Russell Daddy

S

sandmountainslim

Joined
Sep 14, 2007
Messages
224
Traded for this today.
Appears to be a curved stamp Russell which has had major pitting. Liners are brass which concerned me some but I have been told the large barlows could be either steel or brass. Is this correct? I know the small ones were steel only. Not premium condition but the handles are uncracked and I like the color.
Any experts care to weigh in?

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Thanks for the pics! I HOPE mine is real pre-war because I got it from a guy I have done business with before. It SEEMS old and has some of the thickest steel in the blade I have ever seen in a production knife. Took an edge in two seconds flat.
 
I know nothing about dating the knives, but I sure do like the look of that one!
 
Supposedly Russell was stamped in a straight line until 1933 or 1934 or until Harrington bought them and then it was Russell Harrington Co. and they made Barlows until just before WWII with a curved tang stamp . But there have been many differant Commemorative and Repro models by various companies and I think I could pick out a fake smaller Russell Barlow . I don't know enough about them to do the same for the Grand Daddy. On the smaller ones , it is all about blade pivot pin position and handle scale pins positions , so it may be like that for the Grand Daddy. Wish I could help more. Regardless , I like your choice in buying that knife.Notice the handle slab pins locations on Al's knives and then look at yours. Check the blade pivot pin location on Al's knives and then look at yours.


Harry
 
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Again, no expert... but I vote original, pre-WWII Russell (i.e, not a reproduction or a commemorative).

I base this on the profile of the clip blade; the placement and size of the nail nick; the placement of the handle pins; peened handle pins rather than spun; the color and character of the bone; the style of the stamped bolster logo; the placement of the groove (or thread) on the bolster... and when I blow up the photo.... it appears the pivot pin is where it should be in the bolster, i.e. past the tip and to the side of the Arrow head.

The last thing I tend to look at is the tang stamp (which is not readable in the photo)... an arched Russell tang stamp on an original Russell Barlow consists of a) RUSSELL (arched), then below that b) the "arrow-through-R" logo and below that c) U.S.A. ... NOTE: a key characteristic of an original "arrow-through-R" logo is that the fletch (or feathers) of the arrow starts between the "U" and first "S" under the arched RUSSELL ... and the tip of the arrowhead is between the "E" and first "L".

This is what I have learned in my study of Russell Barlows. I'm still learning and stand to be corrected, of course.


ETA: The placement (and number) of handle pins on the stag-handled Russell Daddy Barlows are different than the bone-handled Russell Daddy Barlows. Also some (but not all) of the stag Russell Daddy Barlows have nickel silver bolsters... mine and the other one pictured (which belongs to Tony Bose) have nickel silver bolsters.
 
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Thanks gentlemen! I checked all my handle pins and the pin in the bolster and they do all appear to be in the proper locations. My main concern was the brass liners. I had owned a small Russell Barlow and it's liners were steel so that had me a bit concerned. The bolsters are of course steel on this knife which is as they should be.
 
MerryMadMonk said:
You're welcome and BTW, Congratulations on that Russell! :)
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I'm diggin it :) I prefer it to the small Barlow's I own. When I see Russell Barlow's for sale I normally see one Daddy for every three or four small Barlow's I wonder if this means they were that much more rarely made or if they just didn't survive til the present day as often as the little ones?
 
Al : It's nice to know that about number of pins in Stag vs Bone. I had never seen that before. Thank you !!!!!!!


Harry
 
I can't seem to find a lot of information on the Russell daddy barlows online. there seems to be a lot more information on the smaller knives. Does anyone know when the large Barlow with introduced by Russell?
 
Goins' Encylopedia of Cutlery Markings by John & Charlotte Goins and Romance of Collecting by Mrs. Dewey Ferguson put the date at 1875/1876 for Russell Barlows... nothing definitive on the exact date the Russell Daddy Barlows were introduced, though Mrs. Ferguson seems to imply that both sizes were introduced in 1875.

I know that doesn't help much, but it's all I got :)
 
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