Barlow Challenge

B

BenHarris

Joined
Apr 30, 2014
Messages
524
I have done the Peanut challenge, and I found that it was more than enough for my needs. I carried just a Victorinox Cadet for a year. My Opinel No. 7 took me through a semester at college. Still, in the past three or more years, I have been one of those, "rotation people." While I have had one or two knives that took care of everything I needed, I am always going to be afflicted with our strange disease. However, I am making up my mind that for the next month, (maybe more...) my sole EDC knife is going to be this old Boker 494. I am awaiting the arrival of a knife by a fellow forumite, and that may derail the exact knife, but a Barlow is a Barlow... This ought to be fun, and I will keep you all posted.

Here the 494 takes on the job of a camp knife on the Appalachian Trail this morning. It is beginning to prove its worth.

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Day 2- After peeling three pounds of potatoes for dinner last night, the sheepsfoot has developed a new hue to its patina. Not much exciting today. Just living the life of a pocket knife while I am doing a word study paper for a Bible class. While this is only Day 2 of the challenge, it is actually the seventh day of only carrying the Barlow. So far soo good...

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Interesting thread, and a great-looking knife :thumbup:
 
I want to join you, but have too many new knives to stick with just 1 right now. I'm other words, I admire your conviction ;)
 
ah i remember when a member encouraged me to use 1 knife a whole month. gave me much more appreciation for the knife. almost helped me forget that the seller really misrepresented the condition of the knife, as the well was rusted. but alas, it did help get the new knife feeling out and made me ok to use it
 
For a year now my primary EDC has been a 77 Barlow. For about half that time it was a single sheep-foot in African Blackwood, but now since this red saw-cut bone spear/coping's arrival it has completely taken over and become The One...
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Love the looks of that Boker. Thanks for posting, i am looking forward to following this thread and seeing what happens.
 
Since I use my pocket knives for food prep, I always end up with some interesting and deep patinas. The 494 is no exception. I really appreciate that it doesn't leave a metallic taste like my Opinel No. 7. Still, lemons make for fun stain makers!

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Can't post a pic, but i got a Queen single blade stag handled barlow. A queen single blade bone stag is the first knife my grandfather gave me when I was 8 y.o.- that was 63 years ago. This will likely be my last knife.
Rich
 
Not much happening today, but the Barlow is starting to get broken in. Just like some nice leather boots, an old shotgun, or a well worn Bible, its just starting to feel right...

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Not much today... Someone once said that a knife spends 95% of its time in the pocket, and this day was no exception... Here's an older picture since I couldn't get one today.

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Well been swaping my RR and my Taylor Schrade Barlows since I started and my Case Barlow on Sundays .I opened mail cut fruit and cheese all with ease.
 
Looks great you're using the knife for what it was made for. There is a bit of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in all of us or we would like to think so.
 
Since going back to college, I've been running around like crazy. Papers, exegesis of the atonement narrative in the Old Testament, preaching at the local Rescue Mission, and reading the works of Athanasius. But, the Barlow has been along every day. It has been the only knife I have carried for two weeks now. I think I may extend the experiment past a month. Even something as small as this has made my routine easier in the morning. I wake up, and put this knife in my pocket. Not bad so far...
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This is pretty much how I fell in love with the Barlow pattern. I carried my Wingen spear+pen daily for months at one point. One of my pairs of jeans has a faint Barlow shape on the watch pocket, though they've become ratty and only serve for weekend pants now. I may incorporate the Barlow challenge into one of my week's EDC challenges, because I will always gladly accept an excuse for more Barlow photos. :D

Really enjoying your photos and anecdotes, Ben! :thumbup:
 
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