Two from a Gun & Knife Show

[5K Qs]

I got up early Saturday to do the laundry (one of my typical Saturday chores) so I could attend a local gun and knife show. There were not quite as many vendors as usual, and a couple of my favorite knife tables weren't there; the crowd was smaller than normal, too. But, as usual, it was worth the $4 admission to spend 2-3 hours there and then stop at Marge's Donut Den on the way home to pick up some of my wife's favorites. I did manage to leave the show with a couple of knives I liked.

I bought this Imperial Barlow that I thought was in excellent shape. Neither I nor the seller were sure whether the blades were stainless. I used the barlow to cut up an apple and some grapes as part of my Sunday breakfast; the blades (at least the clip) are NOT stainless. Kind of amazing to me how fast a patina can form!

The second knife I purchased was a Remington canoe, made in China, and apparently part of the Sportsman Series, Insignia Edition, which meant nothing to me. The vendor had about a dozen of them in clamshell packages, but he had cut off the top of each package so that you could easily take out each knife to examine it. The knife uses satin-finished stainless steel that looks good. The best part, to me, was the wooden covers; the vendor claimed they were maple burl. I feel confident in applying a word I learned here at BF to the covers: they exemplified chatoyance! For example, the pile side in the photo below looks completely different than anything I'd noticed as I tipped the knife back and forth watching the light change its appearance. Until the photo, I hadn't seen that "storm brewing" at the bottom left of the pile side, and the right side of that cover had always looked darker, or lighter, than what came out in the photo. Anyway, I spent quite a bit of time at the vendor's table, checking out all his canoes to find one that pleased me. One of my more productive trips to a gun & knife show!

- GT

 

[redsparrow]

One new with lots of character in the wood and the other a like new barlow...Ya did good findin those 5K Qs!:thumbup::thumbup:

James

 

[Cory Hess]

Great finds, GT. You did way better than I've ever done at a gun show. I've come away from each disappointed, and have never found anything worth purchasing at all. Two from one show is better than I'd hope for. I really like the wood on that Remington, especially the mark side. Very cool grain there. I'm seeing a face staring out at us between the middle and left pins.

 

[meako]

That word again!-The Remington is most assuredly an "Oy Boy".
A classic barlow -must have for any collector.
Nice job.

Hesso -you are venturing into Stephen king territory there mate- (cue spooky music)who knows where that wood came from ?

 

[Jack Black]

Sounds like a good day out, and those are two nice finds there GT :thumbup:

 

[davek14]

Nice haul, especially for a gun show. Everyone needs an Imperial Barlow or three.

 

[AreBeeBee]

Been to a couple of Arizona gun shows and there's usually a few dealers with knives. Not many, but the gun crowd and knife crowd do overlap.

I suspect there would be more knife dealers at these shows, but with table fees set for firearms sales, knife dealers are at a disadvantage with knives ($) selling for less than firearms ($$$).

 

[Old Hunter]

I do pretty well at gun shows around NC. As there are no knife shows here the knife dealers set up at the gun shows. I missed going to the Raleigh gun & knife show this past Saturday due to a late furniture delivery - gotta wait until August now. Nice knives, especially the Imperial Barlow. OH

 

[5K Qs]

Thanks for the kind responses, guys! This was an unusually productive gun & knife show visit for me, but it sounds like I should be thankful that I usually have been able to find SOMETHING of interest at almost every show I've attended. I may not be paying reasonable prices (although I typically walk in with a five dollar bill to cover my admission ($4) and a twenty to pay for any treasures I hope to find, and always leave with some, if not all, of my $20 in my pocket), but I've picked up a Rough Rider copperhead in gunstock checked bone, a Vic Camper in great condition, a Vic Minichamp that was almost like new, and a very nice Camillus TL-29 at 4 other visits to the show. One time I came out with nothing, and that IS quite disappointing. I also usually see some interesting knives that are beyond my budget, and some real junk for exorbitant prices from vendors who seriously try to tell you what they're asking is an incredible bargain; those experiences are also entertaining, even though nothing comes home in my pocket from them. (Plus, I'm not a gun guy, so occasionally peeking at some of the gun activity at the show is eye-opening to a clueless guy like me.)

- GT