GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Manufacturers, configurations, Shovels, Axe, Wrenches, Oiler, F/E etc.
User avatar
Greg Hines
G-Lieutenant Colonel
G-Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 1144
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2002 7:13 pm
Location: USA

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Greg Hines » Thu Nov 01, 2012 6:53 am

Wingnutt wrote:...
Dale’s interpretation is that it looks like Camillus sold "TL-29" marked electrician’s knives to the Engineers and the QMC during WWII. I agree with him. Again, what would they have done with them?
The electrician's knife is a separate item in the Engineer Supply Catalog. Most likely it was a component of various sets in the catalog (I'll check what listing I have of those but my collection is far from complete). The Engineers' catalog does contain a listing for a tool set that appears to be the Engineers' version of the GMTS. My collection of Engineer Supply catalogs do not give a listing of components for this set though the catalog does list the New Britain equivalent part number (if anyone has a 41-45 dated New Britain Catalog please send me a message).

Greg


User avatar
lucakiki
G-General
G-General
Posts: 17578
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 7:18 am
Location: Torino, ITALY

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by lucakiki » Thu Nov 01, 2012 6:59 am

Wingnutt wrote:Thanks, Hart and Luca. Hopefully, we can keep adding to this thread as we find out more information.
Agreed!
Do you consider for trade ads as useful additions, or would you prefer further informations and pictures?
Luca

WillysMB#344142 6-19-44 Navy N.S.Blue Grey
45 Bantam T-3 #57248 1-10-45
42 Willys MB-T #13560 11-42
43 Willys MB-T # 25417 4-43
Way too many WWII military tools,hopefully thinning down,and way too many posts...

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________
__________________________________________

User avatar
Wingnutt
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5029
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:17 pm
Location:

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Wingnutt » Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:56 am

Greg Hines wrote:The electrician's knife is a separate item in the Engineer Supply Catalog. Most likely it was a component of various sets in the catalog (I'll check what listing I have of those but my collection is far from complete). The Engineers' catalog does contain a listing for a tool set that appears to be the Engineers' version of the GMTS.
Very interesting, Greg. Thanks much. I hope we can run this down further.

What do you (or Kevin, Luca, etc) make of the following...(drawing your attention to the highlighted box)
Image

I didn't want to confuse the earlier discussion on the Camillus TL-29 production line knives that were sold to other Army branches with this tidbit, but now I'd like to turn some attention to it.

What does the 'R' prefix mean?
Does anyone know what kind of knife this 41-K-455 is? Could this be a post-war FSN/GSN for the next generation electrician's knife?
Last edited by Wingnutt on Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
TEMPORARY DUTY

User avatar
Wingnutt
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5029
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:17 pm
Location:

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Wingnutt » Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:00 am

lucakiki wrote:Do you consider for trade ads as useful additions, or would you prefer further informations and pictures?
The latter, but I have more patience for ignoring digressions than you. :lol:
TEMPORARY DUTY

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:44 am

I will include a nice Utica TL-29 Box as illustrated by Kevin for the right NOS TL-29 Knife.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

User avatar
Hartofoak
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 937
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:06 pm
Location: Berkshire England

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Hartofoak » Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:16 pm

Got to looking at your knife website posts and came across this. An interesting photo of Camillus Wartime pocket knives...
http://www.camillusknives.com/Support/O ... ducts/1470" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
MB 298781 DoD: est. 01-19-44 (ex British Army 1958)
T1 Trailer: "Transportation Equipment Co."
MVMTS toolboxes & tools

AZ Jeff
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 6806
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 5:05 pm
Location: Patagonia, AZ EIEIO

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by AZ Jeff » Thu Nov 01, 2012 6:12 pm

A drawing of the Camillus R41-K-455 appears in M.H. Cole's reference book on knives (Book III). It appears to be identical in pattern to the TL-29 spec and Cole's example had plastic grips with "R41-K-455" on the side. I initially thought the 41-K-455 was the stock number and it appears to be in that "range".

Cole documented a lot of versions of the electricians knife in this 1970s reference.

Jeff Q.
AZ

User avatar
Wingnutt
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5029
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:17 pm
Location:

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Wingnutt » Fri Nov 02, 2012 5:22 am

Thanks much, Jeff. I will have to check that book out. In the meantime, I wonder if someone with access to appropriate TM's/supply catalogs/etc could look it up. It sure looks like an FSN for a knife.
TEMPORARY DUTY

Robin
G-Major General
G-Major General
Posts: 3340
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 5:52 pm
Location: Salem, Oregon

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Robin » Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:20 am

The R prefix is a Navy stock number. The ASO (Aviation Supply Office) catalogue spells it out.
Image
41 M3 37mm A/T gun
42 M1A1 75mm pack how
43 MBT trailer
43 WC52
43 WC62
44 Chevy 1.5 ton
44 MZ2 USMC radio Jeep
44 RL35 reel cart
44 K38 trailer
43 K52 trailer
43 M3A4 handcarts(8)
M1942 USMC handcart
M1917 Litter Carrier
M1917 Ammo cart
43 Columbia bike

User avatar
Wingnutt
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5029
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:17 pm
Location:

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Wingnutt » Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:00 am

Thanks, Robin! So that particular knife is out for Army GMTK's (although I've never seen one anyway...). Interesting that Camillus was clearly making and selling Signal Corps 'TL-29-type' electrician's knives to the Navy marked with a special FSN on the handle. I wonder if that was wartime or not. Is that catalog and that special ASO 'R' nomenclature dated to wartime?
TEMPORARY DUTY

Robin
G-Major General
G-Major General
Posts: 3340
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 5:52 pm
Location: Salem, Oregon

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Robin » Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:51 pm

The catalogue I refered to is dated March 1945.
41 M3 37mm A/T gun
42 M1A1 75mm pack how
43 MBT trailer
43 WC52
43 WC62
44 Chevy 1.5 ton
44 MZ2 USMC radio Jeep
44 RL35 reel cart
44 K38 trailer
43 K52 trailer
43 M3A4 handcarts(8)
M1942 USMC handcart
M1917 Litter Carrier
M1917 Ammo cart
43 Columbia bike

User avatar
Wingnutt
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5029
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:17 pm
Location:

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Wingnutt » Fri Nov 02, 2012 11:07 pm

Thanks, Robin.
TEMPORARY DUTY

User avatar
lucakiki
G-General
G-General
Posts: 17578
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 7:18 am
Location: Torino, ITALY

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by lucakiki » Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:24 am

This thread is not old, and I had already forgot about it. :roll:
Luca

WillysMB#344142 6-19-44 Navy N.S.Blue Grey
45 Bantam T-3 #57248 1-10-45
42 Willys MB-T #13560 11-42
43 Willys MB-T # 25417 4-43
Way too many WWII military tools,hopefully thinning down,and way too many posts...

__________________________________________
_____________________________________________
__________________________________________

User avatar
Tin Medic
G-Captain
G-Captain
Posts: 770
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2013 6:06 pm
Location: Fort Sam Houston

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Tin Medic » Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:25 pm

Picked up this R-41-K-455 recently.
IMG_0764.JPG
IMG_0764.JPG (87.15 KiB) Viewed 2767 times
IMG_0765.JPG
IMG_0765.JPG (84.99 KiB) Viewed 2767 times
1952 M-37
US ARMY 20955830

User avatar
Wingnutt
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
Posts: 5029
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:17 pm
Location:

Re: GMTK Electrician's Knife: 41-K-370 vs. TL-29

Post by Wingnutt » Mon Aug 03, 2015 5:19 am

That's a very nice grab, Steve!

Thanks to Steve's eagle eye, we also now have a photo of the second type of PAL-made wartime GMTK knife, with the scales (or handle) made of bone instead of wood, and the "US ARMY" marking on the tang instead of the scale. This knife recently sold for $107 on eBay, too steep for my blood, but I grabbed this photo. You can see how the main blade tang bears the same marking ("PAL BLADE CO.") as their other wartime production knife, with the "US ARMY" embossed in the wooden scale. Unable to emboss the uneven surface of the bone scale without ruining it (I am guessing), they used the second blade tang for the "US ARMY" marking.

I am guessing the buyer was either a GMTK guy, or a rare knife collector. This is the first one I have ever seen, and that includes several knife collecting sites.

Image
TEMPORARY DUTY


Post Reply

Return to “G503 Tools & Equipment (Vehicle & Pioneer)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests