Imperial Barlow

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Balrog99

Joined
Apr 13, 2013
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I picked up a pretty good imperial Barlow today for $4. I'm curious as to your thoughts on them. All I know is I'm having a heck of a time sharpening it, but I think I'm going to make it a beater knife.
 
Any chance of a Photo or two?
I got one the other day cost me $15 (On that Big Auction site) neat as a pin could have left the factory yesterday nice little knife but from "Imperial Ireland" with shell bolsters & plastic scales.
I'll post photo and specs later.
Is yours Imperial Ireland or a Prov R.I USA version? Just a coincidence I have been trying to research all that Schrade/Imperial set up this morning and curious about quality differences between the USA and Irish factories. This little Barlow I have is 'just average' in the quality department but I have some "Imperial Scharade" knives made in Ireland in the early 80's that are top shelf.
 
My experience with the shell handled Imperial knives is that they are inexpensive and take a great edge. They aren't fancy or as nice as other brands, but the thin blades cut well.
 
Dan is exactly right. I have many and they will cut you or anything else pretty quick, if you're not paying attention.

Perry
 
@brumby It's Rhode Island. I might get pics up tomorrow, but I'm busy so I do not know.
 
Definitely worth owning one or three of them. Not the most rugged construction, but as others have said, the steel is great.
 
The handles aren't rugged, but the pins are. It's easy to rehandle them with epoxy, and you aren't losing any strength because the factory handles never had any.
Unless some engineer tells us how wrong I am.
 
Like this? Excuse the poor pictures but was all I had at the moment.
Totally agree with you guys about these neat old Barlows. Semi fragile handles but get incredibly sharp!
I got 4-5 too, Providence/Ireland-.

 
scrteened porch said:
The handles aren't rugged, but the pins are. It's easy to rehandle them with epoxy, and you aren't losing any strength because the factory handles never had any.
Unless some engineer tells us how wrong I am.
Click to expand...
:)
:)

This made me smile as I've been super glueing some of mine for years!
 
In my experience the Ireland knives were sub-par compared to the R.I. Imperial-made pocketknives. It's really easy to get a stinker from Rhode Island too though. Not only was the steel better from R.I. (are all Ireland knives stainless?), but the average build quality was higher.

For a nice Schrade Barlow of the same style, if you can find one of the original Old Timer Barlows, those are much better made.
 
This is my Irish version in excellent unused condition (Any "marks" you see on the blades are actually reflections - as a result of my poor photographic abilities.)

 
The steel on the RI Imperials is mighty similar, at least to me, to Schrade 1095. And the blade/edge profiles are great. Because it was a Baer company from 1941 forward, wouldn't surprise me a bit if it was the same steel. I think they thinned the stock slighty for economy (both material and tool savings), and the result could in some cases be considered improvement.
 
How do you sharpen this thing, with all the time I've spent on it if be able to shave easily with my other imperials, but not this one, it's determined to stay dull.
 
Get a KME system with the pen blade clamp (an extra). It takes three seconds to change from the regular clamp and vice versa. I have a ton of barlow's, but could not do anything but freehand on the small blade, and I'm not do hot freehand. Worth it's weight in gold. ..... Gold series diamond stones that is. ;)
 
Been carrying an Imperial RI shell Barlow since mid February -- it's in my pocket as I type this, in fact. (I paid $8, so at $4 you did well!)

I found the steel wears pretty quickly, and even natural stones make a pretty quick job of it. It does take a lovely fine edge, though. I've found I tend to over-strop it, personally, and got quite a surprise when I took it back to the stones last week for a quick hone, having not realized how much I'd dulled it. FWIW, it did have a pretty steep edge from the factory, so that may be the source of your troubles.

Overall, materials and F&F are mediocre -- but as a working tool? No complaints at all. I hope you get it working for you, since mine has been such a pleasant surprise.

Regards,
--Mark
 
Bob W said:
In my experience the Ireland knives were sub-par compared to the R.I. Imperial-made pocketknives. It's really easy to get a stinker from Rhode Island too though. Not only was the steel better from R.I. (are all Ireland knives stainless?), but the average build quality was higher.

For a nice Schrade Barlow of the same style, if you can find one of the original Old Timer Barlows, those are much better made.
Click to expand...

Or an Ulster. Or the Sears Craftsman version of the Ulster which is often found cheaper than the Ulster branded ones in the same condition.

MarkPinTx said:
The steel on the RI Imperials is mighty similar, at least to me, to Schrade 1095. And the blade/edge profiles are great. Because it was a Baer company from 1941 forward, wouldn't surprise me a bit if it was the same steel. I think they thinned the stock slighty for economy (both material and tool savings), and the result could in some cases be considered improvement.
Click to expand...

Per a Blackie Collins interview with Michael Mirando, yes it is 1095 steel. And the Mirandos and Fazzanos knew heat treating quite well. Even though the Imperial was designed to market at a lower price point than the Schrade and Ulster, the blade steel quality is still there.
 
Here is a variation of the Imperial USA Barlow, shell handled with an exposed metal end (not really a bolster on a shell handled knife) and one Hammer Brand blade and one Imperial USA blade. As Imperial made both brands at the time, I assume they were out of one blade or the other with the correct name when assembling this one. OH

Hammer_Brand_-_Imperial_Barlow.JPG
 
Here are some of mine. I like these old knives.
I had a Imperial/Providence one or two in the 60's. It was all I could afford.
They get Sharp!!


 
Those are some beautiful Imperials.

I grew up with Imperial Barlows while reading Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer so memories abound with these knives.

I already have a couple Imperial and one Colonial Barlow in pretty fair shape t̶o̶ ̶h̶o̶a̶r̶d̶ for back up. I picked this one up for $1 at a flea market a few weeks ago with a broken tip and loose scales. So now that I have a play knife the sandpaper and super glue come out. Putting an easy open notch in for my brittle nails opened a crack or two which just allowed more glue to be applied internal to the scales. Sanding it all while the glue was still wet closed everything back up with glue/sanding dust.

Anyways, now I have a nice tool. You would be surprised at what the shell scales will take actually. Who cares for $1?




I also got a unique Imperial scout knife with a sheepsfoot main and a scraper/screwdriver secondary like a TL-29. In good shape but with the celluloid covers almost gone, 1$ as well. For another post maybe.
 
Thanks, I don't think it ever had been sharpened before, so that probably is a good source of the trouble. @bloefield, I think you like barlows :)
 
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