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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Traditional of the Month: Barlow
- Thread starter pertinux
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- Feb 6, 2010
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Thanks, guys. To clean, I used hot soap and water with a regular kitchen Scotchbrite pad (yellow side), then polished with Flitz and paper towels. Got better but wasn't quite there so I soaked it in apple cider vinegar for a half hour (didn't have plain white distilled vinegar on hand) which got rid of most of the rust but began to impart a patina. Hot soap and water again, quick Flitz to polish up, then plenty of mineral oil in the joints.
Kind of a mish-mash of techniques but it's looking good and feeling better mechanically. It was a fun little project to work on and also made the knife feel like mine and not just picked from the bottom of a rusty can of bargain knives (where I found it
)
Give it a shot on a cheaper one if you get a chance :thumbup:
Kind of a mish-mash of techniques but it's looking good and feeling better mechanically. It was a fun little project to work on and also made the knife feel like mine and not just picked from the bottom of a rusty can of bargain knives (where I found it
) Give it a shot on a cheaper one if you get a chance :thumbup:
- Joined
- May 6, 2012
- Messages
- 3,557
Thanks, guys. To clean, I used hot soap and water with a regular kitchen Scotchbrite pad (yellow side), then polished with Flitz and paper towels. Got better but wasn't quite there so I soaked it in apple cider vinegar for a half hour (didn't have plain white distilled vinegar on hand) which got rid of most of the rust but began to impart a patina. Hot soap and water again, quick Flitz to polish up, then plenty of mineral oil in the joints.
Kind of a mish-mash of techniques but it's looking good and feeling better mechanically. It was a fun little project to work on and also made the knife feel like mine and not just picked from the bottom of a rusty can of bargain knives (where I found it
Give it a shot on a cheaper one if you get a chance :thumbup:
What I use is, dish soap and H20, then rubbing alcohol which is good for breaking up any gunk like old goopy oil and such, also displaces any water left in joints, if there is any rust I use 220 or higher grit sand paper in one direction, then do the mineral oil on joints and handles/springs, do a pretty good soak and let sit on a paper towel, it's amazing how much crud keeps coming out. Then repeat if necessary, minus the sanding.
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- Feb 6, 2010
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Nice. It's fun to bring a neglected oldie back to life and give it pocket time. Anyway, it will have to do until there's a Barlow production revolution and Queen brings back that small Dan Burke Barlow that they discontinued. Come on, Queen, how about another production run of that beaut for those of us who missed out 
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- Apr 17, 2003
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Can't wait to hear your impressions...I really need to get myself some more barlows to modify.
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- Jul 22, 2009
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- 861
I will, in a seperate thread. Maybe I`ll let my women engrave the bolsters on one of the Barlows. She`s been in and out of the hobby now, but I`m sure she can do something nice.
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If you have grinding equipment or some diamond hones (extra course) you could add some swedges...I put some on the pictured RR.
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- Jul 22, 2009
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Looks nice. Do you have a picture with the blade open? Unfortunately I don`t have grinding equiptment or extra course stones. I have an engraver tho.. hehe maybe I`ll do some filework as well.
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- May 5, 1999
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Other than my 2009 Forum knife, this is my only Barlow - by Trevor Ablett, one of the last of the Sheffield littlemesters.
When I first got it, blade pull was an 11 on a 1-10 scale
. After several years of "oiling the joints", it is now a nice respectable 7, and very pocketable.
When I first got it, blade pull was an 11 on a 1-10 scale
. After several years of "oiling the joints", it is now a nice respectable 7, and very pocketable.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2003
- Messages
- 5,283
zippofan
Gold Member
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- Nov 12, 2011
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Stelth, that looks like a royal barlow!
Here's mine:
Tidioute ebony barlow in the foreground, orange Barlow in the background.
(It's barlow month, as of yesterday-- 7/1-- we have new foster kittens that we get to name, and....)
~ P.
I love it, a little kitty named Barlow!
zippofan
Gold Member
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Imperial, Providence, R.I.
Now that's a familiar Barlow, I wish mine looked that good though!
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- Jul 30, 2006
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Here is the entry under BARLOW from the AG Russel Knife Glossary
http://www.agrussell.com/Knife-Encylopedia/a/100/
I will add that in the days of one-piece hand forged knife frames (in other words, when the Barlow design first appeared) the larger bolster was both stronger and easier (less expensive) to forge. This made for a strong, inexpensive knife.
Nowadays with modern construction methods, the longer bolster makes the knife no stronger than any other.
Here's mine, by the way. A Utica Cutmaster
Campbellclanman
Platinum Member
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- Mar 10, 2007
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Hi Frank...that is one very nice Barlow, and jackknife...the knife you pictured is a honey for sure!! I would like to see more of that knife if you ever want to do a review on it? From what I can see its a Boker... can you tell me anything more about it?
Rob... mate you have done a beautiful job on those swedges...mmm now you got me rumaging ( sp?) through my knives looking looking for a knife to accept a new swedge
And can I say that Berkley... Abletts Barlow looks so impressive, I want one...I hope they are still available?
Dan Burkes Barlow by Queen is a stunner, one day I know I will own one, be it a Daddy Barlow or the smaller version, they both are very very nice knives!
Thank you everyone who has posted their lovely Barlows
Rob... mate you have done a beautiful job on those swedges...mmm now you got me rumaging ( sp?) through my knives looking looking for a knife to accept a new swedge
And can I say that Berkley... Abletts Barlow looks so impressive, I want one...I hope they are still available?
Dan Burkes Barlow by Queen is a stunner, one day I know I will own one, be it a Daddy Barlow or the smaller version, they both are very very nice knives!
Thank you everyone who has posted their lovely Barlows
Not much I can tell you Duncan. It's a nice knife, carbon steel blades and springs that take a nice edge. It has half stops and the walk and talk is good. The finish is good the only thing that lets it down a little is the other scale which isn't as nice as the one visible in my picture. The pulls about a 5-6 on both blades which I like.
I think Boker have only been making this spear-point in the last few years, but I might be wrong? Overall I'd say it's a very nice Barlow and I'm very pleased with it.
I've had it in my pocket a couple of days now and I've not started itching for another knife so it must be pretty good.
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- May 6, 2012
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I can see why the tuff little knife is a favorite, kind of a peanut on steroids. I usually use a sheepsfoot from a stockman and a pen blade from my peanut, but did this one with only the Barlow. I have to concede I never wanted a Barlow, but after using a couple of days, I can see why it was a favorite among the working man.
