- Joined
- Jul 20, 2008
- Messages
- 292
I couldn't find much info on these knives before I bought mine (the Barlow), so after a week of carrying it I thought I would throw down a review for everyone else's reference.
From Shepherd Hills:
New for 2007 is the latest in the Barnboard Jigged knives from W. R. Case and Sons. Tested Red Barnboard knives are available in the following patterns. With 154-CM stainless steel blades, this high grade blade steel is sure to generate a great deal of interest among knife collectors and knife users alike. While not limited in production numbers, they will only be available for a short period of time in 2007.
Design
9/10. Classic Barlow with pinched bolsters, clip, and pen blades. Case goes bigger than average with the pen blade, and they put it behind the clip blade with the nick on the opposite side. This seemed quirky to me at first, but didn't take too long to get used to. The barnboard jigging pattern is nice, but the scales are only surface dyed and go from dark red through pink to white. The coloring doesn't quite do it for me, and I will probably either re-dye or replace the scales sometime soon.
Fit and Finish
8/10. Excellent snap with no blade wobble. The springs are on the heavy side, but just enough to give the knife a very solid feel. The only visible gaps are just a little bit between the bolsters and liners near where they meet the scales. The pen blade sits dead center, and the clip blade is a little off but not even close to rubbing the liner. Both springs sit a little high when the blades are open, but not enough to notice.
Blades
10/10. Time will tell if the 154-CM blades were worth almost a 100% price jump over TruSharp, but out of the box they look like they mean business. They have a ground (looking almost machined) finish rather than the usual polish. The corners and plunge lines are extremely crisp. Both blades have great shapes and very subtle swedges.
Edges
5/10. The only disappointment. Both blades had uneven grinds with visible burrs. A little touch-up got them screaming sharp, but it's going to take some Lansky time to get them to look perfect. The steel seems to live up to it's wear resistant reputation, but hard to sharpen also means hard to dull.
Overall
Modern blade technology in a classic package. While expensive and limited to four patterns, these are built like serious working knives. I have a feeling mine will be around a lot longer than I will.
From Shepherd Hills:
New for 2007 is the latest in the Barnboard Jigged knives from W. R. Case and Sons. Tested Red Barnboard knives are available in the following patterns. With 154-CM stainless steel blades, this high grade blade steel is sure to generate a great deal of interest among knife collectors and knife users alike. While not limited in production numbers, they will only be available for a short period of time in 2007.
Design
9/10. Classic Barlow with pinched bolsters, clip, and pen blades. Case goes bigger than average with the pen blade, and they put it behind the clip blade with the nick on the opposite side. This seemed quirky to me at first, but didn't take too long to get used to. The barnboard jigging pattern is nice, but the scales are only surface dyed and go from dark red through pink to white. The coloring doesn't quite do it for me, and I will probably either re-dye or replace the scales sometime soon.
Fit and Finish
8/10. Excellent snap with no blade wobble. The springs are on the heavy side, but just enough to give the knife a very solid feel. The only visible gaps are just a little bit between the bolsters and liners near where they meet the scales. The pen blade sits dead center, and the clip blade is a little off but not even close to rubbing the liner. Both springs sit a little high when the blades are open, but not enough to notice.
Blades
10/10. Time will tell if the 154-CM blades were worth almost a 100% price jump over TruSharp, but out of the box they look like they mean business. They have a ground (looking almost machined) finish rather than the usual polish. The corners and plunge lines are extremely crisp. Both blades have great shapes and very subtle swedges.
Edges
5/10. The only disappointment. Both blades had uneven grinds with visible burrs. A little touch-up got them screaming sharp, but it's going to take some Lansky time to get them to look perfect. The steel seems to live up to it's wear resistant reputation, but hard to sharpen also means hard to dull.
Overall
Modern blade technology in a classic package. While expensive and limited to four patterns, these are built like serious working knives. I have a feeling mine will be around a lot longer than I will.
