What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[waynorth]

Nice example of an I*XL!!
Stamped Blade - I*XL (mark) - Oil the Joints (pile)!!

 

[black mamba]

Likin' that bone, Charlie!

 

[Invoice]

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

Those top two illustrate the difference between sambar and red stag antler figure respectively. Both beautiful in my view.

 

[Way-Barney]

Those top two illustrate the difference between sambar and red stag antler figure respectively. Both beautiful in my view.

Is the second one not jigged bone?

 

[waynorth]

Is the second one not jigged bone?

Red Stag from NZ often has that nice "popcorn" figure!
Not a Barlow, but this GEC has NZ red Stag on it!!
MY knife has not been treated with Potassium Permanganate, but I Invoice 's knife has, which darkens the Stag. All commercial Stag has to be treated!! Mine was privately harvested!!

 

[Way-Barney]

Red Stag from NZ often has that nice "popcorn" figure!
Not a Barlow, but this GEC has NZ red Stag on it!!View attachment 2421165View attachment 2421168View attachment 2421173
MY knife has not been treated with Potassium Permanganate, but I Invoice 's knife has, which darkens the Stag. All commercial Stag has to be treated!! Mine was privately harvested!!

Thank you for helping to clarify that for me Waynorth, appreciate it.
Yours is very light and beautiful,

but I love the dark variety also!

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

Is the second one not jigged bone?

Check out the last few posts in the stag Saturday thread, I posted up a nice comparison from a red and sambar I shot myself.

 

[DirtDawg]

Admittedly, the last Barlow I shared here wasn't quite traditional (ref: Electrician's Barlow). However, how much more traditional can one get than 2-bladed, shell-handled, Colonial with the cheesiest, ugliest colored handle scales ever to be produced.

Seriously though, this really is a sound knife, and it has a good feel in hand. Heck, it even has half-stops on both blades - clip & pen. These economically priced old Barlows bring back so many memories for me, times spent with my brothers some 60-66 years ago, when we were young and adventurous - may they both rest in peace.

An application of Mineral Oil to the handle scales is in order before heading to the Sharpmaker, the last stop in the cleanup process.

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

Red Stag from NZ often has that nice "popcorn" figure!
Not a Barlow, but this GEC has NZ red Stag on it!!View attachment 2421165View attachment 2421168View attachment 2421173
MY knife has not been treated with Potassium Permanganate, but I Invoice 's knife has, which darkens the Stag. All commercial Stag has to be treated!! Mine was privately harvested!!

The species of tree they predominantly rub will impact the colour of the antler too. Around here, stags rubbing stringy bark have a lighter brown, Redgum a medium brown and if they’re into wild cherry it can be nearly black.
I’m not familiar with NZ tree and shrub species so I can’t ID what yours has been into. It’s a looker though.

 

[Way-Barney]

The species of tree they predominantly rub will impact the colour of the antler too. Around here, stags rubbing stringy bark have a lighter brown, Redgum a medium brown and if they’re into wild cherry it can be nearly black.
I’m not familiar with NZ tree and shrub species so I can’t ID what yours has been into. It’s a looker though.

That is great info, you learn something every day on BF, I will be conducting a few experiments to find differing natural dyes. My first thought were that it could be the tannins.
Thanks for that.

 

[waynorth]

I’m not familiar with NZ tree and shrub species so I can’t ID what yours has been into. It’s a looker though.

Glad you like it, HJ!!

It's hard to imagine antler gets enough tannin from bark to change antler-color!! I know that soaking in Potassium Permanganate sterilizes antlers for cross-border sales, and incidentally dyes them dark brown!!

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

Glad you like it, HJ!!

It's hard to imagine antler gets enough tannin from bark to change antler-color!! I know that soaking in Potassium Permanganate sterilizes antlers for cross-border sales, and incidentally dyes them dark brown!!

This is another from my shed. I shot this one just before he started rubbing, so I had to peel the velvet off myself. This is the colour without tannins. Mind you there is a little staining from mouse urine in the shed.

PP is used commonly by taxidermists for staining velvet shot stags or ones that have faded in the elements. This guy will be taxidermied and stained.

 

[Way-Barney]

Glad you like it, HJ!!

It's hard to imagine antler gets enough tannin from bark to change antler-color!! I know that soaking in Potassium Permanganate sterilizes antlers for cross-border sales, and incidentally dyes them dark brown!!

I suspect that PP was first used hundreds of years ago as a cosmetic finish, long before border sales would have been an issue, I like a burnt finish as well. Brings out a better range of hues under the top. I wish I could halt the PP while its the lovely dark purple before it goes dark Brown?black.

Any suggestions?

 

[black mamba]

The color probably changes from purple to brown as it oxidizes, so maybe a quick coating of wax while it's purple would "lock in" the color??

 

[waynorth]

The color probably changes from purple to brown as it oxidizes, so maybe a quick coating of wax while it's purple would "lock in" the color??

I doubt that would work. The I've treated several with PP, and it's only purple while it is wet!! If you want purple, I suspect dye is the only way!!

 

[Pt-Luso]

 

[knowtracks]

Dave

 

[waynorth]

View attachment 2428328
View attachment 2428329


Dave

Yummy pair of Ancients, Dave!!

 

[DirtDawg]

Does a 1956 to 1988 Imperial (shell construction) Barlow qualify for "a 'good' traditional Barlow"?
View attachment 2402152
I know the 1095 blades are "as good" as the more spendy Imperial-Schrade family of brands Barlows with pinned (or Swendin key) constructon of the same period.

Tang Stamp so I's not accused of fibbing about its origions and/or age.
View attachment 2402153
If this don't meet the "good" qualifcation, let me know and I'll delete this post.

When I was a youngster, Imperial, Colonial, and the occasional Barlow with Japan stamped on the blade were all I knew. So yes, for some of us, that's about as traditional as it gets.
As far as "good" goes, heck, if it had both handle scales, and at least one blade wasn't broken off, it was as close to "good" as it got.
Seriously, as beautiful, well constructed, and near perfect as some on these pages get, I'm afraid I cannot even relate to some of them. They are, and always will be, just plain out of my league. Keep 'em coming though kids, I really do enjoy looking at them and drooling on my keyboard.