2009 Forum Knife Winner

[Mack]

Thanks for CHEERing me up, Mack!

It never DAWNed on me that anyone would notice my pun.

Thanks guys. I am very lucky the "Tide" went my way because this is certainly a well thought out design and has extra meaning because it is a BF knife. The natural Stag scales on this one look exceptionally nice and the swaged Clip and Wharncliffe blades are perfect choices.
I am very grateful to be the lucky winner, but even more grateful for the expertise and friendship i find here everyday.
roland

Let us know if you ever find the supposed flaws.

 

[rprocter]

I'll post back after i've had it for a few days so that i've used it some and can wax poetic as to it's virtues (and vices, but doubt i will find any).
roland

 

[Bigfattyt]

Great giveaway.

Congrats to the winner.

 

[rprocter]

I picked up the 2009 BF Barlow 4 days ago so have been handling it but it will be another week or so before i have the chance to do some 'real world' cutting. I will post back then with "Experience".
My impressions with this knife were instant bonding and have continued to be absolutely positive.
Very attractive overall and enhaqnced by first rate well matched Stag handles. The overall fit & finish is excellent, including, no light seen between liners and springs, and very good blade spine/spring meeting with both blades in the open position.
Pull is firm, but fairly easy, not stiff or difficult. I rate it as "perfect". This is no B.S. "never lookin a gift horse in the mouth". It's exactly right for me and i bet 90%+ of others.
Nice smooth action and crisp half stops. Absolutely no grittiness.
Superb choice of blades ! Both full length and fully filling liners when closed (and centered too). Most attractive swaging (correct spelling, ref: BRL) and even, perfectly made long pulls.
Blade grinds are totally even and the blades are reasonably thin just above the cutting edge. Edge grinds are excellent and come right to the very tip giving an even sharp point. Both blades are sharp, the Wharncliffe will shave arm hair, the Clip won't.
I will 'work on' the Clip before i use it and suspect that all it needs is a few light strokes on the fine SharpMaker rods followed by a light stropping. i.e., the edge is already "nearly there".
This is an excellent knife from design through execution. I do not see how a Barlow could be better, and the Barlow is one of the most universally useful and comfortable patterns of all.
If this one is representative of the other 2009 BF knives, then there's a lot of very pleased BF'ers. It's a TOTAL WINNER.
Anybody care to disagree ?
O.K., back in 1-2 weeks with "The Cuttin' Report"
Thanks Charlie & BF.
roland

 

[Bruce Bump]

Congrats Roland! most generous Charlie. What a family we have here.

 

[FLymon]

I picked up the 2009 BF Barlow 4 days ago so have been handling it but it will be another week or so before i have the chance to do some 'real world' cutting. I will post back then with "Experience".
My impressions with this knife were instant bonding and have continued to be absolutely positive.
Very attractive overall and enhaqnced by first rate well matched Stag handles. The overall fit & finish is excellent, including, no light seen between liners and springs, and very good blade spine/spring meeting with both blades in the open position.
Pull is firm, but fairly easy, not stiff or difficult. I rate it as "perfect". This is no B.S. "never lookin a gift horse in the mouth". It's exactly right for me and i bet 90%+ of others.
Nice smooth action and crisp half stops. Absolutely no grittiness.
Superb choice of blades ! Both full length and fully filling liners when closed (and centered too). Most attractive swaging (correct spelling, ref: BRL) and even, perfectly made long pulls.
Blade grinds are totally even and the blades are reasonably thin just above the cutting edge. Edge grinds are excellent and come right to the very tip giving an even sharp point. Both blades are sharp, the Wharncliffe will shave arm hair, the Clip won't.
I will 'work on' the Clip before i use it and suspect that all it needs is a few light strokes on the fine SharpMaker rods followed by a light stropping. i.e., the edge is already "nearly there".
This is an excellent knife from design through execution. I do not see how a Barlow could be better, and the Barlow is one of the most universally useful and comfortable patterns of all.
If this one is representative of the other 2009 BF knives, then there's a lot of very pleased BF'ers. It's a TOTAL WINNER.
Anybody care to disagree ?
O.K., back in 1-2 weeks with "The Cuttin' Report"
Thanks Charlie & BF. roland

"Anybody care to disagree ?"

I guess you would have to have seen the knife yourself to do that, and besides you Roland that leaves me, and Charlie as far as I know. I do disagree, and you can judge for yourself what Charlie thinks, or thought before this giveaway anyway.

I am glad someone can enjoy that knife, and it should function just fine. The forum knives are IMHO however not just about function. In fact function is, to me, at best only as important as form in these knives, not more important. It was originally mine, but I could not live with the flaws I guess it now used to have? Makes me wonder if it really is the same knife I sent to Carlie back in November.

Charlie helped me with Queen when they agreed to make a 2010 Forum knife for me to replace this one, and Here is what Charlie had to say about this 2009 Barlow when he got it back in November. This was taken from our emails verbatim, and in chronological order. :

"Stu, I received your knife, and agree it is a "second", IMO. I have seen knives relegated to second status for less, but if you add the bobbled blade pull, and a significant gap at the liner, either would put it in second status. The non-matching stag is common, and is usually considered normal, because stag varies considerably.
And having to re-crink a blade is common also (as apparently happened with yours) because the tempering sometimes introduces tension that releases with time. I've sent two modern Case knives back within the last 5 years for the same problem"

Charlie,
I was probably even more disappointed than otherwise because I don't even like the Barlow pattern and would not have bought a standard production piece with the forum's name on it. These latest forum knives are special though, and the Barlow was really extra special with the blade selection, the custom stamp, and the donated Stag. I couldn't resist.

The blade was re-crinked as a "fix" for the blade hitting the liner. Evidently the problem was it could not be crinked at the tang since the blade was more bent in the middle than off center. The result left it literally twisted in the middle of the blade. As a result he edge is no longer straight.
Slight gaps are unavoidable and don't bother me, but the gap in this knife is from the liner being bent. You should be able to see the kink in it under the bolster.
The Stag was not really an issue, both sides look good. When I sent it in originally I assumed that they were going to replace he kinked liner, and hopefully the Clip blade (mainly due to the nail nick). If they had to disassemble the knife anyway I was hoping they possibly could find a better match for the scale, but if I had not had other issues I would never even have mentioned it.

"Stu, I see the curve in the blade now - wasn't looking for it before.
I certainly see your disappointment."


Here are a few pics of the knife when I had it. I could watch tv through the gap, but now you can't see light through it? That's odd. You can see the "perfectly made" long pull in the last pic.:
View attachment 212803View attachment 212804View attachment 212805View attachment 212806View attachment 212807

 

[rprocter]

Stu, when i said "Anybody disagree" i was referring to the 2009 Forum knives in general, not this specific knife. I did not make the connection that this knife was once yours. I think the scales are the same, i.e. they have not been replaced. I think they match very well. There have been posts by Kerry Hampton and other knifemakers very recently about how difficult it is to find scales that are even similar, let alone matched. I have expensive Customs with stag that differs side to side more than this one. So for a production knife these are "well matched" and compared with other production knives i have, i say these are about the Best matched.
I think the other issues have been dealt with. I'll get some pics up soon.
roland

 

[rprocter]

This pic shows blades centered and stag well matched for thickness. I'm not sure which blade had a "re-crinking" but i do not see any curve in either blade.

This shows the slight uneveness in the pull on the Clip. To me it's not significant as you have to really 'look' to see it and function is perfect. If this was a $800 Custom (av. price for a well made 2 blade stag Traditional) then i would be a bit disappointed that the long pull has this slight imperfection. Or if it were too shallow for nail to gain purchase, i would not like it. i.e. i put function over perfect looks ("Never make a pretty woman your wife ---")

Long pull on Wharncliffe

The Wharncliffe side liner is not completely flush with it's spring but i certainly cannot thread a dollar bill(USD) in this slight space and i checked again, no light shines through. This must have been improved from when Stu had it.

Stag

Inspecting this knife again as i took these pics, i think my posted impressions are accurate. Others may have different standards.
Whaddaya think Stu ? Can you see any improvements ?
roland

 

[rprocter]

Bruce, since you are following this thread, how about your opinion on how well the Stag scales match ?
But no "Mr. NiceGuy" reply. "Mr. Experienced Knifemaker" reply please.
roland

 

[FLymon]

Sorry if I misinterpreted your "anybody disagree" remark. I told you I sent that knife to Charlie in a PM on the 19th of this month and thought you were referring to the flaws I found and you did not..
I don't know what has been done to it since it left my possession, I assume nothing but could be wrong. I think my pics speak for themselves.
I got that $5 bill in there real easy, and it went in that far without being pulled from the inside, just pushed in.
As I said in the email to Charlie, the stag is fine, just not as well matched as it can be and by itself was not worth mentioning, but it wasn't by itself.
How many of your thousands of production knives with long pulls have a "bobble" like that? I only have a few and none of them do.

I certainly lack the experience with traditional knives that you have, and maybe on the whole I have been extremely lucky in the quality of the knives I have acquired over the years and should lower my standards. I doubt I will, but I'll think about it.

The important thing is you like it Roland, use it good health.

 

[rprocter]

Stu, i don't think one can lower their standard and still be happy. Each of us will have our own standards which when met or exceeded makes us feel good.
I didn't make the connection that it was your knife that i had won.
roland

 

[waynorth]

I think we all agree the knife has several minor flaws. That is what makes it a second, as has been clearly stated. None of the flaws affect the usefulness of the knife, and indeed it is a VERY useful knife with two blades different enough to be specific to many different tasks. I carried and used it for a while to prove its worth - I didn't want to give away a non-functional piece - and frankly, I miss it!! It was mellow in the pocket right from the get-go!
The stag is lovely, better than the average production stag in my subjective opinion. The knife is arguably the most useful and attractive Forum knife to date!
And being a second makes it the perfect user. Not destined for Safe Queenery, but for the work-a-day world, it is a knife that's a pleasure to carry! Waaahhhh! I want it back!!!!!!

 

[black mamba]

Kwicherbitchen Bullwinkle! I ain't got one neither.

 

[rprocter]

Charlie, what makes it a "second" ? The slight uneveness in the Clip long pull ? I see myself as reasonably discriminating yet i would not have called this a "second". But Stu, yourself, and maybe others, see it as not an acceptable "first".
Am i 'loosing it' ? Early sign of BSE, unable to reliably make sound judgements ? Maybe i better buy lots more knives while i still can function on a computer. Ya, i'll do that anyway, 'just in case'.
roland (i think)

 

[waynorth]

Charlie, what makes it a "second" ? The slight uneveness in the Clip long pull ? I see myself as reasonably discriminating yet i would not have called this a "second". But Stu, yourself, and maybe others, see it as not an acceptable "first".
Am i 'loosing it' ? Early sign of BSE, unable to reliably make sound judgements ? Maybe i better buy lots more knives while i still can function on a computer. Ya, i'll do that anyway, 'just in case'.
roland (i think)

Mainly the crooked pull. The rest you will find on production knives young and old. You are brighter than you think George - errrrr.... Roland- - - - -yeaaa Roland!!

 

[cj65]

Congrats Roland, you have won a very special knife. Charlie, you are quite generous. My 09 is in my back pocket right now.

 

[crbauhs]

Roland I am with you. I think its awesome. There are a few flaws as have been stated, but that just means we can use it harder. I love that knife. I'm sure you will use it in good health. I still kick myself over that forum knife. Stupid me.