GEC #77 Medium Barlow Impressions

Thank you. I had some of the stain sticks but they are different than Paul's. They didn't take. I was able to rub it right off. I like the dark coloring of what you have going on there Sean. :thumbup: I'll give that a go tomorrow. ;)
 
BigBiscuit said:
Thank you. I had some of the stain sticks but they are different than Paul's. They didn't take. I was able to rub it right off. I like the dark coloring of what you have going on there Sean. :thumbup: I'll give that a go tomorrow. ;)
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It is a bit darker in the pictures than it is in real life, but it's definitely darker and more brown than the stock yellow scales were. The first few times I did it, I was really timid only letting the stain sit on for 3-5 minutes at a time. Last night I painted it on and left it there for ~15 minutes, then did another coat after wiping that one off. I'm a little worried about too much oil on the scales since it's an oil based stain, but there are folks out there who routinely soak their bone/stag knives in oil, so I figure a one time application wouldn't hurt.
 
Here's a directly overhead shot in harsh fluorescent lighting that shows a lighter view of the new color. The real knife is about halfway between this shot and the daylight shots I posted a few moments ago. It really changes depending on light and angle.

20150227_162033 by mrbleh, on Flickr

Compared to when new:
20150224_145953 by mrbleh, on Flickr
 
Finally got a chance to check mine out. I am happy I was able to get 2 short runs out of my small batch. Everyone here seems to love sheepsfoot blades. This being my first, I must say I probably won't be buying another. The clips are great though. One thing I wish is that they had mirror finish blades, just like the standard Northfields. Otherwise, they are outstanding!





#77'S
 
Sure did score some nice 77s, Draggat! Getting the brass lined red and also the autumn bone, how could you lose?
Perry
 
The sheepfoot 77 has been my constant companion for over a week now. Today it sharpened a pencil a few times while doing some carpentry work and later in the evening did a marvelous job during food prep trimming meat. It slices meat like a laser. :thumbup:
 
singin50 said:
Sure did score some nice 77s, Draggat! Getting the brass lined red and also the autumn bone, how could you lose?
Perry
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+1
My feelings exactly. I'm happy with my stag, but the red bone is beautiful. And the Smooth Autumn Bone came out so much nicer than I expected. I may have to start another quest!
 
singin50 said:
Sure did score some nice 77s, Draggat! Getting the brass lined red and also the autumn bone, how could you lose?
Perry
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Thanks Perry! I'm very happy with them too! I agree that the autumn bone looks superb on these. I was very lucky to get the clip version. In fact, I was shocked that they went in 1 minute while the sheep and wharnie were available for almost an entire day. The pins are at perfect depth on these too. Other than some minor scuffs on the bolsters, these turned out about as close to perfect as it can get.
 
draggat says: " One thing I wish is that they had mirror finish blades, just like the standard Northfields. Otherwise, they are outstanding!"
I don't agree. I prefer the finish that is on my 77 Blackwood Clip and i think it is quite a Traditional finish; i.e. on knives made 75+ years ago. Regardless i think it looks classier than bright and shiny.
What is the correct name for this blade finish ?
kj
 
kootenay joe said:
draggat says: " One thing I wish is that they had mirror finish blades, just like the standard Northfields. Otherwise, they are outstanding!"
I don't agree. I prefer the finish that is on my 77 Blackwood Clip and i think it is quite a Traditional finish; i.e. on knives made 75+ years ago. Regardless i think it looks classier than bright and shiny.
What is the correct name for this blade finish ?
kj
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Aren't those 77 Barlows with the NF bolsters set up with 1095 carbon steel blades? Are they a glazed finish? Look like it to me. Great finish for showing mint condition. You can buff out a crocus and fool people, but not this finish. It can be done, but not easily.

Here's one I think maybe Primble posted. It is great photography and shows the striations.

77%20NF%20Barlow%20Old%20Tan%202_zps7qu6qis6.jpg~original
 
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Thank you thawk, that's right, fine striations running from spine to edge. On my 77 Clip blade they are nowhere near as evident, i really have to look for them and with the light at correct angle.
So the finish on these is "Glazed".
I believe this is more difficult to do than the mirror finish ? Maybe thawk or someone will explain how each is done ?
Thanks for the help. I much appreciate it.
kj
 
kootenay joe said:
Thank you thawk, that's right, fine striations running from spine to edge. On my 77 Clip blade they are nowhere near as evident, i really have to look for them and with the light at correct angle.
So the finish on these is "Glazed".
I believe this is more difficult to do than the mirror finish ? Maybe thawk or someone will explain how each is done ?
Thanks for the help. I much appreciate it.
kj
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Time to get out your Levine's guide and read about blade finishes. It's on page 31 of the 3rd... not sure where it is in the 4th, but it's in there. On older Schrades, it was common the crocus polish the mark side of the master blade only. That's where I became familiar with the terms. Bernard gives a great description of both processes. With emphasis on identifying reworked knife blades.
 
Whatever the finish might technically be called by a traditional expert, I really have no idea. According to GEC's website, Northfield knives typically have what they call a mirror polish, and the Tidioute knives have what they call a satin finish. When I compare the blades of the 77 Barlow to a Tidioute blade, they have the same finish. Therefore, I would call it a satin finish, at least by GEC's standards. I would have preferred they put the standard mirror finish on the #77 Barlow primarily because it's the Northfield Barlow. Satin finish, or whatever the experts might call it, looks great too. I know Mike Latham chose this finish, maybe because it's the one he prefers, or thought others would. At any rate, they are very nice pieces of cutlery.
 
The 77 Barlows are satin finished according to the collector knives page.
 
draggat said:
Whatever the finish might technically be called by a traditional expert, I really have no idea. According to GEC's website, Northfield knives typically have what they call a mirror polish, and the Tidioute knives have what they call a satin finish. When I compare the blades of the 77 Barlow to a Tidioute blade, they have the same finish. Therefore, I would call it a satin finish, at least by GEC's standards. I would have preferred they put the standard mirror finish on the #77 Barlow primarily because it's the Northfield Barlow. Satin finish, or whatever the experts might call it, looks great too. I know Mike Latham chose this finish, maybe because it's the one he prefers, or thought others would. At any rate, they are very nice pieces of cutlery.
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I agree, I don't have a GEC 77 Barlow, but the satin finish on the sheepsfoot I showed looks what I am used to calling glazed. I like both finishes. I have a couple Northfield Jacks, both of them have a mirror finish.
 
Ya gotta be happy with that, it turned out real nice! :thumbup::thumbup:
Might have to give it a try with one of mine.:confused:
 
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