What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

Charlie is quite correct:
PMs, VM's. and emails are the methods by which business issues should be discussed.
 
I can't get the razor barlow out of my head! I recently got a #85 with the razor/"one armed man" blade and it is a really useful shape. The extra little nub is great for cleaning your fingernails without opening the knife. I get a kick out of the "one armed man" moniker, too. From back in the day when the only real man who needed to open his knife with only one hand, was the man who only HAD one hand.
 
Here is something which I think is pretty cool, a Grand=daddy Barlow + Barlow set, Ole buck & Young buck knives, the set was made by either WESTERN or CAMILLUS - because of the stamping it may have been pre-Camillus purchase of Western? - Camillus made the fixed Blade set with the exact same etching on the blades, and the Stag motifs on the wooden handles of the fixed blades-in fact I darned near bought a unused set of the Ole Buck, Young Buck fixed blades the other day!

Westmark - ( information I have found in the thread link I supplied below ) were the High-End production line of Western, but - in saying this I am not too sure if these are the Lower priced Kraton handled knives - the blades look to be Carbon ( CV ) but I could be wrong there? In your opinion are these Kraton or Delrin?
The knives as you see do not have the post Camillus purchase stamp of " WESTERN CUTLERY Camillus, NY", but rather the stamping " WESTMARK,HAND MADE, NEW YORK, USA.


Handles are Delrin? or Kraton? ( I think Delrin ), the knives are SOLID, very nice walk and talk and I am not too sure if its just me - but I think they are a pretty cool set, and whenever I spy a Camillus - I always have a real good look at buying the knife ( rip Camillus :( ) as I do very much like the way Camillus did their thing, and if they aren't Camillus's handy-work - well they are quite a well made set, and I am pleased to own them.

If these were Stag handled or nice Bone-they would be absolutely Stunners!, the Handle material do drag them down just a bit - but hey-that's the option that was available - and I would rather own them - than not

Anyway, here they are....








Grand - Daddy Blade...


Barlow blade...



Here is some more information on Westmark if you are interested....

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/121627-Western-Westmark-and-Camillus
 
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That´s a great setup, Duncan :)

Thanks for sharing these two gems! It actually made me smile!
 
Thats a great looking pair Dunc.
Where dya geddem?
I mean I scrounge and sniff round every Op shop and antique store I go in. I ask the props if they have penknives. They look at me with a sorrowful glaze(yes glaze) and maybe have three old penknives sometimes not really all that old that usually look like they were used as ploughshares in Granite country with a price tag that would buy me a new car.
 
lol, I always enjoy reading your posts Meako - even if they are to rib me a bit!
I am ALWAYS on the computer scrounging away my friend, -I get the same response in those types of shops as well mate
 
Never saw those before Duncan - nice discovery.
Yet another chapter in the Barlow (and Camillus) story!!
I must admit there was a time when I shunned composite and synthetic handles, but to do so is to ignore history, and we all know (I hope) the perils of doing that!
 
Very nice Duncan :thumbup: They don't look like Kraton to me, which I think is essentially neoprene.
 
Very nice ol' Cammies, Duncan!
I agree, sometimes I wish the handles were something a little "nicer" than delrin, but that kept the price down on these solid working knives.
These are some of the best American-made knives of all time, in my opinion, at least in terms of putting a tough, well made tool in the hands of the people. Good score! :thumbup:
 
waynorth said:
I think Injun Joe carried a Razor/One-armed Barlow (yet to be made!)
Click to expand...

While consistent within the literary context established (the #15 Sawyer and Huckleberry knives), er, good luck with "Injun Joe"! :p

(Whatever they're called, however they're etched, I'm eager to see these razor barlows come into being. :))

Back to the present: a snowy day lull, new views and further appreciation of the etch and lines of a Day's Work.

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~ P.
 
Great pics P, your photography gets better and better :thumbup:
 
Time to replace my Christmas Desktop!!
What lovely perspectives!!
Nice pictures Sarah. Your camera has excellent Macro capabilities!
 
Duncan, you told me about those Camillus made Barlow's, Just got to see them now---very nice...

Paul
 
Duncan,if everything was the same,we'd all be bored stiff. Great looking knives,which if time lasts will be priceless.

Nice rooster Sarah :),and the etch on the barlow's great too. I also am awed by your photography.:thumbup::thumbup:
 
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Thanks for the comments on the Westmarks/Cammies I think they may be pre Cammie-who knows.

Sarah, lovely photo's, by the looks of things there are a couple of people about to receive most probably the most lovely hand-written letter in their lifetime -I know I treasure mine!
 
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