Barlows

[jerseydevil]

Dks doesn't seem to have any of these, so I figured I'll show mine.    The barlow is a jackknife pattern that is characterized by its long bolster, tear-shaped handle, and two blades, almost always a clip point large blade and a small pen blade.  I like Barlows, they make for excellent EDC slipjoints.  My father has carried the same US made Schrade Barlow since before I was born, and my first real pocketknife was an Imperial similiar to one I now have in my collection.  The Barlow is generally a utilitarian pattern, though there are some fancy ones out there.  I've got two more Barlows on order......    Anyway, on to the knives!

First up are my Rough Rider Barlows.  I really like these knives.  Traditionally, the Barlow was a no-frills, inexpensive tool.  Rough Rider carries the tradition of this to a point.  These are relatively cheap, but very well made, solid knives.    From the top, yellow composition, smooth tobacco bone, red jigged bone, and brown sawcut bone.



The next four are a mixed bunch.  The brown handled Imperial is a US made one, identical to my first real pocket knife.  The Ka-Bar is one beautifully made knife, takes and keeps a great edge.  The Boker and the Timber Wolf are decent knives for the money, though the RR's in the other pic are better built.  Still, they make for interesting additions to the family.    From the top, red bone Boker, Imperial, Ka-Bar, and Timber Wolf.



And there you have it, a great, classic pattern.

[RamoN]

Nice didnt know about them, now that i think of it the first wenger and vic soldier knives could be considered a barlow variation? or am i imagining things again 

[jerseydevil]

They have the single bolster and the tear-shaped handle, but they're not jackknives.  Jacks have the blade or blades at one end.  SAKs tend not to qualify, though the old 108mm GAK has the same basic idea......

[RamoN]

I see, i also see that i need to boost my folders knowledge 

[dks]

you go out for a bit and people are accusing you of lacking knives... 

One of my users is a Camillus Barlow, 50 years old.



This has also been gifted by me a while back.



Barlows are very nice to look at, capable and comfortable to use. I need to get more..

[jerseydevil]

   That Camillus is very nice.    That's the classic example of these knives really.

[dks]

Still very solid but it leaves a very dark colour on any food you cut. I get the impression that newer Carbon steels are less sensitive to salts, acids  etc.

[Goatlord666]

I had a chance to obtain one of these but passed up due to my noob-ness at that time. Looks real classy with that rustic feel.

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[jerseydevil]

Now you know better.    Did that Case penknife ever show up Gabriel?

[Bensasupertool]

Northwoods Knives Madison Barlow - Camel Bone - 19

Pricey but oh so sweet IMO.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/northwoods-knives-madison-barlow-camel-bone-19/

[Sazabi]

Northwoods Knives Madison Barlow - Camel Bone - 19

Pricey but oh so sweet IMO.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/northwoods-knives-madison-barlow-camel-bone-19/

It looks like a Sodbuster to me, though, with that said, it looks very nice.

[jerseydevil]

Northwoods Knives Madison Barlow - Camel Bone - 19

Pricey but oh so sweet IMO.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/northwoods-knives-madison-barlow-camel-bone-19/

It looks like a Sodbuster to me, though, with that said, it looks very nice.

That is a lovely knife for sure.    The bolster puts it in the Barlow family, Rex.  I've never seen a sodbuster with a bolster at all.  There are single-bladed Barlows out there though.

[Sazabi]

Northwoods Knives Madison Barlow - Camel Bone - 19

Pricey but oh so sweet IMO.

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/northwoods-knives-madison-barlow-camel-bone-19/

It looks like a Sodbuster to me, though, with that said, it looks very nice.

That is a lovely knife for sure.    The bolster puts it in the Barlow family, Rex.  I've never seen a sodbuster with a bolster at all.  There are single-bladed Barlows out there though.

  Even after reading the description, I didn't see the bolster on the knife; it's been a long day, I do believe.

I bet my uncle would like that knife, though he's just as happy with a good Frost Cutlery knife as he is a GEC, so long as the quality is there.

[detron]

here is a Bark Pearl Barlow by rough rider

[dks]

The most talked about Barlows for the past couple of years are the ones produced by GEC for Charlie Campagna, as special factory orders (SFO).

They sell under the name Tom's Choice, a reference to Tom Sawyer.

These tend to be even better finished than the usual GEC products and come out with different blade and cover combinations, in limited numbers. Generally what each batch will look like is not widely known, until they are made so you pre-order blindly.

Their price is not unreasonably higher than the usual, similar,  GEC Barlows but they tend to sell out before they are even made, giving rise to a secondary market with doubled prices.

I ordered one from the latest release, the 2nd anniversary release, (dark Red soup bone or wood) which were made with a single clip blade.

They came with steel liners (strength), stamped TC bolsters and protruding, smooth, pins. GEC Tidioute brand (working, less flashy brand)

Walk and talk is excellent, the strength needed to open it is SAK like, has a half stop, sharp blade, body is a bit thin for my liking















centred blade



With a regular, 2 blade Barlow





and

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Damn that's a pretty slippie!

Sent from the astropathic choir.

[dks]

It looks a bit weird with the crevices in the bone, but it is a good looking sort of weird.

The idea, I understand, was to make it look used, whilst still looking new, sort of like jeans with a "worn" look.

The bone colour is really nice and pictures do not do the colour justice (case xx used to make a similar colour)

[ducttapetech]

That's a nice looking knife.

[Grathr]

That is a great looking knife.


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[firiki]

Not my kind of knife, it looks very well made nevertheless. Enjoy

[jerseydevil]

Lovely!

[Higgins617]

That thing is gorgeous, it's not my style of knife at all and I want it!

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice knife 

I have five Barlows now, and it's the style of traditional knife that appeals most to me. I have an Imperial much the same as JD's shown above, a couple of 2 blade affairs from Case (one with scrolled bolsters), and a couple of single blade Sheffield made ones (Wostenholm IXL) one with buffalo horn scales, and one in rosewood

[jerseydevil]

My smooth tobacco bone RR Barlow has actually been my go-to folder for a while now.  It's just such a great little knife!  I've used the hell out of it and it still looks almost pristine.    Like I said when I started this thread, I like Barlows.  They're Everyman's Working Knife, at least here in the US.  Hell, if Mark Twain thought enough of them to mention the pattern, that's good enough for me.......

[Grathr]

Its a great pattern.
Has anyone had any experience with the steel warrior barlows?


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[dks]

I bought some steel warriors a few years ago ; no Barlows but I have a big peanut 

Their quality was a bit less than RR, but still good. I have no idea how they are now

[Luna Knife]

Ive had an Imperial Barlow for decades that has seen a lot of use and is still in good condition. One gripe is the snap on scales

The Ka-bar Barlow I picked up used a few years ago seems to be of superior quality.

[dks]

I like the overall shape, feel and utility of Barlows and I have been wanting to get a RR one for a while. There was a bit of talk in BF about the red jigged bone of RR knives so I decided to check both out.

The knife is very nice, excellent finish, good centering of blades really nice red colour on the bone.
No half stops. The smaller blade is a bit hard to open (still fine, just not perfect for me)

Here are some pictures, alone and with two other Barlows.









Now, the TC looks and feels more expensive, and rightly so, but you could not guess how much more expensive it is if you are not aware of where they are made and by/for whom. Slap a USA on the RR and you can sell it for Case money.

I think the shield is not necessary as the bolsters are big enough and branded.

[dks]

I opted for a two blade GEC Palo Santo wood TC Barlow this time.



The wood used is "magic" as it looks different depending on how light is reflected on it.









Came with a suede protective pouch.






Compared with a single blade and a 2 blade barlow










Overall:

Nice, unusual, wood,
Good finish.
Halfstop
The backsprings are nearly flat at all 3 positions where  the blade stops

Surprisingly easy pull, similar to a Wenger.. Approaching "too easy".  I never expected to get a GEC with such an easy opening blade (both blades were equally easy to open)

The problem is that the Dollar to Euro ratio is making  the knife 50% more expensive than it was/should be, lessening the desire to buy more, until their price in Euro gets lower.

[Grathr]

Beautiful knife!


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