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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on October 8, 2013 at 18:09

Dean, what happened to that knife? Do you still have it?

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 9, 2013 at 7:33

My latest Klein is an earlier M Klein & Sons  Liner Lock Hawkbill.  This one pre-dates the  single letter above the name and has the smooth bakelite handle. I'm guessing post between 1947 -1963.  I'm not sure when the wood grain handles started.  I'm also not sure what years steel pins were used.

The blade is tight, has a good solid snap and strong liner lock.  No wobble, great half stop.  Unfortunately it has been sharpened quite a bit. but it still has quite a lot of life in it.

Compare to a Letter "H"  M Klein & Sons from 1971 with Wood Grain handle.  The next year (!972) the "Klein Tools" tang stamp replaced M Klein & Sons

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on October 9, 2013 at 8:33

That is a really nice knife Toby, great find.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 9, 2013 at 11:35

Thanks Ken.  The blade is a little rough on it but otherwise it is in great shape.   Has a nice bail and feels really good in the hand, too!  (Unlike the flat slab sided Hawks made by Case these days.)

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on October 9, 2013 at 12:31

I think I would rather carry a knife like that than one of the fancy knives that are so expensive.

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on October 9, 2013 at 14:52

I know what you mean, Ken.  I do have some fancy knives but in the end the end their is something nice about the utilitarian design of a work knife.  And in the end if a knife isn't first and foremost made to do work, why make it!  It used to be a knife would get all gussied up by or for the owner and it would be his own!  Now there are hundred or thousands of the same fancy knife floating around and in many cases it isn't going to cut anything!

The great thing about buying a used work knife is you are less likely to say "If  I use  this knife it will drop in value.  At $11 i think I can honestly say, I got my money's worth and this knife will not drop in value because a sharpened it or used it!

There's nothing wrong with a brand new $60 Case Hawkbill.  Well actually there is.  1)  It doesn't lock open. 2) It isn't going to do as good a job cutting as this old knife and 3) once I use it won't be worth $60 anymore!  LOL

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on October 9, 2013 at 18:51

Very well said Tobias and I fully agree with you.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on May 25, 2016 at 16:07

Okay, now I am thoroughly confused ?? I just picked up this unused  TL-29 (not marked as such) M. Klein & Sons for $15 at an antique store. It is marked as--

         E

M.KLEIN & SONS

   CHICAGO 

MADE IN U.S.A.

I Thought the M. Klein & Sons dated it to pre-1972 and the Letter designation started around the same time. If it was a Klein Tools knife,not a M. Klein & Sons,  E would represent 1993???. Anyhow here it is- Any insight would be welcome !!

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Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on May 25, 2016 at 16:38

Hi John. The 1972 knives begin with the letter i (eye). I've seen double letter used on earlier knives. M. Klein is tang stamp from before 1972 but knife companies will exhaust old stock so M. Klein blades could have been used after 1972.

I doubt however they would have been around as late as 1993. Some believe Klein began using the single letter dating beginning with the letter A. Before that they used a double letter system. (AA, BB, CC, etc) and other methods. If this assumption is correct this would put the knife back to 1968. The other theory is the E was the model letter assigned for a standard electrician knife pre-1972. In which case it is simply a pre-1972 electrician knife. Either way that one looks like a keeper.

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