Nice buy. They can be had dirt cheap and make for a real good budget knife. Thanks for watching Danny.

[@brandonzimmermann]

I have one made by Ulster with some yellow lettering on the scales that read “Renew with N.U.” and the name of a radio supply store on the other side. Sadly worn off just about so it remains in my drawer now

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Sounds like a nice corporate piece. There's a boatload of them out there. Thanks Brandon.

[@gerardvanengelen9001]

Great video 👍

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Gerard. I'm glad you found it enjoyable. Take care.

[@StephenWorth]

Great video.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hey, glad you liked it Stephen. Thanks!

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

The OT’s definitely look good. Reminds me of the old Karin’s.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks, much appreciated Tobias.

[@Jodyrides]

I got a Camillus, electricians knife that went through World War II in the Pacific in the pocket of an electrician on the enterprise.. I got the knife from a neighbor, having an estate sale, selling his mothers things after she passed away about 30 years ago.. I am a retired electrician, and I still don’t know why they call these things electricians knifes.. I have a Klein electricians knife that is exactly the same design. Two blades, one screwdriver with not much of an edge, and one spearpoint. The screwdriver blade locks.. I was searching KZbin to see if I could watch a video of a demonstration how to use these knives as an electrician

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

They're meant to cut insulation off of wire with the cut out area on the blade, that's about the extent of it. I know as technician I was thinking it'd be more in depth in that regard also. Not so much. Much easier to use wire strippers.

[@stuartgross162]

Good video!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad you enjoyed it Stuart. Be well.

[@superrad1659]

I think it would be REALLY cool if someone were to come out with a more premium, modern interpretation kinda like what Pena or JackWolfKnives is doing. A TL29 w/ Titanium bolster and liners and nice micarta or DarkMatter/FatCarbon... I would buy one in a HEARTBEAT!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

That sort of thing seems to be trending among new things I'm seeing.

[@randallkelley3599]

Our AF Prime Beef team issued these to carpenters, electricians, and most anybody else who asked. Never had one opting for a Buck 110. Don't know why.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Interesting. Thanks for the anecdote Randall. Welcome to the channel.

[@Elphoenix1]

I have the rough rider version the screw driver blade looks thiker olmost like it was chromed

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I've got the wrench version of the Rough Ryder electrician's knife. I'll have to revisit that blade.

[@bryco32]

I know no one cares but I had a Klien version of this in the very early 80s. Got it for my last year of cub scouts. Had it for a few years. My family was broke and my mom got it at a garage sale. It was black & corroded as hell. My second year of boy scouts, being a goof, I had it fall back on my middle finger knuckle trying to close it. Cut that biatch down to the bone ....BAD! . Freaked me out & I Gave up on this style promptly after that incident . Been anxious about them ever since... Yeah... silly some 40 years later! LOL! Whatever. Been using a buck 110 or Uncle Henry Lb7 all these years. Beginning in 2023 out of nowhere I started collecting the vintage Electricians style tl-29 knives and carrying them daily. All vintage... all makes. ADHD is weird... But as I get older , find myself pretty much saying FK it and doing something even if it wrecks me.. Should have been around when I unwrapped the Colonial version of my first one. Talk about major hesitation. Funny how that all works out.. I wish I had that old Klien back. My Dad, God bless him, made it disappear. He knew it really wigged me out. I hoped one day he would have told me he kept it...But those days are dwindling. I assume I'll get a vintage Klien but I'm not looking forward to it. Anyhow.. Happy Monday.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Great story. Sorry you missed out on all those years of handling these great knives over an incident such as that. Safe handling is important, glad you were able to overcome the anxiety. Thanks Deez.

[@stevemccallum6429]

Hopefully you can’t screwup this knife

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I'll try not to. Thanks, Steve.