Breathing new life into an old barlow

[r8shell]

I picked up this Boker barlow at a flea market. Although I've never really cared for the pattern, y'all keep raving about them. Holding it, looking it over, it does seem like a sturdy fellow:

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The problem is, though, that when closed, the tips sit too high, and when I sharpen them, it'll be mighty uncomfortable!

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I started to file down the kick, but I really didn't want to lower the nail nicks any more. So I dropped the points. Now I have a sort of spear point/wharncliffe combo

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And the tips sit down nicely

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Now it's very comfortable in hand and pocket. I've been carrying it around all day, and I'm really liking it. I always thought of barlows as heavy and bulky, but I guess it's just the look of the long bolster. It isn't any heavier than any other knife of its size. I may just be converted. I'll leave you with one more pic of a lovely reprofiled blade:

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[mmarkh]

Good job. Now carry and use that sucker.

 

[Bob W]

I got a cut just from looking at those "After" pictures. What a classic knife! That thing just oozes with character.

 

[Campbellclanman]

I got a cut just from looking at those "After" pictures. What a classic knife! That thing just oozes with character.

Man, you aren't wrong! looking at the Pen blade you wouldn't have had to file much off the kick to get the tip to sit down.
How did you sharpen the blades?
That's a neat old Boker - great to see, I love the heading "breathing life into an old Barlow"

 

[Groove]

Very nice!

 

[r8shell]

Thanks, everyone. I'm insufferably proud

How did you sharpen the blades?

Ken Onion edition Work Sharp. It's basically a tiny little belt sander. Variable speed keeps me from heating up the steel.

 

[Campbellclanman]

Thanks, everyone. I'm insufferably proud



Ken Onion edition Work Sharp. It's basically a tiny little belt sander. Variable speed keeps me from heating up the steel.

Well, you did a great job that's for sure, thanks r8 for showing us that little treasure! :thumbup:

 

[KYenglish]

very nice job, thanks for sharing, I picked up a boker barlow for the same reason, secondary blade is broken though, may have to take another look at it and see if i can't get it back into service, thanks for the inspiration

 

[arizonaranchman]

Nice! Great job of reprofiling those blades. That would drive me nuts to have the tips sit proud like that, not to mention a bit dangerous.

I love my TC Barlow. The Barlow is a very old and classic pattern.

 

[MrPocketsOfSteel]

Wow. What a difference. I would have a hard time recovering from the soreness of my shoulder from the patting myself on the back too much and I'll add you did a fine regrind job also. I wish you were my neighbor. Ha! Mine is just like yours with a slight difference in the main blade, yours is a clip point and yours is the 493 and mine is the 492.

You should be proud.:thumbup:

 

[jon_slider]

Great job salvaging that Boker. I believe it is a USA model from the late 70's, Delrin handles.

And yes, the simple pleasures are the best. Congratulations on solving the blade tip problem.

Here is another Boker that had a proud primary blade. Dropping the kick only got it partly better, so then I resorted to dropping the spine, as you did. In retrospect, it would have been possible to do the whole fix by dropping the spine, and leaving the kick alone, thereby not incurring the dropped back spring that filing the kick causes.

You can see the back spring drop, barely, in this pic. Moreso you can feel it with your fingers, but thats a price Im willing to pay to set a proud blade deeper in the pocket.

Now it sure feels good to run my finger up the spine of the blade, closed, and not snag my finger on the tip. I know how you feel

And I can understand your reluctance to carry a Barlow, they are heavy, 72 grams, about as much as 14 USA nickel coins, more than double the weight of a Peanut. (the knife, not the legume)

the spring for the primary blade is closest to the camera

primary tip now below the liner, sorry, no before pic, next time...

 

[Jack Black]

Nice-looking knife and good job there, the edges look great :thumbup:

 

[davek14]

That's a great knife, and you did a great job on it. Barlows are my favorite pattern. You don't see enough old users floating around in good shape.

I use a knife at work the most and a Barlow is an honest American work knife. I find myself (when I'm not playing with an Opinel, Svord, or another "tinkering" knife) gravitating toward Barlows, Sodbusters, and TL-29's at work.

You did a fantastic job reprofiling , doing just enough and keeping the general shape nicely. You can't really tell you did it, just what you want.

Sometimes I'll drop the blades and kind of carve out a notch to get to the nail knick on the secondary. I'll use a sharpened three corner file like you would use to deburr metal with and finish with fine emery cloth. The liners are usually brass and that and the bone carve easily. I'll do a little of that and a little reprofiling, try to make it all not noticeable.

Just blowing air here, you did a great job and made the right call on that knife for sure. It's a Boker too, it'll be a great user.

 

[Humppa]

Well done - good job. I really like the knife you have there now.