Well... I cannot say enough about these gateway barlows. Especially for the price! I would argue it is a large step above Rough Ryder Reserve or Rosecraft. I understand Case and GEC are made in the US and likely have more hand operations per knife. And, there are times where imperfections from these hand operations make the knife more desirable / valuable. It proves it was hand made. But if I'm being honest, you don't see these features, the level of quality, fit and finish, walk and talk, in most Case knives and I would argue even some GECs. Especially at this price point... Obvious cheap labor has something to do with that.
I'd like to focus on a few bullet points:
- Traditional Design
- Fit and Finish / Walk and Talk
- Features
- Comparisons
For starters, what a traditional design! The bolsters are even the right length
The shield
(which does appear to be glued, not pinned, by the way) is the only detractor. Apparently, Jack Wolf knew this but decided to put the shield on the barlow anyway as they felt this gave a more "traditional pocket knife" feel or vibe to the knife. I disagree, but I digress. I feel "design" is often the critique of RRR and Rosecraft. And if Jack Wolf keeps it up with this gateway series, they will start to dominate that market in my opinion...
The bone has some beautiful figuring in it. Almost wood like on the showside, and the other side reminds me of water swirling around. I like that the shade of blue didn't come out too light or too dark. The triple threaded bolsters is perfectly executed as is the long pull which has a nice crisp edge that gives you purchase. Not that you need it because this is pinchable anyway! The swedges are on point. And while it's hard to see from the photos, there's even a slight bevel on the corners of the spine to prevent it from being too sharp. Everything about this knife is crisp. No tumble polishing here. But, attention to detail should allow it to carry well in the pocket. The thickness of the entire knife is quite slim and this is something I think many manufacturers are getting wrong today. Most of the older vintage knives I have are incredibly slim. But, many manufacturers (RRR, Rosecraft, Case) are putting out pretty thick knives. Even GEC, which I respect in the highest regard, put a catch bit on their 66 calf roper. My Schrade Cut Co 8813 has no catch bit, fit all 3 blades nicely in the well, and is thinner as a result. In particular, I feel that RRR, Rosecraft, and Case use relatively thick bone slabs. My vintage knives have very thin covers, and this Jack Wolf has the thin covers I've grown to love.
This knife has half stops, and the backspring is flush in all 3 positions. No noticeable gaps in the backspring either. Transitions from bone to bolsters is perfect, even in the corners where we sometimes see issues with other more expensive brands. Shield is fit perfectly, not a gap around it. Pins and shield also perfectly flush. Blade well centered. Sits nice and deep in the blade well. No blade wrap. No blade play. No stop pin. No blade rap. Grinds are nice and even. Sharp. Spring termination is also nice and square. Finish on bolsters and blade don't have a single bad scratch in them. Bone is polished to a mirror like finish.
The walk and talk is also very good. Probably a firm 5 or 6 pull, and absolutely buttery smooth. And this leads me into some features I wanted to discuss. There are washers in here to help with the walk and talk. I remember watching a video of Tony Bose saying he'd never make a knife without washers ever again. This also has integral stainless steel bolsters/liners... That is insane to me for a knife at this price. Massive selling point. Stainless pins and shield would've taken it over the top for a true all steel construction. But, I'm not disappointed in their use of nickel silver for the pins/shield.
I have no qualms about a knife made in China. I don't give a rats ass where it was made to be honest. What I look for is expertise, tight tolerances, and a demonstration of exceptional traditional design. So, I have purchased a couple Rough Ryder Reserves and Rosecrafts. I would argue they were, at the time, the best bang for your buck. But, my biggest qualm was non-traditional design. Even the Rosecraft Beaver Creek Barlow looked quite traditional, but something about it's proportions were ever so slightly off. RRR and Rosecraft also seem to suffer from knives being thicker than they need to be. GEC does a good job with thin knives. Jack Wolf meets that bar. One of my biggest complaints about RRR and Rosecraft was how their half stops are designed on the tang. They seem to take a regular cam tang and just cut a hollow out of it. Which does technically work. And sometimes, that action is pretty good. But, I find it often leads to a mushy halfstop. This Jack Wolf knife has nice square tang and I was SO happy to see that. The action is as crisp as GEC (or even better due to the washers).
In conclusion, this is much nicer than a RRR or a Rosecraft due to overall thinness, tang design, no stop pin, and proper traditional proportions. Much nicer than most Case knives due to not being tumble polished (the tip is actually pointy) and significantly better fit and finish. I struggle to honestly find a flaw on this knife that would place it below a GEC barlow. My nicest GEC barlow is the 14 goldenrod sawcut which is my only GEC with half stops flush in all 3 positions. And while that 14 is a fine fine knife, it doesn't have integral bolsters and the action on it is weak. My 35 cattle knife has stainless steel bolsters and liners and is one of my finest GECs from a fit and finish standpoint. But again, I'd struggle to find anything wrong with this Jack Wolf Gateway Barlow. We're starting to see some GECs with gaps between the covers and bolsters and around the shield. Not on this Jack Wolf. If you can get your hands on one, I doubt you will be disappointed. And, I hope Jack Wolf keeps this Gateway series going. Would love to see a 2 blade trapper pattern or a 3 blade stockman. Granted, I imagine those are much further down the line if they happen at all.
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