- Joined
- Dec 2, 2005
- Messages
- 69,504
July 4th was a great day in Yorkshire, not least since I received a package from my pal Charlie @waynorth! 
A few of you may have already noticed that I am the proud owner of one of Charlie's second run of 'Ancient' TC Barlows. The first 'Ancient's are among my favourite knives, and like their recently-arrived cousin, they were kind gifts from Charlie, and treasured all the more for that of course 
Cue gratuitous pics of my older Ancients 
I think Charlie and GEC have done an equally great job of the 2018 Ancients, and the one I was gifted by Charlie has barely left my pocket since its arrival
Here it is with an older IXL Barlow - ALSO a gift from Charlie
Charlie had told me to expect the Ancient in the mail, and also told me he was including something else What I didn't expect was this knife roll
Inside which was...
As a lover of Barlow knives, I spotted what these incredible knives were straight away!
On the left there, we have a Barlow Knife bearing the 'Z and falchion' mark of Samuel Barlow, which was registered by his father in 1792, and beneath that is the original 'Barlow' mark, which John Barlow was granted in 1745, and which Samuel Barlow acquired in 1798. The marks were later used by Samuel's son-in-law, Henry Mills. Samuel and Henry were based at Neepsend in Sheffield, an area I know well, since my father was born close by, and my grandparents still lived there when I was young.
The other two knives were produced at Stannington, high up on the hills overlooking the Rivelin and Loxley rivers, which flow down into Sheffield. The first was made by Enos Furness (1836-1905), one of the large and colourful Furness clan of Stannington, whom I am related to through the marriage of my father's younger sister, and who were prodigious makers of Barlow knives.
The third knife, with the beautiful scratted bone covers, is by Squire Elijah Oates (1836-1891), the son of Luke Oates, with whom Samuel Barlow and Henry Mills had some legal wranglings. I used to drink in the Stannington pub S.E. Oates owned and ran, and where he died in 1891 (70 years before I was born, I hasten to add!).
On my 'treasure hunts' around Yorkshire, I have found old knives of virtually every description, but old Barlows are as rare as hen's teeth - it seems they were almost all exported - so these gifts from Charlie, which I think would thrill any knife collector, are an incredible thing for me to receive, and a huge act of kindness. Thank you so much Charlie, for parting with these lovely old knives, and for sending them back across the sea to me. You are a great friend 
A few of you may have already noticed that I am the proud owner of one of Charlie's second run of 'Ancient' TC Barlows. The first 'Ancient's are among my favourite knives, and like their recently-arrived cousin, they were kind gifts from Charlie, and treasured all the more for that of course Cue gratuitous pics of my older Ancients I think Charlie and GEC have done an equally great job of the 2018 Ancients, and the one I was gifted by Charlie has barely left my pocket since its arrival
Here it is with an older IXL Barlow - ALSO a gift from Charlie
Charlie had told me to expect the Ancient in the mail, and also told me he was including something else
What I didn't expect was this knife roll Inside which was...
As a lover of Barlow knives, I spotted what these incredible knives were straight away!
On the left there, we have a Barlow Knife bearing the 'Z and falchion' mark of Samuel Barlow, which was registered by his father in 1792, and beneath that is the original 'Barlow' mark, which John Barlow was granted in 1745, and which Samuel Barlow acquired in 1798. The marks were later used by Samuel's son-in-law, Henry Mills. Samuel and Henry were based at Neepsend in Sheffield, an area I know well, since my father was born close by, and my grandparents still lived there when I was young.
The other two knives were produced at Stannington, high up on the hills overlooking the Rivelin and Loxley rivers, which flow down into Sheffield. The first was made by Enos Furness (1836-1905), one of the large and colourful Furness clan of Stannington, whom I am related to through the marriage of my father's younger sister, and who were prodigious makers of Barlow knives.
The third knife, with the beautiful scratted bone covers, is by Squire Elijah Oates (1836-1891), the son of Luke Oates, with whom Samuel Barlow and Henry Mills had some legal wranglings. I used to drink in the Stannington pub S.E. Oates owned and ran, and where he died in 1891 (70 years before I was born, I hasten to add!).
On my 'treasure hunts' around Yorkshire, I have found old knives of virtually every description, but old Barlows are as rare as hen's teeth - it seems they were almost all exported - so these gifts from Charlie, which I think would thrill any knife collector, are an incredible thing for me to receive, and a huge act of kindness. Thank you so much Charlie, for parting with these lovely old knives, and for sending them back across the sea to me. You are a great friend
. Charlie has a big heart and has been very kind to me as well he is a real pillar or "post" here on the porch.
