recommend inexpensive Barlow knife?

Student762 said:
rough rider if new. Maybe an old one second hand. or ask a friend if they want to give you an early christmas present. lol
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I'm looking for a used Barlow, in working conditions. And I can assure you it's not that easy to spot on!
Such a good knife it is!
:)
 
mostho said:
I'm looking for a used Barlow, in working conditions. And I can assure you it's not that easy to spot on!
Such a good knife it is!
:)
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A Barlow is nothing but a jack knife with a long bolster.
 
mostho said:
Yes I know!
I have already some! But here in the Exchange forum is catch one used...Really they go quickly! :)
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Many come up though,keep at it & eventually you'll catch one.
 
VCM3 said:
The quality of the off shore stuff,these days is amazingly good. I myself use some imported products when I put some handles on blades for people. My bad on my second post to this thread, please accept my apology

The OP will have a nice Barlow to tote,in a few days. A custom hand made one. So I'm sure that he appreciates all the suggestions ,but he is about to embark on actual "field test" mode :thumbup:
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Suddenly i feel the need for an inexpensive barlow...
Very cool gesture!
I could not find a bear and son barlow at sports store,
only trappers, stockmen, and sodbuster.
The sodbuster has yellow g10 handles, may get one for my stepdaughter
 
I have long been in search for a good inexpensive use it til it wears out Barlow, and have accumulated a few. I have an old Camillus, a Camco, a Colonial Old Cutler, and a Ka-bar from years past. I have a current Utica, a Bear and Son and a Rough Rider. In general, the older knives are better in terms of walk and talk (even the 40 year old Camco has great springs, although the blades have been worn down a lot), but they were plain jane user knives in their day. The Utica knife I purchased new has the weakest springs I have ever encountered on a brand new knife. Bear and Son had the most blade play. Rough Rider can be hit and miss, but tends to be at least useful as a tool.

To me, if you can get a steel bolstered version of the Barlow, it will hold up better to getting knocked around. My old Camco Colonial and Ka Bar Barlows have stayed tight through the years, the Camillus had to be re-tightened.

It is a testament to the rightness of the pattern that even a low budget version of the Barlow can be a good user. I was given a Rite-edge generic version of this pattern with wooden handles and stainless bolsters a few months ago it has been surprisingly good at holding up to everyday use, although it cuts well, and the fit is good in terms of walk and talk the finish is nothing to write home about. It is a good choice for a disposable version on the cheap (I think that pocket wear actually improves the appearance of this one!)
 
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Some good recommendations by others. These Colonial barlows can be found for about $5-$10 each. They are very good quality knives. Sawcut Delrin handles (not shell or cheap plastic) with 3 pins, solid bolsters (not clip-ons), carbon steel blades. Good snap/walk & talk, no blade play. Many Colonial barlows were cheaply constructed and I wouldn't trust them to hold up on the farm/ranch. The ones below are different and a real bargain, IMO.

Colonial
ColonialBarlows01_zps53a132e1.jpg




My personal favorites are the ones made by Camillus and Schrade back in the 1940s and earlier. I found both of these for less than $15 each (not the norm, but not out of the realm either).

Camillus
CamillusBarlow002_zps77aaaf5b.jpg


Schrade
sccbarlow02_zpsc6c77f17.jpg
 
Indeed, the Colonials that are marked "Old Cutler" are a step up in durability. Mine is the solid stainless bolstered wood handled version that Colonial made right before they went under. Great user but was rough as a cob when I got it around 15 years ago. I had mistaken the Chinese Rite-Edge generic version that I was given for one of these, and was going to buy it for back up until I noticed it was made in China. The blades are not as thick as those on the Colonial, only as thick as my old Camco, but the construction otherwise was very similar. I showed the old boy that had it my Colonial, and he gave me the Rite Edge knife when I bought another item (I suspect I should have bargained more on that one!). He said he could get them for cheap, under ten bucks, and that I should retire the Old Cutler. The Rite Edge knife has been pretty solid so far, a lot better than the current Chinese Schrades I have seen. I like the stainless steel bolsters a lot (my favorite feature of my old Colonial).
 
Great stuff. As much as I beat the "old knife" drum I haven't found near as many Barlows as I'd like. Those Colonials are sweetness.

You give me hope.

Did you find them feet on ground or on the Internet?
 
I received the Rough Rider from LastRodeo and my first impressions of this knife are good. It has some weight to it, which is good. The knife looks to be made well, but I haven't yet put it to very many uses. I was actually surprised by the quality, since it is such an inexpensive knife. At those kind of prices, I don't think you can go wrong going with a Rough Rider.
 
novaburst said:
I received the Rough Rider from LastRodeo and my first impressions of this knife are good. It has some weight to it, which is good. The knife looks to be made well, but I haven't yet put it to very many uses. I was actually surprised by the quality, since it is such an inexpensive knife. At those kind of prices, I don't think you can go wrong going with a Rough Rider.
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Glad you are enjoying it, they are Good knives. Kind of like the imperials of the day but better built. There are still a few great deals on old Barlows.
This is a bit of a wreck but still a great older barlow for $20.00.

Enjoy your new knives Nova.

Best regards

Robin
 
Pipeman said:
Glad you are enjoying it, they are Good knives. Kind of like the imperials of the day but better built. There are still a few great deals on old Barlows.
This is a bit of a wreck but still a great older barlow for $20.00.

Enjoy your new knives Nova.

Best regards

Robin
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Got one of those in somewhat better shape and love it.
 
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I picked up a RR Barlow a few months back. Heavy, great fit and finish, no blade play and razor sharp. Love me some Barlows.
 
I got my Utica Barlow from them, first rate service. As I mentioned the one I received has really weak backsprings which puts me off of that brand, but they are on par with Bear and Son. Personally I would inspect either brand personally before buying, as I have also had both Kutmaster and Bear and Sons that have been just fine.
 
Bartleby said:
I got my Utica Barlow from them, first rate service. As I mentioned the one I received has really weak backsprings which puts me off of that brand, but they are on par with Bear and Son. Personally I would inspect either brand personally before buying, as I have also had both Kutmaster and Bear and Sons that have been just fine.
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I have an old one which I got used. I like it, it's a good solid knife with decent snap.

The weak springs on the newer ones have been mentioned before and seems to be the norm, or at least common. People have also mentioned Utica Kutmasters, not Barlows specifically, as having stainless secondary blades. What does yours have?
 
The Utica Barlow I have seems to have a stainless main blade and carbon pen, but I did not carry it long enough to have either blade darken much because of the weak springs. At the time I was trying to get a good inexpensive American made Barlow type knife. Went from that to the Bear and Son mentioned earlier, which was also a disappointment. The Chinese stainless bolstered knife by Rite-edge is much better than either of these for an inexpensive/disposable/expendable EDC knife, but I probably would not have tried it if either of these worked out, no room in my pocket! I do have other current American made Barlow knives, but they cost around twice what these two brands usually go for, so are neither inexpensive nor expendable.
 
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