Boker Barlows from AG Russell

tarsier

tarsier

Joined
Apr 6, 2002
Messages
1,356
Has anyone got one of these Barlows yet? Seem like some nice scale materials plus good carbon steel.

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I've been giving them a very hard eye, and I'm most likely to order one after the holidays are over. Very drawn to them as barlows have always reminded me of my younger days with my grandad.
 
It's impossible to calculate, but can you imagine how much work the good old barlows have done over the past 125 years or more!? I know I have two two-blade jacks (not exactly barlows, per se) that were my grandfather's .... both are quite solid (Imperial and Robeson) but very very worn down -- in a good way. Just this weekend, I got out the Miracle Cloth and polished 'em up a bit and gave 'em a drink of oil. Makes me feel good just to hold them. For all the miracle steels and fancy locks and opening methods, all our grandfathers and greatgrandfathers etc. needed to get the job done (and get it done right) was a little know-how and a good sharp barlow knife.
 
mnblade said:
It's impossible to calculate, but can you imagine how much work the good old barlows have done over the past 125 years or more!? I know I have two two-blade jacks (not exactly barlows, per se) that were my grandfather's .... both are quite solid (Imperial and Robeson) but very very worn down -- in a good way. Just this weekend, I got out the Miracle Cloth and polished 'em up a bit and gave 'em a drink of oil. Makes me feel good just to hold them. For all the miracle steels and fancy locks and opening methods, all our grandfathers and greatgrandfathers etc. needed to get the job done (and get it done right) was a little know-how and a good sharp barlow knife.
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Truer words never spoken.

Thats always been the thing for me. My dad worked alot to support the family, so I ended up spending a heck of alot of time with my grandad. He tought me to fish, and took me often. When I had my 10th birthday he pronounced me old enough to go hunting with him. It was a heady time. I felt very honored to have been permitted to go with him and his cronies to get an edjucation. Sometimes in the wrong things. He had a couple of good friends that they would go bird hunting in the wooded rolling Maryland country side. At the end of the hunt they would clean thier kills on the tailgate of the old Chevy pickup, and most often they used a barlow knife. Grandad had a couple of knives, but that old bone handle barlow was his go to knife. He would clean a quail, slice sausage, sharpen a toothpick, open boxes and mail with it. Most of his buds used a barlow, once in a while I saw a stockman. I guess in the early 1950's the barlow was still the working mans knife.
 
I carry a Camillus Barlow all the time. It was cheap, it is very easy to keep sharp and I love the big shiny bolsters!
 
I may order one after the holidays too, if A.G. has any left. :) In addition to Old Timer, Grandpa always had a Barlow. It's not as popular of a pattern as it used to be, but it's still one of my favorites.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
A few weeks ago I went to "Casa Boker" in downtown Mexico City and had a chance to see a bunch of their newer slipjoints, they were all very nice, they did not have any Barlows though. I bought a Carbon steel whittler with rosewood scales and I like it. I do have a Boker carbon steel Barlow from sometime in the 80's, single blade and wood handles, it's nice too.

Luis

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Good comments, guys.

The reason these caught my eye is that I like the Barlow pattern, and as best I can remember, have never owned a Boker. Thought these would be a good way to try them out.

Don Luis said:
I bought a Carbon steel whittler with rosewood scales...
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Yes, when you posted that picture for the first time, I immediately started looking at them. I also found what appears to be the same knife in smooth or jigged red bone. Now I have a tough choice.

Don Luis said:
I do have a Boker carbon steel Barlow from sometime in the 80's...
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Nice!
 
I spotted those new Bokers in the Russell catalog and will be adding one to my Barlow collection, which numbers around 100. I've got everything from the cheap, but relatively well made, Rough Riders from China to the original Russells, not "A G" but the John Russell Cutlery Co., from the good ol' USA.

I love the Barlow's classic, clean, simple, sturdy and unique long, one-bolster style along with the great history of the style, including the formation of the 'Barlow Bearcats' collectors club in the '50's. The only downside for me is that the barlow style tends to be too heavy for my EDC. But as a collector that hasn't slowed me down. And, as noted in other comments, the Barlow brings back many fond memories of the 'gool ol' days'.

LANNY
 
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