What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[SHEBOP]

Never had a yellow knife. I'm liking it a lot.
"Crimmus" Charlows!

 

[waynorth]

She's a girl, no way she's going to grasp this, lol

We have some very knowledgeable women on this forum!!

 

[waynorth]

:thumbup:

I've just had a marmalade sandwich!

Did you use a Spey blade to make it, Jack??

 

[waynorth]

Thanks for all the referencing, Jon Slider!

And the statistics!!

 

[jon_slider]

Perfect answer, just the kind of info and pics I was hoping to get! I was considering picking up a two blade just to get an extra bit of heft as the Boys Knife feels a little light to me.

Really appreciate what ya put into helping me out Jon,
Nick

Thanks for the kind words. I agree the Boys knife feels a bit light in hand. Even a single blade Charlow has a more substantial feel in hand, due to the weight of the bolsters and how that affects handle balance.

I look forward to photos of your new knife. If you get a chance, maybe start a before and after photo log, so we can learn more about how stabilized material ages, depending on what cover material you end up choosing.

As usual, Charlie is probably right that even stabilized material will darken. Its not a fully scientific test as the first shot was taken in brighter light and during the summer. But you can get a sense of the difference by looking at the color of the cutting board and the shadow near the bare head of the knife. Its close, but today is overcast, and winter. Still, I would say the stabilized Walnut IS slightly darker, maybe. I remember "feeling like" it got darker when I oiled it, but just found this older photo to help prove I may have been mistaken in suggesting that the GEC smooth yellow bone will stay bright because it is stabilized.

Brand new:

the same knife today, it has been oiled with mineral oil as well as polished with Sunshine Cloth, which contains both abrasive and wax. Shot in the same location (Im out of Bananas). You can see the lighting is a little different by looking at the color of the cutting board. The photos have not been tweaked in any way, its just how the phone took them. I dont know why they appear different sizes either, I used the same phone, but there are differences in angle and distance I suppose.

---

I recently sought confirmation from GEC regarding their use of stabilized materials. Apparently I had misunderstood an earlier conversation. GEC informs me that:
"The only thing we use that is stabilized is Primitive Bone. All the rest of our bone is not stabilized nor are most of the woods"

I will be preparing several delicious servings of figurative Crow, no birds will be harmed during my re-education. I apologize if anyone was misled by my earlier posts that claimed all GEC bone is stabilized. At this point I dont even know if the CheChen is stabilized or not. Feel free to just ignore anything I say until I graduate from knife materials 101, sometime next year maybe.

 

[Pokerface]

Now we're talkin'...

 

[Dr. Scott]

Crimmus is comin' early this year!

 

[Jack Black]

Did you use a Spey blade to make it, Jack??

No, I didn't Charlie!

 

[Campbellclanman]

The yellow mellows like bone or ivory, IMO. They will darken slightly, and become slightly more translucent, if you oil them. Oil the blades a lot, but the handles not often - once or twice a year. If you handle it a lot, oil the bone less, as your hands will give it some.

Just dashed off the Back Label and GEC embellished it.
I hope you will forgive my amatuerish rantings - it's the place where I actually get to be hands on besides (he groans) wrapping packages!

THAT!!!!!!!! is so so cool - Jacks great titled Thread of Marmalade lives on - now etched into history with Charlies awesome labels

 

[jon_slider]

Marmalade lives on - now etched into history with Charlies awesome labels

Hey! Great observation
We now bring you the Marmalade Barlow in yellow or black. There will be no Poisonwood Marmalades.

Freedom Charlows in Black Poisonwood are reserved for Clip Point blades, that are not suitable for Marmalade.

btw What blade does Stan Shaw use for his Marmalade sandwich?
hint, not this clip, which I nominate for the longest distance travelled by a Barlow, over 33,000 miles I believe.

for those looking to read about Stan's Marmalade, here is the thread
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1106897

 

[Jack Black]

btw What blade does Stan Shaw use for his Marmalade sandwich?
hint, not this clip, which I nominate for the longest distance travelled by a Barlow, over 33,000 miles I believe.

Stan's missus makes his sandwiches Jon, so it's probably something out of the kitchen drawer

I reckon I have a well-travelled Barlow also, since Duncan gifted me my clip-point when he was over

 

[jon_slider]

I reckon I have a well-travelled Barlow also, since Duncan gifted me my clip-point when he was over

Yes over 22,000 miles is nothing to sneeze at, but the one in Stan's hand flew another 11,000 miles back to NZ with Duncan . For reference purposes, the distance around the Earth is about 25,000 miles.

it's probably something out of the kitchen drawer

I wonder if its fileworked?
Potentially a whole new thread topic: What Knife is in Your Wife's Drawers?

 

[Jack Black]

Yes over 22,000 miles is nothing to sneeze at, but the one in Stan's hand flew another 11,000 miles back to NZ with Duncan . For reference purposes, the distance around the Earth is about 25,000 miles.

Sorry Jon, I'm a bit slow! Of course!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Yeah it was great carrying those two knives - My Red Bone Flat Belly Clip point -in Stans hands, and my Ebony Spear point, My Ebony sadly has decided to run away from home -I have looked everywhere...to have that knife that has been with me all that way AND the fact that its the Ultimate EDC - its a loss that's hard to handle - in comes Local Legend Paul Hilborn, he contacted me and said he had been keeping a beautiful example aside - and it was now mine - how is that for amazing stuff!! - and he was totally correct about this knife being top-notch ( as the other Barlows are from Charlie ) the finishing is so close to Custom its just not that funny nail nicks on the Pile for the Spear, and opposite for the Pen, the Ebony is BLACK!!!
I have been carrying this knife since it's arrival.

 

[jon_slider]

Local Legend Paul Hilborn...the Ebony is BLACK!!!

wow! you got a pen behind Gabon Spear.. thats a gift with heart!
pictures please

here are some pics of the same model that Charlie gifted Jack

Charlow on a Sheffield grindstone.



Charlow on an ingot of Sheffield crucible steel.



Charlow next to one of the wheels from James Dixon's workshop.



Charlow on a billet of forged Sheffield steel.



Charlow knocking on Stan Shaw's workshop door (he's away on holiday this week)!



Charlow on one of the twin Lister engines I used to work on when I first left school.



Charlow looking across the Kelham Island goit to Horseman Works.



Charlow looking across the goit to where the Kelham Wheel would have stood.



Charlow with me in The Sheffield Tap

and here is one that belongs to Shrapne1

I think the pen behind Gabon is a grail Charlow, congrats on your gift Duncan, (bowing in respect to Paul)

 

[waynorth]

I love all the Barlow miles!! Wish they were Charlie miles also!!

Olde Boiley was born in Titusville, PA, travelled to Blaine Washington, then to Vancouver, BC. Later went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, then back to Vancouver. A trip to the Oregon Knife Show is in there in April.
How far your Barlow has traveled with you, increases its traditional-ness!

Added it up: With a trip to the GEC Rendevous, 14,800 miles total!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Wow Jon, you must have stepped in all our footsteps my friend - all those photo's I am no stranger too - just fantastic to see - thank you so much for posting them, what a shame Stan was on holiday ( for you - not for him though ).
Photos to follow

 

[Jack Black]

Yeah it was great carrying those two knives - My Red Bone Flat Belly Clip point -in Stans hands, and my Ebony Spear point, My Ebony sadly has decided to run away from home -I have looked everywhere...to have that knife that has been with me all that way AND the fact that its the Ultimate EDC - its a loss that's hard to handle - in comes Local Legend Paul Hilborn, he contacted me and said he had been keeping a beautiful example aside - and it was now mine - how is that for amazing stuff!! - and he was totally correct about this knife being top-notch ( as the other Barlows are from Charlie ) the finishing is so close to Custom its just not that funny nail nicks on the Pile for the Spear, and opposite for the Pen, the Ebony is BLACK!!!
I have been carrying this knife since it's arrival.

Sorry to hear your knife didn't turn up Duncan, that must have been a sickening feeling But then Paul came to the rescue! :thumbup: What a star :thumbup: A very kind act Paul

wow! you got a pen behind Gabon Spear.. thats a gift with heart!
pictures please

here are some pics of the same model that Charlie gifted Jack

I think the pen behind Gabon is a grail Charlow, congrats on your gift Duncan, (bowing in respect to Paul)

It's a knife that is very close to my heart, and a great EDC I think. The quality and design of the Charlows is just overwhelming, I love each of mine. I reckon that people will be talking about these knives in 100 years time :thumbup:

 

[TLARbb]

I missed out on those "pen behind" Charlows. How could I have done that, what with me carping all the time about the blade arrangement on the two blade Barlows? Anyway, I'll just have to stick with the single blade models I suppose.

Ed J

 

[Snoopy1]

Ahh the illusive pen behind spear ebony Charlow! Ideal for a southpaw that loves the pen blade. I would love to see Charlie do another run of these in assorted covers!