Bob R
US Veteran
I carried a TL 29 and then a TL 30 when I was ground pounding, when soaring with the eagles I carried that cheap (really cheap) aircrew survival knife a shroud line cutter and a Schrade folder (like a buck).
bob
bob
Your Military Knife
- Thread starter Texas Star
- Start date
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Bob-
Buck is a family and brand name and is capitalized. Lots of people make that error. I was taught as a Journalism student that owners of trademarks, like Kleenex (Kimberly-Clark, I think) , are touchy about seeing their brands in lower case. Not my place to scold, just FYI.
Anyway, the knife you mean is probably the Schrade LB-7. I knew a man (interviewed him by phone) who used one to kill a cougar that attacked him on Vancouver Island. It worked fine...once he got it open while keeping her teeth from his throat! She scalped him in the process, but surgeons got most everything back where it went. Probably left bad scars, though.
I know what a TL-29 looks like. What's a TL-30? Does TL mean Telephone Lineman?
T-Star
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
I had a bunch of 'em in Iraq, most spent the whole deployment sitting in a box next to my bunk in the tent. Most of them are still in that same box in my basement. The most unique was a repro of the Farbairn-Sykes SAS dagger I ordered from Sportsmans Guide, since at the time they shipped overseas to APO addresses. I kind of "collected" knives via mail order over there. Getting mail was like Christmas morning, and so I used to order a bunch of stuff.
I showed up in Iraq with the US Army version of the Ka-Bar on my belt and caught some heat about that....."look at this guy with the commando knife......" I still have that one too.
I did 550-cord a Benchmade fixed blade in the sheath to my IBA, until I broke the tip off. It still works, just has no sharp tip now.... Benchmade makes good stuff, that blade was so sharp if you touched it, it would draw blood. I thought of sending it back to Benchmade for a new blade, but I might just leave it as is......it's got "character". The Benchmade wasn't cheap and it was a better made knife than the new Ka-Bar I had. I also have an Ontario fighting knife that felt cheap to me.
I replaced it with a Turkish Mauser bayonet with the handle wrapped in electic tape, with a rigged up sheath I took from another knife. The blade was dull, I used it as a prying tool and to break light bulbs out. That thick, long heavy blade would have made a better bludgeon than a stabbing weaponIt was a Turkish bayonet but it had German marks on the root of the blade.....must have been "recycled" by the Turks. A lot to be said for good German steel, I used to pry open metal doors with it and it never broke. Tried the same thing with a cheap Chinese made knife and snapped the blade right in half. I still have the Turk bayonet.
I also had one of those cheap S&W branded "tanto" knives I bought at Ft. Drum before I deployed. I had all kinds of bonus money, and I bought all kinds of useless junk before I deployed, most of which I still have laying around somewhere, the rest was stolen or lost.
It was the "cool guy" thing to do, to have a big fighting knife tied to your body armor......it also gave me a little extra peace of mind that if all else failed at least I had some kind of weapon.
Germany sold Mausers to Turkey and they prob. came with bayonets made in Solingen. Several models were used from 1891 until after WW II and beyond. Turkey was an effective German ally in WW I, as the Australians learned to their considerable loss at Gallipoli. Not the ANZACS' fault; it was Churchill's.
Someone mentioned the Krag bayonet (one of them) being among the first like a knife. The Lee-Metford M-1888 bayonet preceded it by a few years. Very handsome bayonet.
T-Star
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Bob R
US Veteran
After looking around after your question, there may not be a TL-30. That is what we called it, but we were probably wrong.
It is a silver knife with a 2-1/2" blade, hole punch, can opener, and bottle opener. It is marked US on one of the side plates. The one I have is marked "Q1986" on the knife blade. No maker name anywhere.
This is what it looks like.
After seeing what they are selling for, I think I should have taken better care of mine.
bob
ldp4570
US Veteran
For years I carried an M3 Trench knife, since it was similar to the bayonet for the M16, most didn't pay any attention to it. Right before I retired I got a Cold Steel SRK original USA made Carbon V steel. It served the last three years with me, retired with me, and went to Iraq for two years, all of 04, and 05. Always needing something other than a pigsticker, since my first days on active duty after training I've carried a VSAK Huntsman thats been rebuilt twice is over 40yrs of use, and now also keep a Leatherman Wave close by too.
OMCHamlin
US Veteran
I carried a plain leatherman tool (but in the cool tactical black version) and a Spyderco Police model. Before the Police model, I carried a Buck Bucklite 112 size folder, along with a 2AA mini-maglight. Being a squid, and not assigned to any boarding parties, that stuff made the most sense. They bitched about me wearing the light and leatherman on my dungaree belt, but of course NOW they issue that stuff to sailors....
(which is a good thing, I think)
OMC
(which is a good thing, I think)
OMC
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
After looking around after your question, there may not be a TL-30. That is what we called it, but we were probably wrong.
It is a silver knife with a 2-1/2" blade, hole punch, can opener, and bottle opener. It is marked US on one of the side plates. The one I have is marked "Q1986" on the knife blade. No maker name anywhere.
This is what it looks like.
After seeing what they are selling for, I think I should have taken better care of mine.
bob
Bob-
Aha! Yes, I know that knife, and have one by Camillus. I knew an airman who had one when I was on active duty, too. If it has a formal title, I've never heard it.
What do they sell for these days? (Mine isn't for sale.)
GRIZZLYBEAR
US Veteran
When in Nam I carried a Buck 110 Folder & Western Bowie.
Bob R
US Veteran
The one pictured above is being offered at $99.99 US.
I guess I will have to take it, and my TL-29 out of my roll around and bring them in the house.
bob
edit: Actually this thread got me to wondering what some of my knives were worth these days. I was pleasantly surprised at the going price for a few of them. The Cold Steel Black Bear knife has appreciated quite well as has the Effingham Blackjack 7L. I am glad this thread came up.
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enfield
US Veteran
I sent a Kershaw Whirlwind with a Marine to Iraq, and a Leatherman Surge with a SeaBee.
curtmini14
Member
wow i had no idea those sell for so much i got one from 1967 its in good shape for being kept in my tool box.
Viet Nam era, Camillus Marine K-Bar and an E-Tool (entrenching tool) that was used more than the K-Bar. I ended up giving my K-Bar to a friend's son, a young U.S. Army soldier who has taken to Afghanistan and is now in Iraq.
After looking around after your question, there may not be a TL-30. That is what we called it, but we were probably wrong.
It is a silver knife with a 2-1/2" blade, hole punch, can opener, and bottle opener. It is marked US on one of the side plates. The one I have is marked "Q1986" on the knife blade. No maker name anywhere.
This is what it looks like.
After seeing what they are selling for, I think I should have taken better care of mine.
bob
I have the same knife, my granddaughter's found it in the street in frount of my house abought 4 years ago
It has Camillus 1970 on the blade.I carried a Buck 110 from 1977-1984, it was stolden along with my flight survible knife when I was outprosesing.
CW Spook
US Veteran
I was a Navy Cryptologic Technician. My 'military knife' was a 3-blade pipe tool...pen blade, pick, and bowl reamer!
I never served in the armed services. Blind in one eye, none would accept my application. My brother was in the Navy. He died in 2004. The day of the funeral, I found his stainless steel G.I. knife. It is dated 1983 and is made by Camillus. It was in the trash along with lots of his ammunition, reloading items, etc. I took it home with me. I also "emptied the trash can" for my SIL. Later I found and bought a Cattaragus 225Q. The original sheath was in poor condition so I had a local leather shop make up a new one. It is a very fine knife.
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Navy96
US Veteran
I carried a Leatherman Wave all my time on a ship, and it served me very well. IMO it's the best multitool out there. Has the blades on the outside, so they can be deployed quickly.
Although for combat, i'd suggest a nice fixed blade. Can't go wrong with a Ka Bar.
If i were giving one, i'd give both of these.
"One is none"
Although for combat, i'd suggest a nice fixed blade. Can't go wrong with a Ka Bar.
If i were giving one, i'd give both of these.
"One is none"
ldausmc1369
US Veteran
Fight'n Knife!
USMC issued K-Bar and later a Gerber Mark I, aka a poor Marine's Randall! Still have the Gerber. Didn't realize until not too long ago those things are worth beaucoup bucks now!
USMC issued K-Bar and later a Gerber Mark I, aka a poor Marine's Randall! Still have the Gerber. Didn't realize until not too long ago those things are worth beaucoup bucks now!
Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
Cooter Brown
Member
T-Star, you can pick up those Camillus military knives on ebay for less than 20 bucks if you are patient. The sellers usually give the date and of course nice condition older ones go for more.
At some point the supply will dry up and the price will go up.
Queen also made the same knife under govt. contract and you see those on ebay as well.
I've got a Camillus (1991!) in the little emergency kit I carry in my bird hunting vest.
jdh
US Veteran
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After looking around after your question, there may not be a TL-30. That is what we called it, but we were probably wrong.
It is a silver knife with a 2-1/2" blade, hole punch, can opener, and bottle opener. It is marked US on one of the side plates. The one I have is marked "Q1986" on the knife blade. No maker name anywhere.
This is what it looks like.
After seeing what they are selling for, I think I should have taken better care of mine.
bob
They are $29 in the current GSA catalog.
