Klein^® 1550-2 2-Blade Lockable Pocket Knife, Carbon Steel Standard Spear Point Screwdriver-Tip Blade, 2-1/2 in L Blade

In the years I've been collecting and using knives, (since I was 10, so 14) no traditional pattern has ever come handier than the electrician's knife. One with thicker blades (usually Camillus) is a really handy pocketknife to have. The sturdy spear point blade cuts basically anything that will need to be cut, while the screwdriver handles larger screws, pries, strips wire, and scrapes things like carbon or glue. The bail/shackle ensures you won't lose it, by being able to loop a cord through it, and then your belt. But the problem is that the companies who produce them wholly in America have dwindled to just two (as most of the American cutlery firms have gone bankrupt); Utica Cutlery Co. out of New York, and Bear and Son Cutlery out of Alabama.Kutmaster/Utica is the only one still producing a standard variant, as the Bear and Son version has the hawkbill/slitting type blade instead of the spear-point. They have produced it for Klein since the 1960s or 1970s, and I own one standard and two three-blade models; one a '60s era knife with a coping blade, the second the modern layout with the hawkbill third blade. These are decent workable knives, but they have issues. I have never owned a Klein Tools/Kutmaster knife with a fully locking linerlock. And I have a good sample size--ten knives in most of the patterns Klein currently sells, from the 1960s to current production. They all seem to be able to be closed quite a bit even locked--some as bad as a third of the way. The tolerances don't seem good enough. All my close to ten Camillus, from a "TL-29" marked WWII Signal Corps electrician's knife, to a very late production electrician's knife lock solidly until the lock is released. But, it will still keep the screwdriver from smashing a finger by closing unexpectedly. Blade sharpness is another area needed. You will have to do your own sharpening job. They're half-dull. Even with those problems, I still highly recommend it. The price is really good, and surprising that a wholly American-made workhorse pocketknife can still be produced for under $30. One doesn't high-end handle materials (titanium, G-10), exotic handle materials (ebony, mastodon ivory), one-hand opening, or the latest super steel to have a decent knife. And yes, I own plenty of knives that have the latest designs, materials, and high-end steel. But, the Klein is just as good. In addition to buying new knives, I also pick them up every time I see an inexpensive used one at a flea market or yard sale.