- Joined
- Jun 10, 2011
- Messages
- 719
When I saw conversations starting up about the latest round of Northfield 77 Barlows, I just knew I had to have one. I won't go into detail about the buying process as it's been much discussed but I was fortunate to land my number one choice, brandishing desert ironwood covers.
Almost as soon as I placed my order I was struck with a dilemma I'm becoming too familiar with. Given the potential value, collectability, and beauty of the knife, how can I possibly use it as it was intended to be used? There is already one GEC knife in my possession which is barely carried...a stag 78 that has only opened mail...a trend I don't want to expand. Nothing wrong with collecting but I try to only buy knives I will use.
Posting in the 77 Barlow Impressions thread here in the Traditionals forum, I brought up the question of dealing with PKA (Pristine Knife Anxiety) and was not surprised to see others also suffer from this terriblr malady, where one is too enraptured with a shiny new knife to use it for more than Instagram photos. After reading a few relatable responses and not wanting to have such an awesome new acquisition stuck in blade purgatory, I made a declaration to use it ASAP. To up the ante, also do something I haven’t done in years- carry the knife as my EDC pocket friend for a month straight. There may be another knife occasionally alongside for heavy tasks but the 77 will pull most of the cutting duty. And, to commemorate my foolhardy endeavor to ruin a perfectly good collector’s item, why not post a thread to chronicle the affair? After all, who doesn’t love rambling, gratuitous threads with pictures of the same knife for page upon page?? Here she is...
When the knife arrived it was greedily unboxed and every little nuance scrutinized, just like we all do. Covers? Looking great! Both blades centered? Check! Action? Needs flushing but snappy. Grinds? Uhhh- GEC.
After admiring the 77 in its pristine state for a day or so and taking the obligatory “remember me when I was new” snaps, it went into immediate service. As promised, I steeled against the tragic forfeiture of several hundred bucks of flippage potential and dove right in! The first few uses were fairly innocuous…envelope here, fingernail there...mostly pen blade work. This morning, however, the proverbial bullet was bitten and the clip was used to the point of no return- slicing strawberries for the kid! I even left the knife, unwiped, on the cutting board for a good ten minutes to ensure the pool has been entered with both feet.
This was followed by a full day of usual tasks. My pork chop lunch really sealed the deal- starter patina achieved. Surprisingly, no guilt thus far.
My initial thoughts are that there’s a solid reason this design is so sought after. Sure, the 77’s have become one of the most collectible traditionals being made today and command ridiculous prices on the secondary market but my belief is that at the core of the desire for these knives is that they check almost every box in the traditional pocket knife world. After a few days of use, the only thing I’d change is the height of the secondary blade, which is just a little too shallow. There just isn’t much blade flat to grab when pulling after half-stop. If I don’t pay careful attention my finger presses close to the edge and I get a feeling that it’s gonna bite me. But it sure is slicey!
That’s it for now. I’ll update when it seems appropriate and thanks for taking the time to read!
~Russell
Almost as soon as I placed my order I was struck with a dilemma I'm becoming too familiar with. Given the potential value, collectability, and beauty of the knife, how can I possibly use it as it was intended to be used? There is already one GEC knife in my possession which is barely carried...a stag 78 that has only opened mail...a trend I don't want to expand. Nothing wrong with collecting but I try to only buy knives I will use.
Posting in the 77 Barlow Impressions thread here in the Traditionals forum, I brought up the question of dealing with PKA (Pristine Knife Anxiety) and was not surprised to see others also suffer from this terriblr malady, where one is too enraptured with a shiny new knife to use it for more than Instagram photos. After reading a few relatable responses and not wanting to have such an awesome new acquisition stuck in blade purgatory, I made a declaration to use it ASAP. To up the ante, also do something I haven’t done in years- carry the knife as my EDC pocket friend for a month straight. There may be another knife occasionally alongside for heavy tasks but the 77 will pull most of the cutting duty. And, to commemorate my foolhardy endeavor to ruin a perfectly good collector’s item, why not post a thread to chronicle the affair? After all, who doesn’t love rambling, gratuitous threads with pictures of the same knife for page upon page?? Here she is...
When the knife arrived it was greedily unboxed and every little nuance scrutinized, just like we all do. Covers? Looking great! Both blades centered? Check! Action? Needs flushing but snappy. Grinds? Uhhh- GEC.
After admiring the 77 in its pristine state for a day or so and taking the obligatory “remember me when I was new” snaps, it went into immediate service. As promised, I steeled against the tragic forfeiture of several hundred bucks of flippage potential and dove right in! The first few uses were fairly innocuous…envelope here, fingernail there...mostly pen blade work. This morning, however, the proverbial bullet was bitten and the clip was used to the point of no return- slicing strawberries for the kid! I even left the knife, unwiped, on the cutting board for a good ten minutes to ensure the pool has been entered with both feet.
This was followed by a full day of usual tasks. My pork chop lunch really sealed the deal- starter patina achieved. Surprisingly, no guilt thus far.
My initial thoughts are that there’s a solid reason this design is so sought after. Sure, the 77’s have become one of the most collectible traditionals being made today and command ridiculous prices on the secondary market but my belief is that at the core of the desire for these knives is that they check almost every box in the traditional pocket knife world. After a few days of use, the only thing I’d change is the height of the secondary blade, which is just a little too shallow. There just isn’t much blade flat to grab when pulling after half-stop. If I don’t pay careful attention my finger presses close to the edge and I get a feeling that it’s gonna bite me. But it sure is slicey!
That’s it for now. I’ll update when it seems appropriate and thanks for taking the time to read!
~Russell
(before eBay existed).
