What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[Lone Airedale]

Gee, whatever gave you that idea?

Two colors, Chestnut and Blood Red Peachseed.
There's a little of my Dad's Walnut left, so a few of those also!
Spear blades, standard Nail nicks.
Half of 'em with Pen secondary.
The blades went out to heat treat, and they are cutting out springs as we speak.
I can feel my blood startin' to simmer! I love it when my dreams come true!!

Single blade walnut please! Is there an ETA on these Charlie?

 

[sunandsteel]

This would be my first spear blade if I can get hold of one. Can't wait for these.

 

[leghog]

Another of the inexpensive working man's knives. What I' convinced a Barlow should always be.

 

[paulhilborn]

What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

One that's truly been worth every penny I've paid for it :thumbup:

The best working traditional I own, hands down... It's opened bags of Quikrete, cut fiberglass insulation, scored lumber, pried a few staples (the smart way in a pinch ), shaved plastic, dug out caulking, cut cardboard, stripped wire insulation and served kitchen duty in the job shack and even fashioned a few toothpicks afterwards.

The blades take a great edge and after almost a years worth of work there's not a hint of blade play period :thumbup:

Thanks Charlie!!!

Paul

 

[MerryMadMonk]

Paul, that makes me want to go cut something!

 

[jon_slider]

It's opened bags of Quikrete, cut fiberglass insulation, scored lumber, pried a few staples (the smart way in a pinch ), shaved plastic, dug out caulking, cut cardboard, stripped wire insulation and served kitchen duty in the job shack and even fashioned a few toothpicks afterwards.

Awesome! And it actually got used for something besides envelopes and food.

Now here is my latest learning exercise, spot the blade swap. I believe the Camillus stamped bolster model 11 Barlow was only used from 1946 to 1951. However the model 16 equal end Jack continued until the 1974 catalog.

here is a 1960-1976 tang stamp, according to this http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/497708-Camillus-Tang-stamps-and-dates

here is a 1974 Camillus catalog
http://www.collectors-of-camillus.us/Catalogs/1973-4-Camilluss.pdf

1948 catalog pic

here is the correct tang stamp for a 1946-1950 Barlow model 11 with Camillus stamped bolster

 

[MerryMadMonk]

Main blade has been swapped for a later... much later blade.

ETA: and also from a different pattern

 

[jon_slider]

Main blade has been swapped for a later... much later blade.

ETA: and also from a different pattern

I agree. Please share how you can tell.
imo the blades are from an equal end Jack model 16, shown in catalogs from 1946 to 1974.
A correct blade would be stamped with model number 11, not 16.
here are the Camillus catalogs http://www.collectors-of-camillus.us/Catalogs/Catalogs.htm

 

[Invoice]

Jon my recently posted Camillus has 16 stamped on the main. No pics because PB is giving me problems right now.

 

[MerryMadMonk]

The bolsters are from the late 1940s/early 1950s. The blade (judging by the tang stamp) is from 1960-1976.

ETA: I see you found the link to the tang stamps.... and BTW, don't feel bad. I collect (accumulate) Camillus knives and I've been fooled by the re-works more than once... mostly the WWII military-issued slipjoints.

 

[waynorth]

I am so far behind on comments here - I'll try and hit them all!
For what these comments are worth:

ETA for the next Barlow run is end of Feb.

Thank you for all the nice comments everyone!

Paul it warms my soul to see that Barlow doing what a Barlow should!

Jon, Camillus made so many knives, it is not surprising that it is easy to interchange blades, model to model. That could even be a factory repair!

Leghog, I agree with your philosophy of Barlows in principle. The factories that can produce those synthetic-handled, mass produced Barlows are gone from North America. A living wage for a cutler in America requires a bit more expensive knife to be sold.

sunandsteel, I predict you will score a nice Spear TC Barlow this year!!

 

[knowtracks]

No Ebony in this Batch, WFC. Out of respect for the dedicated collectors (who keep this little enterprise going) I am trying to keep some distinction between batches.

And I for 1 do appreciate that Charlie! :thumbup: Even as much as I do love Ebony.

 

[jon_slider]

Jon my recently posted Camillus has 16 stamped on the main. No pics because PB is giving me problems right now.

no worries, I hope you enjoy your knife anyway, its got great bones , and all the parts are Genuine Camillus, and even the blades are at least 40 years old, the bolster is at least 64, and is quite unique, as it was only used for 5 years..

 

[Campbellclanman]

Here is a couple of photo's - forgive me as I put them in a Thread of mine, but they do belong in here...
Thank you Charlie for your wonderful knives...



A photo that shows off the Western made Barlows well... the Buck series..

 

[waynorth]

Nice Buncha Barlows, Duncan!!!
A fine outing for the quintessential pocket knife!!

You are a lucky man in many ways. For instance it looks warm and sunny there!
The windchill factor here is many degrees below freezing! If I put my knives out like that they would frost up immediately!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Its a beautiful day here Charlie, took these photos, changed my edc rotation around a wee bit, now my daughters has just arrived - a great day!

I feel for you with your weather you are experiencing right now - yet to many of New Zealanders we would like to experience that sort of weather-snow etc, but I am sure the novelty would soon wear off quickly!!!

 

[MrVandercar]

Picked this up recently, it gets the job done.

 

[jon_slider]

Oh my! Some of us have some catching up to do..

Here is a recent patina quiz, for entertainment purposes only:
Why are the water drops rounder beads on the spearpoint blade, than on the patinaed "Ramsfoot" blade?

Picked this up recently, it gets the job done.

nice, 3 pin handle, bone you think? nice long pull too
similar pin placement and bolster stamp to this maybe 1950's era Camillus fragment
when I see such ground down blades it always makes me curious what the owner was cutting that made him resharpen so much

 

[Campbellclanman]

Jon - because you waxed the blade? perhaps with Renaissance Wax?

 

[9blades]

I would agree with Duncan - I think he was saying that water is made up of polar molecules and that wax is a non-polar substances, which due to cohesion makes water bead up on non-polar surfaces, such as a waxed blade...my science-jitsu is rather weak, but my google-fu is OK.