Camillus knife

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Sep 29, 2015
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Hello Everyone,
I am usually in the Buck forum but found an old Camillus Knife in my fathers tool chest and a member sent me here. Said I can get more info about this knife here. First I know it's old.Maybe someone can help? They also said the second knife tip is NOT broken? It has wooden scales, which the other person in Buckland said they were plastic.

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You are correct in that this an old knife: a wooden handled electrician knife. The secondary blade is a wire stripper and (flat head) screwdriver and should lock up when fully open. Neither blade is broken and the overall condition of the knife is good for its age. I'm curious to know if the liner lock in the knife pictured is brass. If not, I'd bet it was produced during WWII. I'm no expert, and hope someone will jump in to correct me should I be mistaken about anything that I've posted.
 
Thank You citytransplant,
I did not know what the piece of metal in the center was until I opened the wire stripper all the way and then could not close it but it locks up good and is a bear to open. Now the blade opens and closes freely,It most likely needs cleaning, is that right? The liner lock is not brass. My father was in WW 2 after that was a machinist and this was in his tool chest many many years. I would like to learn anything there is about the knife, mostly date wise I cleaned the tang and it says Camillus Cutlery Co. Camillus N.Y. U.S.A. that's it. I cleaned up the blade with some oil and it removed the rust. It looks much better than when I took the pictures.

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The tang stamp style is known as a "4-line" Camillus.

Does it need cleaning? Opinions will differ. I'd use a toothbrush, and some soapy warm water if needed, for brushing out any grit or lint that may live between the liner and in the joints at the end of the knife where the 2 blades ride along the ends of the 2 backsprings. I'd then open each blade to about a 45 degree angle and expose (some of) the backspring. I'd wipe the old gunk off both sides of both springs. I have a large syringe with the point filed off the needle that I keep filled with mineral oil. I'd apply a tiny amount of oil to the 2 joints and along the backsprings (after the backsprings are wiped clean yet still exposed). As for the wood, soapy water can't hurt. You may want to apply some tung oil to the wood as well. I'd not recommend coating the wood with polyurethane. I owned a nice old Schrade electrician knife with wood handles and full blades. I coated the wood with glossy poly and it just didn't look right.

The is a ton of information available on the internet about this knife. I will go out on a limb and say that the electrician knife, also known as the TL-29 and the model #27, is the second most produced model made by Camillus, behind the "demo." There is plenty of history behind this knife. You can start here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/camillus-electricians-knife.784037/#post-8964153
 
Thank you very much, citytransplant,
I went to the post that you directed me to and found the TL-29 and much info. It is not rare and people still use them. Yes it is a four liner, is that an early production knife?
 
4 line tang stamp, non-brass lock, and wood scales. Thats period correct for the WW2 time frame. Can't say for sure but maybe your Dad brought that one home. Nice family heirloom.
 
That knife is a TL-29 electricians knife. WWII issued examples were marked with the "TL-29" marking on the handle. I could have worn off this example. They were manufactured during WWII and also post war.
 
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