Traditional of the Month: Barlow

[sitflyer]

Whoaaa!!! A Barlow with ATS-34 steel !!! I'm seriously on the lookout now :thumbup:

 

[zippofan]

Whoaaa!!! A Barlow with ATS-34 steel !!! I'm seriously on the lookout now :thumbup:

And I was looking for Boker's! Found a nice Boker with a spear/stag on the great auction place, put 2 Case's on my watch list, and when I went back for the Boker it was sold. So I just had to get the Case's They call it their "Exotic Steel" series, though I couldn't find any other patterns.

 

[LEGION 12]

Heres mine Boker Gec and a Ruko .

Is it me or do i have the only Ruko and the only Barlow with a bail . [ I know Rukos arent the best knives in the world but i saw that one at a bait shop by my house couldnt help myself . ] Unless i missed one somewere in this tread ?

 

[Ed G]

I love this one.

Me too. Great green bone on that one (Rogers?) ...

~ Edge

 

[Art_Vandeley]

Well these are my 3 Barlows. Over the course of the month I found out that altough I enjoy the pictures here very much, I don`t like to carry a Barlow. That may be my el cheapo models, but I feel they represent the spirit of the Barlow well. A cheap no nonsense workers knife. Out of all the 3 the Rough Rider is the best made, best f&f and over all use and handeling is superb. The 280OT is still the worst. The Bonsai Boker comes in second place.

I am very impressed actually by RR. I have another one, and they are very well made for the price.

 

[ddml]

Stabbed the index of my left hand with my barlow an hour ago trying to get my daughter's new doll out of the box. Got blood in the doll's hair. Thing better not come to life ...

 

[Stelth]

Stabbed the index of my left hand with my barlow an hour ago trying to get my daughter's new doll out of the box. Got blood in the doll's hair. Thing better not come to life ...

 

[frc505]

Last night while helping my grandfather he gave
Me a old Barlow his edc ! He told he had it for a
Long time it says Barlow on both sides on the
Bolsters ! & on the larger blade it says camilus
New York and on the other it has the number 51 !
this knife is dirty inside and out pocket lint on the
Inside and on the outside both blades have rust
And gunk and there is chewing gum on the handle
im going to clean it up today but I cant post pics
As im using My phone ! ... Does anyone got a knife
Similar to this one any info on this knife will be
Appreciated ! Thanks in advance !

Frank

 

[Humppa]

Nice Hammerbrand Barlow is this

and another Barlow is still around, but I will show it on another time.

Kind regards
Andi

 

[caseguy]

Back in 1983 I was wandering around a flea market and came upon a dealer with a huge array of traditional pocket knives. I didn't know much about knives at that time and picked up the barlow in the picture below. I was so impressed with the quality that I bought the entire annual set of 18 knives, six patterns in three colors. I still have the barlow and it's still one of my favorites. I honestly can't say that I've ever seen a better made knife.

 

[theblindog]

 

[Doug Add]

Just received an email with the first pictures of my old Colonial barlow that has been rescaled as a shadow pattern in smooth marigold bone, and the pen blade reshaped to a wharncliffe style.

I am looking forward to getting this in hand.

 

[black mamba]

My favorite is the S&M F&W IV Daddy Barlow in Mountain Moss Green Wormgroove Bone and ATS-34 stainless, just under 5" closed.

 

[davek14]

Well, July 5 is my birthday so it is fitting that the Barlow is the traditional of the month this month, it is my favorite pattern by far. It's heavy duty enough to be a work knife and yet it's a slipjoint. It has childhood memories, it's in Tom Sawyer, yadda, yadda.

My knife budget lately has been looking for old knives to rescue at yard sales, flea markets, etc.. It keeps me occupied in the search and in cleaning them and fixing them up a bit. I just got these two at an antique shop last weekend.

Our camera is down so I had to take these on a shop rag at work. I hate to send them up after enjoying all the great knife porn in this thread.

The "Belknap Barlow" which says "Bluegrass" on the opposite side of the bolster has "Belknap Louisville" stamped on one side of the tang and "5722" stamped on the other side.

The other knife has "Romo J-232R" stamped on one side of the tang as I've shown and "Japan" stamped on the other side.

Can anyone give me any information on these at all, manufacturer, steel, history, anything?

I'm guessing that I should use the Belknap Barlow lovingly and beat the other at work.

Whatcha think?

 

[sitflyer]

I would sharpen that Romo up and give it a go...Looks to Be a great user!

 

[davek14]

I would sharpen that Romo up and give it a go...Looks to Be a great user!

Ya, I've done a bit of research. Couldn't find a thing on the Romo. Wondering about the steel quality, what company, etc. on the Romo. It seems like what a Barlow has a reputation to be, a rough as a cob work knife.

 

[sitflyer]

So this months TOTM has been very good for one of my Barlows in particular, my Bower brand Barlow. We didn't get off on the best foot when we first met, so to speak...I loved the smooth bone covers, blade shapes, Solingen steel, and bolsters...but the pull on the main blade was a 12 at least on a 10 scale, so she sat in a box for months only getting occasional daylight. I decided to give it a second go for the TOTM and after almost folding over a nail on several occasions I decided that a little "time Out " was in order... so into the "time out" box she went

The first session was an overnight stay, but the knife just laughed at me! I figured perhaps it needed a little more "correcting" so the small piece of 400 grit paper was put to the shoulders of the tang that contact the spring during opening and closing...oil bath and compressed air treatment followed, and I believe that a sigh of relief actually came out of this little one the pull seemed a tiny bit easyer...hmmmmm, perhaps another time out was in order, so back into the spring stretching chamber it went...


one night...








two nights...







three nights...






four nights...





something was happening here! Suddenly after a few nights of said torture, the evil springs spirit was relenting...of course this was rewarded with another flushing with oil and numerous flexing activities.
My new companion also helped me out a bit as well, harvesting hot peppers, cutting up cardboard, and carving some African Blackwood scales for one of its siblings...
walk and talk are now very smooth and "snappy" but I can now open this one with my left thumb (I'm right handed) where that was definately Not an option previously...

I rewarded this one again by adressing some of its cosmetic issues, filed the scale pins that extended deep into the wells, and filled a gap between scale and liner with some Ebony dust and CA, and in appreciation for the tough love it was shown it seemed that the pulls had relented to about a 6-7 on the scale...
I can see me and this little Barlow being friends for years to come now, sometimes its not the most expensive ones, or the most recognised branded ones, or even the prettyest ones...sometimes a knife comes along, demanding a little extra attention, and for whatever reason we give it...

 

[stercus]

Been quietly participating all month my carrying my 2009 forum knife to work every day. It has served admirably, especially after I put in some time to putting a better edge on the clip blade. The wharncliffe comes in extra handy on delivery days like today when I get tons of boxes in that need to be opened (food service worker).

 

[jakemex]

So this months TOTM has been very good for one of my Barlows in particular, my Bower brand Barlow. We didn't get off on the best foot when we first met, so to speak...I loved the smooth bone covers, blade shapes, Solingen steel, and bolsters...but the pull on the main blade was a 12 at least on a 10 scale, so she sat in a box for months only getting occasional daylight. I decided to give it a second go for the TOTM and after almost folding over a nail on several occasions I decided that a little "time Out " was in order... so into the "time out" box she went

The first session was an overnight stay, but the knife just laughed at me! I figured perhaps it needed a little more "correcting" so the small piece of 400 grit paper was put to the shoulders of the tang that contact the spring during opening and closing...oil bath and compressed air treatment followed, and I believe that a sigh of relief actually came out of this little one the pull seemed a tiny bit easyer...hmmmmm, perhaps another time out was in order, so back into the spring stretching chamber it went...


one night...








two nights...







three nights...






four nights...





something was happening here! Suddenly after a few nights of said torture, the evil springs spirit was relenting...of course this was rewarded with another flushing with oil and numerous flexing activities.
My new companion also helped me out a bit as well, harvesting hot peppers, cutting up cardboard, and carving some African Blackwood scales for one of its siblings...
walk and talk are now very smooth and "snappy" but I can now open this one with my left thumb (I'm right handed) where that was definately Not an option previously...

I rewarded this one again by adressing some of its cosmetic issues, filed the scale pins that extended deep into the wells, and filled a gap between scale and liner with some Ebony dust and CA, and in appreciation for the tough love it was shown it seemed that the pulls had relented to about a 6-7 on the scale...
I can see me and this little Barlow being friends for years to come now, sometimes its not the most expensive ones, or the most recognised branded ones, or even the prettyest ones...sometimes a knife comes along, demanding a little extra attention, and for whatever reason we give it...

Apparently the effort was worth it in the end. Great post!

 

[Doug Add]

The first session was an overnight stay, but the knife just laughed at me! ...hmmmmm, perhaps another time out was in order, so back into the spring stretching chamber it went...

Thanks for this helpful post. The Case 6207 jack I recently received had a very hard opening pen blade. I put it in the time out box last night, and it is already opening easier. I'll check it again tomorrow morning. Two nights may suffice for this fellow.