The defining US pocket knife

Rsmith_77 said:
One rebuttal to the Barlow argument
They don't seem to be currently in production by ANY american knife company
Only under old American names in foreign countries or as sfo's
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Although their quality is hit and miss, Bear and Sons is an American company that currently produces barlows. Not to mention GEC,unless you only consider a factory cranking out thousands daily as "in production "👍
 
It's funny, I didn't consider the Buck 110. But funny enough the Buck 110 is quite literally the first real knife I purchased outside of gas station/swap meet knives many many moons ago. I still have that Buck 110 and I bring it along with me camping every time. For quite a while it was my Jeep knife. I think I will throw it back in the Jeep and continue to find use for it.
 
When I was growing up ('60s & '70s), all the male teens and adults in my family and their friends had some version of a pen knife (or similar) in the pocket every day. Some of the women had a small pen knife in their clutches/ purses as well. Anything that couldn't be handled by the pen was handled by an appropriate cutting tool, primarily the fixed-blade that was always on their belt except when they were in their going-to-town/ school/ church/ wedding/ funeral clothes. The pen might not be the definitive US pocket knife, but where I roamed as a kid it was certainly the most ubiquitous. Others from other areas might have noticed differently. Late '70s/ early '80s I began to notice more people carrying the Buck 110, but it was a belt knife and not a pocket knife.

Dad only had 2 pocket knives. A pen of some flavor, and an Army-issued Demo knife. The pen was in his pocket off duty, the demo knife was in the uniform pocket. The pen had been bought by him to replace the one handed to him by his Dad, which had been misplaced or grown legs and walked away before WWII. Both of his knives were handed down to me when I turned 18, and went with me into the Air Force. Unfortunately, both disappeared within my first couple of moves.

Dad's pen had a similar yellow handle material to my Case large pen, except the it had faded to a very pale yellow. Otherwise, it was similar in size, but straight with two spear-point blades. The small blade had tip damage. I cannot remember the brand of his knife. I had to significantly reduce the amount of fruit I eat, so patina development on mine has almost stalled. If I had to choose one non-SAK pocket knife, and only one, it would be a large pen or a Barlow. YMMV.
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OldHercDude said:
When I was growing up ('60s & '70s), all the male teens and adults in my family and their friends had some version of a pen knife (or similar) in the pocket every day. Some of the women had a small pen knife in their clutches/ purses as well. Anything that couldn't be handled by the pen was handled by an appropriate cutting tool, primarily the fixed-blade that was always on their belt except when they were in their going-to-town/ school/ church/ wedding/ funeral clothes. The pen might not be the definitive US pocket knife, but where I roamed as a kid it was certainly the most ubiquitous. Others from other areas might have noticed differently. Late '70s/ early '80s I began to notice more people carrying the Buck 110, but it was a belt knife and not a pocket knife.

Dad only had 2 pocket knives. A pen of some flavor, and an Army-issued Demo knife. The pen was in his pocket off duty, the demo knife was in the uniform pocket. The pen had been bought by him to replace the one handed to him by his Dad, which had been misplaced or grown legs and walked away before WWII. Both of his knives were handed down to me when I turned 18, and went with me into the Air Force. Unfortunately, both disappeared within my first couple of moves.

Dad's pen had a similar yellow handle material to my Case large pen, except the it had faded to a very pale yellow. Otherwise, it was similar in size, but straight with two spear-point blades. The small blade had tip damage. I cannot remember the brand of his knife. I had to significantly reduce the amount of fruit I eat, so patina development on mine has almost stalled. If I had to choose one non-SAK pocket knife, and only one, it would be a large pen or a Barlow. YMMV.
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I always intended to get me one of those.
Never did
So could I submit this in its place??

photo hoster
 
Rsmith_77 said:
One rebuttal to the Barlow argument
They don't seem to be currently in production by ANY american knife company
Only under old American names in foreign countries or as sfo's
Click to expand...
Doesn't Moore Maker and Bear & Sons produce one?
Also, while currently not manufactured in the USA, Imperial-Schrade, Rough Ryder/Rider, Marbles, Queen/Queen City, SARGE, Szco, Rite Edge, and (I believe) Frost are all American companies and all currently offer the Barlow. RR and Queen/Queen City in a couple different sizes. (RR from a sub 3 inch closed "Peanut size" to a 5 inch closed "Daddy" Barlow. They also offer a choice of 1 or 2 blades, and stainless or carbon steel blades, depending on the model size, and various handle materials.)
Case takes the Barlow "out of the vault" at least once every 10 years, give or take, producing them for a year, before putting it back "in the vault". GEC has made Barlows in various sizes that included, but were not limited to SFO's. The latest, a small number 14, just this year. (2022).

I believe there are custom makers who will build a Barlow to order, (along with whatever other patterns they make).

"American Knife Companies" do have the Barlow in production. Some just don't produce them (or any other knife) in the Americas, due to a lack of manufacturing capability in the hemisphere. Just because they import their product, does not make them a "foreign" company.

By the same logic, among others, VW, BMW, AUDI, HONDA, FIAT, TOYOTA, NISSAN, SUBARU, MITSUBICHI, ZF (Transmissions) and BOSCH all have plants here in the US. Does that make Honda, Toyota, Fiat, and the rest a "domestic" company?
 
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Growing up in Southwest Virginia my Dad and almost every adult I seen use a pocketknife used a stockman, usually an Old Timer. However my Dad was gifted a Victorinox huntsman in the late 80s. He carried that until he wore it out a few years ago. Then he started carrying a yellow Parker eagle stockman he had new in the box waiting. (Bought sometime in the early 90s) My great grandfather carried a small serpentine pen knife,but it may have been a small stockman. It's been over 30 years since I seen it so I can't remember exactly. So I'm throwing my hat in on the stockman I reckon.
 
afishhunter said:
Doesn't Moore Maker and Bear & Sons produce one?
Also, while currently not manufactured in the USA, Imperial-Schrade, Rough Ryder/Rider, Marbles, Queen/Queen City, SARGE, Szco, Rite Edge, and (I believe) Frost are all American companies and all currently offer the Barlow. RR and Queen/Queen City in a couple different sizes. (RR from a sub 3 inch closed "Peanut size" to a 5 inch closed "Daddy" Barlow. They also offer a choice of 1 or 2 blades, and stainless or carbon steel blades, depending on the model size, and various handle materials.)
Case takes the Barlow "out of the vault" at least once every 10 years, give or take, producing them for a year, before putting it back "in the vault". GEC has made Barlows in various sizes that included, but were not limited to SFO's. The latest, a small number 14, just this year. (2022).

I believe there are custom makers who will build a Barlow to order, (along with whatever other patterns they make).

"American Knife Companies" do have the Barlow in production. Some just don't produce them (or any other knife) in the Americas, due to a lack of manufacturing capability in the hemisphere. Just because they import their product, does not make them a "foreign" company.

By the same logic, among others, VW, BMW, AUDI, HONDA, FIAT, TOYOTA, NISSAN, SUBARU, MITSUBICHI, ZF (Transmissions) and BOSCH all have plants here in the US. Does that make Honda, Toyota, Fiat, and the rest a "domestic" company?
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Looks like I struck a nerve
My apologies, I did not intend to

I meant you can't purchase very many made in America Barlows anymore (I am aware of gec but getting your hands on one is getting to be a bit iffy if not expensive)
I can't say bear and sons doesn't make one, just that I've never seen one

And case Barlows were just recently brought to my attention above about being out of the vault this year.

So perhaps I was a little blase with my words
No harm intended
 
afishhunter said:
Doesn't Moore Maker and Bear & Sons produce one?
Also, while currently not manufactured in the USA, Imperial-Schrade, Rough Ryder/Rider, Marbles, Queen/Queen City, SARGE, Szco, Rite Edge, and (I believe) Frost are all American companies and all currently offer the Barlow. RR and Queen/Queen City in a couple different sizes. (RR from a sub 3 inch closed "Peanut size" to a 5 inch closed "Daddy" Barlow. They also offer a choice of 1 or 2 blades, and stainless or carbon steel blades, depending on the model size, and various handle materials.)
Case takes the Barlow "out of the vault" at least once every 10 years, give or take, producing them for a year, before putting it back "in the vault". GEC has made Barlows in various sizes that included, but were not limited to SFO's. The latest, a small number 14, just this year. (2022).

I believe there are custom makers who will build a Barlow to order, (along with whatever other patterns they make).

"American Knife Companies" do have the Barlow in production. Some just don't produce them (or any other knife) in the Americas, due to a lack of manufacturing capability in the hemisphere. Just because they import their product, does not make them a "foreign" company.

By the same logic, among others, VW, BMW, AUDI, HONDA, FIAT, TOYOTA, NISSAN, SUBARU, MITSUBICHI, ZF (Transmissions) and BOSCH all have plants here in the US. Does that make Honda, Toyota, Fiat, and the rest a "domestic" company?
Click to expand...
AFAIK Moore Maker doesn’t make knives, they have always contracted out.
 
Rsmith_77 said:
<snip>

And case Barlows were just recently brought to my attention above about being out of the vault this year.

<snip>
Click to expand...

The 2022 Case vault knife is the Small Swell Center Jack.

The Barlows were the 2019 vault knife.

Some places might still have a Case Barlow in stock.

I'm still learning stuff, not sure how long between vault pattern releases.
 
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