The 30 Day "Traditional" Challenge!

[SAK Guy]

Thanks kaput!!!

Beautiful stuff guys!!  Dealing with another round today. (thanks Ponch)

Went simple... (paired with my Swiss Champ)

An Opinel Coghlans #9 Camp Knife
(Image removed from quote.)

Cool!  The only Coghlan's knives I've ever seen are really shotty Chinese ones. Didn't know Coghlans had ever rebranded Opinels  I had a Hobo growing up, and while it was an OK knife, as the Vics, and more recently, Leathermans came along, compared to them, it was utter garbage.  Miniaturized can and bottle openers don't work right.

The early ones had reg carbon Opinel blades and then they came with different blade stamps but it was still a carbon Opie blade. This is my favorite handle shape and maybe my fav Opie too.


pic from the net...

[Poncho65]

New page banana man dance

       

[Poncho65]

Some great pics and knives everyone

[Gareth]

Went back to the RR mini Barlow for today.

[jerseydevil]

Fair number of RR Barlows floating around this thread. Great working knives. Traditionally the Barlow is an inexpensive workingman's pocketknife. Nothing special, but solid. The RR's in that pattern fit the role very well.

[NutSAK]

IMO, Barlows are a bit to "dressed up" these days to really represent the tradition of the knife...  Traditionally, you would have saw-cut bone slabs without jigging, shields or decoration on the bolsters.

[cody6268]

Carried the Case Mini Hawkbill and later added the 1974-1980 Buck 110 since hawkbill knives don't handle some chores (whittling, peeling apples) well.  The Buck was originally my great-uncle's, and had the edge thinned with a grinder.  Handles, as you can see were used by him as a hammer--a lot.  It's got the best feeling in hand of  any knife in my whole collection. 

2016-09-04_08-53-21 by cody6268, on Flickr

[jerseydevil]

IMO, Barlows are a bit to "dressed up" these days to really represent the tradition of the knife...  Traditionally, you would have saw-cut bone slabs without jigging, shields or decoration on the bolsters.

True. I do have several Barlows like that, one German made with wood handles. I think I'll carry it tomorrow.......

[Dean51]

The Barlow is one of the few patterns I looked into the history of.
I tend to believe it was first manufactured by Obadiah Barlow at Sheffield, England, around 1670. Since that is the earliest known date I can find.
The earliest Barlows would have had just a wood handle.

internet sourse
The history of the barlow knife has been difficult to trace.  At least four American Barlow families have claimed that they invented the barlow knife.  According to Laurence A. Johnson (1) the Barlow knife was probably first manufactured by Obadiah Barlow at Sheffield, England, around 1670.
(2)  Obadiah’s grandson, John Barlow, joined the business around 1745 and it was he who was chiefly responsible for developing the exportation of the Barlow knives to America.

Another source says the barlow knife was also made by Luke Furnace of Stannington, which in the eighteenth century was a small village on the outskirts of Sheffield. Luke Furnace’s name occurs in the Sheffield directories from 1774 and 1787, but not in the 1797 directory, so he was presumably dead by then. He put the mark “1760” on his knives. The original Barlow, after whom the knives are named, was working in Sheffield at the same time as Luke Furnace.An 1823 directory of Sheffield, England cutlers (knife makers) shows Samuel Barlow on Neepsend (Street). In the Sheffield suburb of Stannington, Barlow Bros. is listed as a cutler.

The barlow knife was designed to be tough, and to be affordable.  To keep the price low, the blade was high carbon steel, and the handle was bone, and not much time was spent in polishing it. To make it tough, the bolster was big and thick.  The original  barlows had only one blade.  Now they have two,  and more care is taken in finishing and polishing them.

John Russell may have been the first American to manufacture Barlow knives. The John Russell Company, now the Russell Harrington Cutlery Company of Southbridge, Massachusetts, first mass produced Barlow knives at their Greenfield Massachusetts, factory in 1875. They were called the Russell Barlow knife and instead of the word BARLOW on the bolster, they were stamped with Russell’s mark, an R with an arrow through it. Today these Russell Barlows are valuable antiques.

[metasyntax]

Day 20

(Image removed from quote.)

Beautiful contrasting colors, Steve!

Day 20

Case Medium Jack. Travelled to the in-laws today to help them pack for a move, so I tucked this knife along so it could do some work cutting tape and bubble wrap and such. However, once we got there, half the work was already done, so all we did was eat (way too much) and watch Rio 2 with the kids. We left with a pan of lasagna, so that was definitely a win of a day, but my poor knife lost out a little.

This is one of Case's cheaper "working" line of knives, #22087 (wrongly listed on Amazon as #00220 for some reason), and therefore also cheaper than normal. Stainless blades, but not polished, gives it nice character compared to your typical Case knife. This is one of my favorites.

[kaput]

Nice. I appreciate a unpolished look so much. I prefer it in fact. I just actually buffed out my SAK awl to see what it'd look like with a bit more of a matte finish (ok, not great ) it's be nice to know someone who could do a tumble or blast to them...

Anyway, I think this is day 7/30 for me (mixed up last post) carried these guys all day. The Northwoods has a slip that makes it very comfortable in my pocket. And I was wearing a pair of Columbias that have a side 5th pocket that held it just perfectly. Used it quite a few times today. This pic was after a long day of adventure out and about. Were in very public places, and besides from using it, I felt awkward trying to set a photo shoot with them today. So here they are, relaxing.

[Gareth]

I like the blade shape on that one Kaput.

[Gareth]

Going with my RR Peanut today.

[shark_za]

Need to catch up a little;

Yesterday I was out making dust on a dirtbike.
I had this in my camelpack; really light and useful; stainless for food prep.



Today its office bound with my Barlow.

[hiraethus]

Fair number of RR Barlows floating around this thread. Great working knives. Traditionally the Barlow is an inexpensive workingman's pocketknife. Nothing special, but solid. The RR's in that pattern fit the role very well.

Had mine on me again yesterday.

[hiraethus]

And I've got my smooth bone RR Canoe today.

I'm enjoying the challenge and seeing the variety of knives everyone is posting, but I'm keen to get back to some SAKs.  I miss my Electrician.

[Gareth]

And I've got my smooth bone RR Canoe today.

I'm enjoying the challenge and seeing the variety of knives everyone is posting, but I'm keen to get back to some SAKs.  I miss my Electrician.

Same here.  There's a Grand Prix sitting on my bedside table that's looking very lonely.

[shark_za]

I have been carrying a SAK all the time but made a point not to cut anything with one.
I have also retired Alox for the month and only carried Celidor.
 

[SteveC]

Day 20

(Image removed from quote.)

Beautiful contrasting colors, Steve!

Day 20

Case Medium Jack. Travelled to the in-laws today to help them pack for a move, so I tucked this knife along so it could do some work cutting tape and bubble wrap and such. However, once we got there, half the work was already done, so all we did was eat (way too much) and watch Rio 2 with the kids. We left with a pan of lasagna, so that was definitely a win of a day, but my poor knife lost out a little.

This is one of Case's cheaper "working" line of knives, #22087 (wrongly listed on Amazon as #00220 for some reason), and therefore also cheaper than normal. Stainless blades, but not polished, gives it nice character compared to your typical Case knife. This is one of my favorites.

(Image removed from quote.)

Thanks !

[SteveC]

[Dean51]

Back when dirt was new I carried just one knife, these days I always carry a traditional pocket knife and usually a second small traditional or Compact.
I've taken this challenge all the way and I'm only using one traditional pocket knife.
Spent a little time this morning & got this one oiled up and sharpened.
Day 20, a Calillus 3 blade cub scout.

[Alan K.]

Day 20
Well, we're 2/3 of the way through. there have been some gorgeous knives shown here.  Next time we do this I might have one of the smooth bone canoes. 

Here's my Uncle Lucky stockman and some Zippos

[SAK Guy]

Beautiful knives guys!

A SMKW Special. A Case yellow Muskrat in SS.

[Grathr]

I carried the Case Sodbuster yesterday, and the GEC #14 today.
Sorry, no pics.

[cody6268]

Back when dirt was new I carried just one knife, these days I always carry a traditional pocket knife and usually a second small traditional or Compact.
I've taken this challenge all the way and I'm only using one traditional pocket knife.
Spent a little time this morning & got this one oiled up and sharpened.
Day 20, a Calillus 3 blade cub scout.

   I have an Imperial Cub Scout like that from the 1950s that's carbon steel, but the pin on which the blade and bottle opener/screwdriver pivots is bad. It's like it's too short or something, as the handle likes to fall off that pin. It's also had the locks bent back as to where they're useless.

[jerseydevil]

Here's a no-nonsense workingman's Barlow. Marked FA Bower Solingen Germany and 65, which I assume is a model #.  The handles are lacquered wood. Very solid knife, I like the style of the main blade.

[jday2727]

Sorry for the bad pic, but something different today. Rough Rider Cotton Sampler with bone handle and lanyard tube.

Sent from my Z988 using Tapatalk

[Dean51]

Back when dirt was new I carried just one knife, these days I always carry a traditional pocket knife and usually a second small traditional or Compact.
I've taken this challenge all the way and I'm only using one traditional pocket knife.
Spent a little time this morning & got this one oiled up and sharpened.
Day 20, a Calillus 3 blade cub scout.

   I have an Imperial Cub Scout like that from the 1950s that's carbon steel, but the pin on which the blade and bottle opener/screwdriver pivots is bad. It's like it's too short or something, as the handle likes to fall off that pin. It's also had the locks bent back as to where they're useless.

The springs are a little soft on this one but that might be by design since they were originally marketed to 7 - 10 year olds.
It also has some blade rub when the bottle opener is closed, the bottle opener lock pushes the main blade into the liner.
Other wise it's a great little knife.

[NutSAK]

Here's a no-nonsense workingman's Barlow. Marked FA Bower Solingen Germany and 65, which I assume is a model #.  The handles are lacquered wood. Very solid knife, I like the style of the main blade.

   Now, that is a knife in the Barlow tradition! 

[jerseydevil]

Here's a no-nonsense workingman's Barlow. Marked FA Bower Solingen Germany and 65, which I assume is a model #.  The handles are lacquered wood. Very solid knife, I like the style of the main blade.

   Now, that is a knife in the Barlow tradition! 

 
That it is. not a piece of pocket jewelry by any means. My Kabar Barlow is in the same class. The Kabar might just be my favorite pocketknife. My father has carried a Barlow for over 40 years, it's the pattern that got me into knives.