Adding Retention Feature to Sentimental Case Barlow?

John F.

John F.

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2005
Messages
132
Hi, Folks,
Not long before he passed away, my father gave me a Case Barlow, pocket-worn red bone edition, which is irreplaceable to me. I would love to use it daily, but
am very afraid of losing it, although I've only lost a few pocket knives in my life. THIS one mustn't be lost, so I'm currently keeping it at home. Due to the cheap
cloth used in modern pants pockets, I get holes in them a lot, whereas when Levi's were REAL, you couldn't wear them out. That greatly increases the risk of loss.
As an experiment, I tried using a Case Trapper in a nice custom belt sheath; it appears 50+ years of muscle memory won't be denied, and about half of the time I
find it in my pocket, rather than in the sheath. Not acceptable for this purpose.

What I'd really like is a bail, as were used on Boy's or Scout knives long ago, but the Barlow lacks a rear bolster to attach one. Likewise, a hole drilled in the handle
end, even with a tubular liner, would seem to put the bone handles at great risk. I figure the collective ingenuity here might know a good method to add a lanyard,
which I think is probably the most secure method. I am open to suggestions (!), and all thoughts are welcome.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions or thoughts you can offer!
Sincerely,
John
 
My condolences for the loss of your dad. Thank you for sharing with us. I’d love to see a pic.

I was going to suggest a tethered slip. But that I guess has already been reckoned.
So, how about this idea. A belt pouch for that knife. But also carry a user in your pocket as normal. Use the Barlow when you have wherewithal, carrying it constantly, but have a user in your pocket for when you are distracted so much not to remember to re holster the Barlow. After a time it’ll be a new habit to have it on belt, and not have any bearing on already established habits.

I carry a buck 110 on my off side, and it never gets pocketed because it’s habit to put it back where it goes. However, I carry a leatherman pst in my left front pocket, and my pocket knife in right front pocket. I tried switching leatherman and pocket knife and that was a no go. Too many years of carrying the knife in the right front pocket found that no matter how I tried, I inadvertently pocketed it there.
 
Dadpool, that's a nice thought, but one of my big fears is putting the knife down and walking away. although decades ago I inculcated the habit of returning the knife
to pocket immediately after using it, whether a project was ongoing or not. I also lost a gorgeous, minty Case Stockman from the 1965-70 period
many years ago, that slipped out of my pocket at a movie theater. I'm looking for something essentially foolproof. The "fool" part, I have mastered.
It's the "proof" part that I'm having trouble with!! :)

JM2, thank you very much for your kindness, and for the excellent options you put into your reply! I will ponder them! Actually, about 2 years ago I started
carrying a small Arno Bernard sheath knife daily, due to significant arthritis in my right hand and the relative difficulty of fishing out traditional knives from my right pocket
and opening them. The Bernard has performed magnificently in terms of taking/holding an edge, is a wicked slicer, etc. After several months, it began to just "appear"
in my hand effortlessly when the need for "knife" arose, to the point that several non-knife people commented on how quickly I got it out. I also learned to always
put my index finger on the back, just above the point, to guide it back into the sheath.

Unfortunately, the open sheath has stretched under wear such that the knife falls out under the slightest pretext, so I've discontinued it till I solve that problem. (The snap on the retention strap pulled off within the first week; since the sheath was very tight, I just neatly removed the strap.) I recently switched back to the Trapper/open sheath, which has revived the whole "How do I flawlessly carry my Dad's Barlow?" question.

When I get time, I will post pics of not only the Barlow he gave me, but the well-worn Tested XX whittler his Dad gave him when he was 10 (1931), the Case XX
red bone half-whittler that he carried through WW2 and then retired, and its' exact clone (1940-65) that I carried every day for probably over 10 years, before
retiring it also. That has been a superb design for EDC since I don't use it as a tool, but only as a knife. I gave a yellow Delrin version (modern) to a "young"
(late 20's) friend (Soldier) from Pennsylvania to introduce him to traditionals. It just seems morally wrong :) for him to only think of knives as modern
"tactical" types. Before meeting me, he had no clue about Case, Bradford PA, the history of them, etc.... Says his generation doesn't even think of them at all.
When he retires, I'll give him an actually "GOOD" older Case in excellent condition as a retirement gift. He seems to like them, but for him, they are a limited-occasion item.

As you all might have guessed, I was blessed with a WONDERFUL Dad, and miss him every day, although he's been gone since 2012.

Thanks all, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
John
 
From one John to another, thanks for sharing. And nice to meet you.

That Arno Bernard sheath, sounds like all it needs is another partial row of stitching just inside the existing row. It’s a common way to tighten the retention on stretched leather gun holsters. I brought back a very well used schrade sharp finger sheath that way.
 
The first knife I bought I carried for 40 years. Not quite the sentimental value as the one from your dad, but important to me nonetheless. I won't carry it outside the house.

What I did as a remedy was to buy the identical knife and carry that. I'm not afraid to lose it.

Yes, I know it's not the same as carrying your dad's actual knife, but in time you might be able to think of it as the same. Think of it as retiring dad's knife from active duty, while maintaining the tradition.

Mark
 
Sorry about the loss of your dad. My sincere condolences
Whatever you do, DO NOT alter your dad's Barlow with hole, tube and bail etc
Drop it as is, into a brand new leather pocket slip for occasional carry and prudent use

EDIT: On the other hand ... just what do you think your dad would suggest?
 
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Dadpool said:
What about a pocket slip with a pocket clip on it?
Click to expand...

The only knives I've ever lost out of a pocket were modern knives with clips. After that happened twice I started removing the clips and dumping them in my pocket (and shortly after that came back home to all traditionals). Never lost another knife out of my pocket after I stopped clipping them. I would recommend against clips.

A few thoughts for John F. John F. :
1. Don't carry this one very often - get a matching one to carry daily, and pull this one out for special occasions.
2. When you do carry this one, check your pants pockets for holes first.
3. I think you'll be very disappointed in the result if you try to alter this knife to add a bail - if you're gonna do that, buy a matching one and try it on that first so you don't wreck the knife from your dad if it goes badly.
 
Hi, folks,
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and the excellent perspectives! No worries of my modifying the original or carrying it in any way, until the "proof of concept" has borne
a lengthy test trial without problems using a substitute knife. The tethered slip idea sounds interesting. If the slip is left hanging out until the knife is returned to it,
that should act as a reminder to return the knife.

Brother Jim, my Dad would probably say "Just use the knife, that's what I gave it to you for." However, what he actually DID with several knives that acquired
sentimental value, was to retire them completely, which is why I have them now... I carried the Case1940-65 exact clone of his WW2 knife for many years for the same
reason, considering it "expendable" if it got lost, while experiencing the same exact knife, otherwise and enjoying seeing a knife essentially identical to his, in the daily.
I still have, and could use that Case XX Half-Whittler without being too upset if I lost it. Still, the temptation to use the exact knife my Dad gave me is ever=present.
Y'all have offered excellent insights and options, and I will ponder a good solution. The notion of carrying it in a flapped belt pouch for deliberate use, while using
a "sacrificial" knife in the pocket for hasty tasks has a lot of appeal. Whatever I do, I'll not risk the actual knife until a surrogate has survived at least 6 month's daily
carry in case some unforseen problem arises.

Thanks again to you all, and all best wishes!
Sincerely,
John
 
The tethered slip or Buckaroo Pouch as its commonly called in the cowboy world. Really would solve your problem:

Tethers to a belt loop:

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Let it hang as you use your knife:

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Finish up back in the pouch and back in the pocket.

Allows ya to get to your knife even with your chaps on:

tdJVtI5.jpg


afishhunter said:
Tethered slip. Much easier than reinforcing or replacing the pocket(s).
Horsewright Horsewright makes a dandy that's affordable. 👍
Click to expand...
Thank you sir!
 
penguin9 said:
The first knife I bought I carried for 40 years. Not quite the sentimental value as the one from your dad, but important to me nonetheless. I won't carry it outside the house.

What I did as a remedy was to buy the identical knife and carry that. I'm not afraid to lose it.

Yes, I know it's not the same as carrying your dad's actual knife, but in time you might be able to think of it as the same. Think of it as retiring dad's knife from active duty, while maintaining the tradition.

Mark
Click to expand...
This is good advice OP, maybe you can enjoy your Dad’s Barlow in the comfort of your home to ensure it’s security

Pete
 
I totally get the reasons to want to carry it. I would want to carry and use it too. I carry my late moms knife in my watch pocket sometimes. I don’t have a knife of my dads, but I have his zippo which I sometimes carry. I was carrying it when I lost all my possessions in a fire. The only knife I had of my dads was a jet-aer copy of a buck 110. It was in poor shape, and not so great quality anyways, so I rarely carried it.
 
It sounds like your fear of losing your Dad's knife overrides your desire to see or use it . I would suggest that you put it on a display stand where you can see it often and carry one like it . I have a knife that I carried every day for 40 years and I have Retired it and have not regretted it at all . I have my Dad's knife and I retired it too . If you really must carry it , I would suggest a Buckaroo Pouch with a snap over closer . Belt and Suspenders ????

Harry
 
I say pursue peace. If you don't have peace with any of these carry suggestions, just keep it at home. Preferably always in the same place, so you know where it's at. You could make it your porch knife, and just grab it as you go out the door and return it to it's place when you come inside. A place like a desk drawer or utility drawer in the kitchen come to mind. Even better would be a place out of sight and normal access of others, like if your kitchen cabinets are open on top and you can just reach up there and grab it on the way outside.
Maybe even consider displaying it in your home if you wouldn't be concerned about someone taking it. A picture of your dad on the mantle, a desk, table or shelf somewhere with the knife lying next to it might be a nice touch.
 
I don't have any knives that I put so much thought / worry into, but if I did i would probably relegate them to being near me at home. I always keep a few on the table that I use to open my mail and packages. If the thought of losing something worried me so, I would not enjoy carrying and using it.
 
John F. John F. :
What do you suppose your dad would have liked to see you do with it?

Did he have keepsakes of his own? Was he a tinkerer? Would he have advised you just to use it and not worry what happens?

You are your own man, and can do with the knife as you see fit, but it might bring fond memories thinking about what he would have advised you - even if you just look at it in a glass case and think “haha, dad definitely would not have approved…”
 
Maybe you could strenghten the pocket itself? Like adding extra layer of durable cloth, or even replacing the factory one with something you can think about. Or make a very big slip ina form of your pocket, put it into, and carry your knife in there. You will definitely notice a hole in a sized of a whole pocket before you lose the slip. Or maybe a slip with a lanyard or chain attached to the belt. I think drilling the knife is a last option.
 
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