waynorth
Dealer / Materials Provider
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2005
- Messages
- 33,481
Once a boy's knife; a working man's knife. A cheaper alternative to a Premium Stockman for the penny pincher, or the penny-challenged.
Mass produced as a bread and butter product for a knife company during a slow week. Lighter on materials and labor than more elaborate patterns, and compact in size, a good sharp one will still skin a deer in a pinch!
A good one lays nice in the pocket, is big enough to hold, but not so big that it is an anchor in your pants. Just under 3 1/2", down to 3 3/8" ; the perfect size, with just enough heft that it's usable for almost any job.
Simple in layout; bareheaded with a long reinforcing bolster for durability. Practical sawcut handles - but not immune to a little embellishment for braggin' rights, a nice Barlow can be a tool to be proud of, even if it is the "economy" pattern.
And here is where we see the bar raised!! Well heat-treated 154CM steel blades. Near perfect fit and finish (I have seen some mighty crude, if charming, old time Barlows!). Monogrammed/Logo-ed Bolsters, matchstriker pulls, gorgeous functional swedges, squared "pinches" in the old manner - these are not your father's oldsmobiles!
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I have been blessed with the opportunity to be custodian of these masterworks during my brief visit to this mortal coil! An exceptional opportunity to see and compare the works of the Master and the Apprentice.
Having fathered another Master Maker, Tony is now guiding yet another colt through the long task of learning to be a great cutler. The effort shows. Kerry is not far behind!
Wonderful Wilfredian Works of Art the result - I am humbled!
*My abject apologies for the scratches - on the scanner and not the knives!!
Mass produced as a bread and butter product for a knife company during a slow week. Lighter on materials and labor than more elaborate patterns, and compact in size, a good sharp one will still skin a deer in a pinch!
A good one lays nice in the pocket, is big enough to hold, but not so big that it is an anchor in your pants. Just under 3 1/2", down to 3 3/8" ; the perfect size, with just enough heft that it's usable for almost any job.
Simple in layout; bareheaded with a long reinforcing bolster for durability. Practical sawcut handles - but not immune to a little embellishment for braggin' rights, a nice Barlow can be a tool to be proud of, even if it is the "economy" pattern.
And here is where we see the bar raised!! Well heat-treated 154CM steel blades. Near perfect fit and finish (I have seen some mighty crude, if charming, old time Barlows!). Monogrammed/Logo-ed Bolsters, matchstriker pulls, gorgeous functional swedges, squared "pinches" in the old manner - these are not your father's oldsmobiles!
I have been blessed with the opportunity to be custodian of these masterworks during my brief visit to this mortal coil! An exceptional opportunity to see and compare the works of the Master and the Apprentice.
Having fathered another Master Maker, Tony is now guiding yet another colt through the long task of learning to be a great cutler. The effort shows. Kerry is not far behind!
Wonderful Wilfredian Works of Art the result - I am humbled!
*My abject apologies for the scratches - on the scanner and not the knives!!
