My new Imperial Barlow.

JM2

JM2

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New to me. I couldn’t resist so I bid on and won this Barlow at a reasonable price.




I am thinking on what to do with it. It’s got decent snap and no wobble. A crack in the show side panel. And that one panel is a touch loose, but overall I think it’s a pretty clean example. It does have some pitting and has been polished sometime way back I’d guess.

I’m thinking I’ll clean it up and play with it while I ponder. I’m thinking rehandle it and convert it to pinned construction. Probably make brass liners for it. I’m thinking why not learn to silver solder and make bolsters too? But I do have a couple antlers from a buck I killed. Might do fine with sodbuster style panels. I bought it expecting to have some fun. Whoohooo.

I have read a bunch of old threads on them and see it’s a 56-88 year range from the vertical USA in the tang stamp.

For now I’ll just clean it best I can without disassembly and play with it while I ponder.

Just thought I’d share.
 
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The show side cover is easy to tighten up ---> If you have a flat micro screwdriver.
If you look, the covers (including bolster) is held on by a folded over tab at each end. You can tighten the cover by flattening the tab(s) back down so they are tight. 😁👍

I had to tighten a cover on mine, too.

EDIT:
If I misread and the "saw cut" tape is loose, a little super glue will fix it.
 
afishhunter said:
The show side cover is easy to tighten up ---> If you have a flat micro screwdriver.
If you look, the covers (including bolster) is held on by a folded over tab at each end. You can tighten the cover by flattening the tab(s) back down so they are tight. 😁👍

I had to tighten a cover on mine, too.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I know, I seen several videos and pics where people were modding them. That’s where I got the idea to mod it. But I ain’t tightened it up because it’ll make it harder to get apart when I do.

If the panel wasn’t cracked at the end I’d probably not do anything to it. Might not anyways. I’m starting to build a relationship.
 
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It's hard to go wrong with those Imperial barlows. Great steel!

If you do decide to re-do it, here's a WIP thread where I work on one of those and do almost exactly what you mentioned wanting to do...

WIP barlow mod
 
Rich S said:
Yes, ponder a long time. It's a 50+ year old knife. IMHO, a shame to mess it up.
Give it the love and care it deserves. I wouldn't make a frankenknife of it.
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These are a dime a dozen.
They made so many for so long, with many different advertisements on them, and they were a dime store knife.

They are a great knife where it counts, and the blades are very worthy of a proper pinned construction with some nicer materials.
 
Had one as a kid. Loved it! Many an adventure and my dad would borrow it on occasion (it was really his, after all 😸). I miss it, but it lost its bolsters and then its scales and ultimately it lost its whole self.

Zieg
 
glennbad said:
It's hard to go wrong with those Imperial barlows. Great steel!

If you do decide to re-do it, here's a WIP thread where I work on one of those and do almost exactly what you mentioned wanting to do...

WIP barlow mod
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing, that’s just about what I was thinking. I’ve never reworked a pocket knife before but I’ve done some peening and detail work so I can handle it no problem.

When I bought the knife I had already researched it and the quality of the blades, with modifying it in mind. Basically a way to build my skill set out and get a solid user in the process.
 
Tear it apart and go for it!
I like the idea of using antler that you harvested.
Like Glenn said you really can't go wrong and it's yours to enjoy 😉
 
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I’m thinking now about converting the pen blade to a wharncliffe, and making a Barlow whittler.
 
Rich S said:
Yes, ponder a long time. It's a 50+ year old knife. IMHO, a shame to mess it up.
Give it the love and care it deserves. I wouldn't make a frankenknife of it.
Click to expand...
This is one of my favorite knives to carry. I have a few old Imperial Barlows in good shape and they are safe queens. They are a bit of history and I'm OK with that.
But, an Imperial Barlow is a bit of my history as a young boy as well. I abused them then, and I can (kind of) abuse this one now. $.25 at a yard sale. Both blades with a broken tip. I don't think there is any hope of "restoration". However, it is cleaned up and sharpened up and ready to be put through it's paces. Those thin and slicey blades cut like the dickens (:)) and it's actually surprising what the shell slabs will hold up to.

ctNCLd3.jpg
 
davek14 said:
This is one of my favorite knives to carry. I have a few old Imperial Barlows in good shape and they are safe queens. They are a bit of history and I'm OK with that.
But, an Imperial Barlow is a bit of my history as a young boy as well. I abused them then, and I can (kind of) abuse this one now. $.25 at a yard sale. Both blades with a broken tip. I don't think there is any hope of "restoration". However, it is cleaned up and sharpened up and ready to be put through it's paces. Those thin and slicey blades cut like the dickens :))) and it's actually surprising what the shell slabs will hold up to.

ctNCLd3.jpg
Click to expand...
They're darn good knives regardless of their modest price point back when.
 
Added this one to my pocket. Just like the one Great Grandpa carried and used on the farm. 😁👍
View attachment 1862085View attachment 1862087
EDIT: This isn't the one Great Grandpa carried.
Per an ancient family tradition his knife was put in his right front pocket minutes prior to closing and locking his box, immediately before he went 6 foot under, in 1974. Per tradition he also has his favorite pen in his shirt pocket. I think one of his 7 daughters made sure he had his pocket watch, fresh tin of Half and Half, a fresh can of Prince Albert, his favorite pipe, a pack of roll yer own cigarette papers, his lighter, pack of flints, and a bottle of lighter fluid with him. I'm pretty sure she put his pipe tool in his box, and the whiskey he had at home "for medicinal purposes only" as well.
He quit going to the pub when he hit 80. He didn't want to bring shame to the family name by dying at a pub/tavern/bar.)
He was born 1892, started smoking in 1900, quitting the day he passed in 1974. He was cancer and COPD free. 👍
 
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I too am a fan of the Imperial hollow bolster knives, and carry one often. Frankly, I would watch the big auction site for same knife with worn out blades but good covers. You can get them really cheap if patient. Then just swap the covers; its super easy.

Going the route of making new bolsters and scales produces a good result (see Glennbad's post) and is fun. When you say silver solder, I think high-temp silver based solder for jewelry. I do not believe that is required here. Simple plumber's solder has worked well for me putting on bolsters, and it is much easier to work with (I make jewelry too).

These knives take a very nice edge and are easy to sharpen. But because of that, they also wear quite fast. Be careful not to oversharpen them.
 
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Very nice, I used to carry knives like this a lot when I was young. I recently bought one of the newer Schrade Jackmasters to try it out but it is just not the same, wish they would bring back the carbon steel blades, thin behind the edge like they used to be. I was lucky enough to pick up one in an antique store a couple of years ago for a very cheap price so I snatched it up.
 
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