Sodbuster and Barlow question

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Wildone39

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Dec 17, 2007
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Are the Sodbuster knives today the origional barlow knives from the 1700 and 1800 era? Can anyone give me a clue on this. I have been reading the history of the origional Barlow knife and it seems to me that the Sodbuster knife would be more of a discription of a Barlow at that time and era due to the large Bolster. Do the Barlow knives today have the large Bolster that the Sodbusters have? Is that why there so strong? I know through out history the Barlow knife was the knife carried by Moutain Men and Cowboys and ever during the Revolutionary War. The Barlow knife is the origional pocket knife from what I have learned. Anyone want to chime in? Thanks guys
 
Sodbusters are generally made sans bolsters while barlows generally have one large bolster with the other end bare. Examples...

these are sodbusters...

soddies2a.jpg


These are barlows...

barlows11.jpg


The barlow is one of the oldest American patterns while the sodbuster is more modern. The sodbuster is a very strong working man's knife despite the lack of bolsters.
 
Wildone39 said:
Ok thanks for the information. So the Barlow is stronger?
Click to expand...

Hmmm..... tough call there. Both were designed as work knives. I have used both extensively. When I carried a CASE brand soddie, it worked so well and so long I completely took it for granted. I just knew it was going to do the job.

One of the guys I use to pal around with carried one of those CASE soddies as long as we hung around, about five years, and used it for everything to his job needs (carpentry) to skinning and cleaning deer.

I have had CASE, and EYE brand soddies and they were both real work horses. The CASE was finished better, but the EYE's carbon steel seemed a bit harder. So I switched back and forth. :D

OTOH, I have my grandfather's Barlow. He NEVER took care of a knive as he saw them the same as a screwdriver. You could lift lids, pry, turn small screws, cut rope, bang lead fishing weights together to hold line, and all manner of tasks that don't relate to cutting.

Amazingly, as far as my Dad can remember, Grandad carried this knife in the 30s/40s (purchase date unknown) and off and on after that when he would run across it. It still has a medium snap, and is pretty damn tight for all it has been through. It wasn't an expensive brand (KeenCutter) and he called it his "4 bit knife" because that's what he paid for it.

So which design is stronger? Don't know.

I would think it would depend on the manufacturer.

I just bought a new yellow Queen soddie from Mike Latham at collectorknives.net, and a Dan Burke Barlow.

I am not sure how I lived without these knives until now. The Queen is so solid it is like a lump of metal. Carries great, and I really like the old fashioned blade designed couple with a wharnie second blade.

Check out top left picture and about half way down the page and you will see them both.

http://www.collectorknives.net/queen-knives.html

Robert
 
Man thats a nice knife. I have 3 barlows. I dont carry them but I do love them. I usually carry a Swiss Army knife and a Buck. After all of this study about the Barlows I have been doing, I may just start toting some of mine. I do love em. All I guess a man really needs in this world is just a single bareall 12 guage shot gun and a Barlow knife. It worked for my Grandfather so why should it not work for me?
 
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