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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Lake Champlain Barlow
- Thread starter GPO MAN
- Start date
birdsbeaks
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2007
- Messages
- 1,846
I've been thinking about this one more, and I don't mean to dump on this particular design as I actually think it looks pretty good compared to similar offerings.
But that's the thing. Let's take GEC's releases as an example - I find myself ending up with more variations of a specific release than I initially plan to acquire because they feel, to me, very different even if they're the same pattern. Maybe it's because I know they are being crafted mostly by humans in Pennsylvania. It could definitely be that the cover variations are different enough that they seem like entirely different knives, so less feelings of redundancy. It could be the scarcity, and the knowledge that they likely won't ever be produced exactly like that ever again - most likely, a combo of all of the above.
Last night, while considering this model, I came to the conclusion that I don't need it because I already have a LionSteel Bestman. I know that might sound odd on the surface as they are very different knives, from very different manufacturers, from very different countries, etc - but, in my mind, must of the "modern traditionals" are very much the same. I think it's also why I've never felt inclined to pick up any of the offerings from Jack Wolf Knives. I'm sure they're all great knives - they just don't feel different enough that I'm able to justify the scratch.
Titanium, canvas Micarta, Fat Carbon - I've got plenty. Screws that aren't intended to be unscrewed - I find obnoxious. Steels that don't patina, chunky designs that seem to lack the elegance I've come to expect from traditionals, and more - they're not really as bad as I suppose I'm making them sound -- but the main sticking point for me is that I've already got something very similar.
I'd like to see more of a variety of unique and natural cover materials - maybe that would be enough to set them apart. I'd like the designers of these things to put more thought into what a traditional knife is, and what makes them great, beyond just "slipjoint."
I think this one's a pass for me - not because I think it would be a bad knife (I don't), not because I think it's ugly (I don't), and certainly not based on where it's from or who made it (I have plenty of great knives from QSP and other Chinese outfits) - but mostly because I feel like I already have one that's close enough.
But that's the thing. Let's take GEC's releases as an example - I find myself ending up with more variations of a specific release than I initially plan to acquire because they feel, to me, very different even if they're the same pattern. Maybe it's because I know they are being crafted mostly by humans in Pennsylvania. It could definitely be that the cover variations are different enough that they seem like entirely different knives, so less feelings of redundancy. It could be the scarcity, and the knowledge that they likely won't ever be produced exactly like that ever again - most likely, a combo of all of the above.
Last night, while considering this model, I came to the conclusion that I don't need it because I already have a LionSteel Bestman. I know that might sound odd on the surface as they are very different knives, from very different manufacturers, from very different countries, etc - but, in my mind, must of the "modern traditionals" are very much the same. I think it's also why I've never felt inclined to pick up any of the offerings from Jack Wolf Knives. I'm sure they're all great knives - they just don't feel different enough that I'm able to justify the scratch.
Titanium, canvas Micarta, Fat Carbon - I've got plenty. Screws that aren't intended to be unscrewed - I find obnoxious. Steels that don't patina, chunky designs that seem to lack the elegance I've come to expect from traditionals, and more - they're not really as bad as I suppose I'm making them sound -- but the main sticking point for me is that I've already got something very similar.
I'd like to see more of a variety of unique and natural cover materials - maybe that would be enough to set them apart. I'd like the designers of these things to put more thought into what a traditional knife is, and what makes them great, beyond just "slipjoint."
I think this one's a pass for me - not because I think it would be a bad knife (I don't), not because I think it's ugly (I don't), and certainly not based on where it's from or who made it (I have plenty of great knives from QSP and other Chinese outfits) - but mostly because I feel like I already have one that's close enough.
I actually like the look of these with the "big" caveat that they're too large. When I think of a barlow, I think of something in the 3.25" to 3.75" range. A Case or Imperial is what I'd have in mind. I'm not too keen on Grandaddy barlows, and this seems to be about that size. Really great looking knives otherwise, and I don't have any other modern traditional knives that would be too similar.