[Quoted from a Barlow Geneology site]"The Barlows of Kentucky, Connecticut and Pennsylvania may very well have been manufacturers of the Barlow pocket knife, but they were probably not the originators. According to Laurence A. Johnson in his article, "The Barlow Knife", that was published in The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc. in June 1959, the Barlow knife was probably first manufactured by one Obadiah Barlow at Sheffield, England, around 1670. 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.
The Barlow knife was designed to be a rugged knife and to be produced at the lowest possible price. To keep costs low, the blade was forged from high carbon steel and the handle was usually bone with little effort spent in polishing or other finishing. To add strength, the bolster was increased in length and weight since that is the point of greatest strain in all folding knives. Today Barlows have lost their original rough finish and their cheap price. There are often two blades (the original Barlows had only one), but the distinctive long bolster is always present, usually with the name BARLOW stamped on it."[end quote]
Thanks, Obadiah, wherever you are!!