Trestle Pine Barlow

[picturerock]

My two, with their cousin, the Superior. Old growth maple and black ash, the Superior in birch. Good, easy to carry users, with practical blades.

 

[StoneBeard]

All three of those are great looking knives. I really like the burl but there's something to be said for that old growth maple. Carrying around a small piece of American logging history in your pocket is unique and pretty cool in my opinion. Lot of character in those covers for a log that may have been submerged for 50-80 years.

 

[thefrank]

My Portage just arrived! I went with the old-growth oak again because I love it so much on my TP Superior. The wood grain is actually even nicer in the new Portage! I have little to add to the review that StoneBeard wrote a few days ago. The fit and finish on mine is also good and I think they did a good job in continuing the high quality, no frills EDC knife philosophy that they started with the Superior. I still prefer the Superior, the design is unusual but very aesthetic. The Portage seems like an attempt to jump on the barlow bandwagon while trying something new with the drop point blade and the EO. Personally I would have preferred a different pattern but I'm OK with the barlow. I just don't think that the drop point works so well (which is probably the reason why it is not a common combination). The way that the spine sticks out and then sinks into the liner towards the tip looks a bit weird to me. A spear or sheepsfoot blade would have been the more boring but better choice here. It is still a very good looking knife and I'm sure it will see a lot of pocket time!

 

[Will Power]

Actually, I like the look of these, but then I'm a Drop-point zealot :thumbup:

Perhaps a cut-out rather than EZ Open notch might've been a better idea. My Stag 25 Drop-point from GEC has a slight cut-out to access the blade nick and this works excellently. I saw a picture of a Blue 25 in a previous post but this looked like a non factory mod to me as it was full EZ Open, could be wrong of course.

I like the Walnut and those Burl versions but my knife budget is extinct just at the moment so it looks like I won't be getting one and I have enough Barlows really, the current Barlow mania is not that meaningful to me. But, it looks unusual and it looks worthwhile....

Stonebeard Thanks for the review appreciate it.

Regards, Will

 

[trey999]

They got soooooo close to a sunk joint!

 

[biglmbass]

My Stag 25 Drop-point from GEC has a slight cut-out to access the blade nick and this works excellently. I saw a picture of a Blue 25 in a previous post but this looked like a non factory mod to me as it was full EZ Open, could be wrong of course.

The blue & the cocobolo models in this thread are factory original & unmodified. The stag dropt pt models had the long barlow type bolster & weren't made as EZ openers.

 

[Will Power]

Aha! Thanks for the clarification.

 

[eschwebach]

Here is mine, many of the differences people don't like about this model are what I like about it. It's not just another barlow... I find that the EO notch works well with the nail nick. Having the nail nick forward may look a tad bit odd but provides perfectly adequate functionality. It's a winner for me.

Very nice review Stonebeard!

 

[guy0783]

I can't decide what I think on these. For myself, I think if the kick held the blade tip end slightly more proud when closed it would make a huge difference.

 

[Cory Hess]

Here is mine, many of the differences people don't like about this model are what I like about it. It's not just another barlow... I find that the EO notch works well with the nail nick. Having the nail nick forward may look a tad bit odd but provides perfectly adequate functionality. It's a winner for me.

This makes perfect sense to me. It's actually the placement of the nick on the 25s that looks odd to me. Why would you put the nick in a spot where it's half hanging over the EO notch? It makes much more sense to put it directly in the notch, which will give you more to grip when pinching open and make it easier to use the nick if you choose to go that route. The fact that the concern is focused on how the nail nick looks instead of how the nail nick works speaks to Greg's vision of this line of knives. He wanted to produce a high-end knife for people that need a knife to use, not another dust guard for the shelves of your safe. If aesthetic is more important to you than function, you are not the intended audience for this knife.

I did find it very funny that nobody said anything about the angle of the spine when the 25s were released, but it became an area of contention on the Trestle Pines. I suspect that the characteristic that turns some people off is actually the tang stamp. Replace Trestle Pine with Tidioute and they'd be saying "Bill Howard has done it again. What a visionary."

For myself, the thing that sets a barlow apart from other knives is the bolster stamps. I look at the bolsters on this knife and see an empty canvas. The tree from the Trestle Pine logo would have made an awesome bolster stamp, if done in outline like the Northwoods stamp on the Madison Barlows. I completely get why they opted out of the bolster stamp, as it's purely aesthetic and would have increased prices. It would have been cool, though.

 

[picturerock]

I've been carrying mine now for about a week and a half. The knife virtually disappears in the pocket, and yet has a blade that is the right size for most pocketknife jobs. I personally like that it bends the rules a bit for what a Barlow ought to look like, and it is indeed immediately identifiable as a Trestle Pine at a glance. My two are easy to open with a pinch. I like it.

 

[supratentorial]

This makes perfect sense to me. It's actually the placement of the nick on the 25s that looks odd to me. Why would you put the nick in a spot where it's half hanging over the EO notch? It makes much more sense to put it directly in the notch, which will give you more to grip when pinching open and make it easier to use the nick if you choose to go that route....I did find it very funny that nobody said anything about the angle of the spine when the 25s were released, but it became an area of contention on the Trestle Pines. I suspect that the characteristic that turns some people off is actually the tang stamp. Replace Trestle Pine with Tidioute and they'd be saying "Bill Howard has done it again. What a visionary."

The GEC 25s are "weird little stubby things". There's a lot of weirdness with everything about those knives.

The fact that the concern is focused on how the nail nick looks instead of how the nail nick works speaks to Greg's vision of this line of knives.

He wanted to produce a high-end knife for people that need a knife to use, not another dust guard for the shelves of your safe. If aesthetic is more important to you than function, you are not the intended audience for this knife.

If you look back on my posts, I am VERY focused on function. Others may be focusing on aesthetics. But my points were completely different.

I want Trestle Pines and Queen to thrive and I think it's important for them to know that there's sometimes good reason why things were done the old way. I've tried to be polite since others want to enjoy their knives. But I hope these mistakes don't happen again. Frankly, I think the design is a complete abomination that's poorly suited for intended function. The do look nice, especially the wood that they chose for the covers.

 

[Cory Hess]

Jake, I had no doubt that you wouldn't like this design. I know that you have a strong preference towards traditional patterns as opposed to modern takes on classic knives. I'm less interested in traditional patterns than which knives will work best for me. I do respect that there are others that are sticklers for traditional patterns, and frankly I think that you lot are essential to this hobby. Without somebody keeping watch we'd end up with nothing but modern designs, and nobody here wants that. I also have no doubt that you'd love to see Queen and Trestle Pine succeed long enough to make knives that you'll love. You've shown that in past posts, and one of the things I respect about you is your desire to see the industry succeed instead of just rooting for your favorite players.

Nothing I wrote was aimed at anybody, really. It was just a series of observations based on conversations I've seen here and other sites. Knowing what Greg's vision and intentions are, I was merely trying to point out that aesthetics don't seem to be high on his list of concerns. He has stated that he'd like to scuff up all of these knives so that they can't be collected as NIB down the line. His intentions were never to make a knife that would look pretty in pictures. The one compromise he's made to this is including the exotic and burl wood handles. I think that that was a mistake, but they did come out nicely. I never meant to stifle conversation about the aesthetics of the knife or to say that people shouldn't be concerned with it. I was just trying to properly frame the conversation within the context of why the knife was made in the first place. I probably didn't make my point well, as I'm not the best with written communication. I'm truly sorry if I came across in a way that put anybody off.

None of the Trestle Pine offerings have been in my wheelhouse either. I don't plan on picking up anything that Greg has put out to this point. However, I do respect what he's trying to do and I love that he's not afraid to make bold design decisions and that Queen is willing and able to go down those rabbit holes with him. I am excited to see what he comes up with in the future, and hopeful that sooner or later his vision and my wants will line up and I'll end up carrying one of his knives.

 

[supratentorial]

With a knife that is intended to be a heavy user, how the knife functions after repeated sharpening should be a major concern and that is my primary criticism of their design. If they drop a sheepfoot in place of the skinner, that would completely fix the issues with sharpening into the easy open notch and the nail nick. A spear may also work well but the sheepfoot is least likely to have anything exposed by the easy open notch after repeated sharpenings.

 

[Relee1]

98u989

 

[Relee1]

I'm really loving the burl ash and the old growth maple that I purchased. The notch at the end of the handle makes it easy to open, and serves as a terrific finger notch when using. The knife looks good and is very sharp right out of the box. It also uses a superior (cpm 154) steel.

This knife is definitely a user and not one to sit in my knife safe. It is not adorned with a shield or a blade etch, so you don't worry about devaluing the knife if you use it. For it's intended purpose, it is a knife well worth your consideration. I like it....your milage may vary. You've got to give it to Greg. He is willing to go out there and try something different for the knife collectors out there. I, for one, appreciate that. I appreciate the opinions of all of our collectors, but most of all appreciate the opinion of collectors who actually own and have used one of these knives.

 

[supratentorial]

I appreciate the opinions of all of our collectors, but most of all appreciate the opinion of collectors who actually own and have used one of these knives.

As someone who actually owns the knife, what will you do when the blade is sharpened into the easy open notch and/or the nail nick. It won't happen right away. But it will happen eventually if you sharpen the knife and use it regularly. I think you'll probably need to round off the spine of the blade. I don't think you'll have enough room to adjust the kick suffiiently. Grinding the spine may further interrupt the nail nick though.

I'm really loving the burl ash and the old growth maple that I purchased.

It looks very nice.

This knife is definitely a user and not one to sit in my knife safe. It is not adorned with a shield or a blade etch, so you don't worry about devaluing the knife if you use it.

I have lots of knives with shields that are users. I don't think using a knife with a shield devalues it any more than using a shieldless knife. Barlows typically don't have shields though.

I can understand that using a knife with an etch might wear off the etch. In general, using a knife is going to decrease the value. But usually the value is not something I'm worried about with a user.

For me, the design and performance are much more important considerations when picking a knife to use rather than embellishments.... except for filework. I do find filework a nuisance since it traps dirt.

...You've got to give it to Greg. He is willing to go out there and try something different for the knife collectors out there. I, for one, appreciate that.

Experimenting is good. There's also a lot that can be learned from history. I look forward to seeing what's next.

 

[jstrange]

These look like real quality knives, and having just moved from more modern designs I really don't mind the differences in them that make them slightly off the purely traditional path. The materials are great and the price isn't bad either. I just am not a fan of the blade shape on the Superior and the Portage is just a tad smaller than I like. Other than that, I am a fan of the work they are doing, especially the philosophy of making knives meant to be used, out of quality materials, and keeping the price to were people actually feel comfortable using them. I really hope to see some more patterns released.

 

[B.F.U]

I can't decide what I think on these. For myself, I think if the kick held the blade tip end slightly more proud when closed it would make a huge difference.

I'm curious as to why you would want the tip more proud?

For me, one of the things that most often disappoint me about traditional knives is how close the tips are to being above the handle. Heck, a couple sharpenings and you're getting poked. A couple more and it's uncarriable. Sure, you can drop the kick, but then you run into the spring.

 

[StoneBeard]

Great to see all the different variations that were picked up, all the cover materials look great. After seeing some user pictures I may like that oak and walnut even better than the burl 👍.
I have been carrying mine as a secondary for over a week and it's been really nice when stainless is the quick answer or wearing something other than jeans/ work pants. My go to is always my #54 as I like a fairly big knife but this little guy has been nice for many tasks. My wife has asked for it regularly when she needs to cut something because she's able to open it with ease. I do think the concerns from some very experienced members about the blade tip eventually becoming exposed will happen over time. I'm not sure how long, but I'll continue to carry, use and sharpen until then. I will try and help provide an idea of how long that takes as well as a re shaping plan at that time so it can continue to be used.