GEC #77 Medium Barlow Impressions

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Here we go!
 
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I'm getting excited as well. I prefer clip points, however the spear point of my 54 Big Jack Northfield appears to have a very similar spear and I find myself using it a lot. Still has some belly and not a swollen spear. I'm glad there was single blade versions available. I would love to see more cover varieties for single clips, i.e. primitive bone. Looking forward to this.
 
I can't praise this #77 Medium Barlow often enough - it's been a joy to carry and use day in and day out since the moment it arrived in my PO Box in mid February. It's been my primary #1 EDC since that day and continues to dominate that spot in the right front pocket. I oil the joint about once a month, sharpen it on an Arkansas stone as needed and use it for everything from opening the mail/packages, cutting down cardboard boxes, slicing Mama's roast beef as it emerges from the oven, my steaks, pork chops, chicken, etc. It's slim and has perfect walk n talk. The blade is centered (both open and closed) and easy to sharpen with it's straight edge. It's African Blackwood scales are beautiful and glassy smooth, giving it that comfortable feeling in hand like a worn bar of soap. I just love this knife :D

It's ridden in my RFP every waking moment since I received it. At night it sits on my nightstand beside the bed. I've just let it age naturally and take on whatever patina develops with use and time.

Day One...
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Today (6 months of 100% EDC 24/7)...
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Beautiful piece arizonaranchman Amazing seeing how dark it's become over that long spread of time as your faithful carry :D
 
That's a serious patina! Any chance we could see it open? It looks darker along the spine, is there some environmental thing where you are that would accelerate the patina? Do you keep it next to a humidifier or something?
 
bleh said:
That's a serious patina! Any chance we could see it open? It looks darker along the spine, is there some environmental thing where you are that would accelerate the patina? Do you keep it next to a humidifier or something?
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The spine of the blade and area exposed in the pocket is where it's the darkest - the spring especially, which is nearly black. Moisture from perspiration in the pocket of my jeans or cargo pants is what does it apparently. I live in the high desert, so humidity is low here generally (anywhere from 5% to 50% is average probably).

What you see is just from pocket and using it for typical things. I've not attempted to enhance or remove any patina.

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arizonaranchman said:
The spine of the blade and area exposed in the pocket is where it's the darkest - the spring especially, which is nearly black. Moisture from perspiration in the pocket of my jeans or cargo pants is what does it apparently. I live in the high desert, so humidity is low here generally (anywhere from 5% to 50% is average probably).

What you see is just from pocket and using it for typical things. I've not attempted to enhance or remove any patina.
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Thanks for the picture. You must get pretty sweaty pretty regular!

As a side note, these pictures make me even more excited for the upcoming spear points with steel bolsters.
 
bleh said:
Thanks for the picture. You must get pretty sweaty pretty regular!

As a side note, these pictures make me even more excited for the upcoming spear points with steel bolsters.
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I very rarely get soaked with sweat very often, it's so dry here in the desert that perspiration dries off of you almost immediately, so it's maybe very slightly damp is about it. The nickel-silver bosters and liners of this knife show the difference in the reactions of the different metals to their environment obviously. The bolsters tarnish and dull just a little, but it's temporary and they polish themselves back up pretty quickly just from being in my pocket.
 
Nice looking Barlow you've got there! I love the saw-cut bone. My next 77 Barlow will be in red saw-cut bone with spear/coping. The all-steel construction on these next ones will make for a different look that's for sure. To me the spear-coping combo is THE perfect two-blade set-up for a pocket knife. I'm really looking forward to this next run Mike has coming up. :D
 
arizonaranchman said:
Nice looking Barlow you've got there! I love the saw-cut bone. My next 77 Barlow will be in red saw-cut bone with spear/coping. The all-steel construction on these next ones will make for a different look that's for sure. To me the spear-coping combo is THE perfect two-blade set-up for a pocket knife. I'm really looking forward to this next run Mike has coming up. :D
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I really enjoy your pictures of the knife that you obviously fell in love with. The Red Saw-cut will be nice , but I thought you would get another black one. I have the clip & sheepsfoot in the red saw-cut and I know you are going to like it.

Harry
 
I agree with the perfect two blade knife. Spear and coping covers all my bases. I've reserved a smooth ivory bone 2 blade.
 
I just have two singles reserved in old red and stag. Having a hard time wondering if I should get the two blade. Decisions Decisions.

GEC keeps making too many knives and I have to put a stop to this at some point or start culling the herd more.
 
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