What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[Rusty1]

Such classic lines on these knives. Barlow or Huckelberry! Good job on initiating this one Charlie.

Russell

 

[waynorth]

Bravissimo, Maestro Charlie!

( Fingertips kiss: Gently brings the fingers and thumb of your right hand together, raise to your lips, kiss lightly, and joyfully toss your fingers and thumb into the air)

Almost missed this post - How could I??? Such a grand gesture!!
Gratie Mille, Senore Gevonovich!


Thanks Russell! Are you watching your mailbox??

 

[Rusty1]

I'm getting very keen Charlie, the mail seems to be getting through quicker than usual this time of year. Here's hoping!

Russell

 

[akadave2]

Great work Charlie! Can't wait to see what you come up with next

 

[alfbacca]

Wow, these knives look amazing! Pocket friendly and being that I just lost my Green bone Sawcut #25 recently, this will be a great replacement. Can someone please PM me where I can find one of the Sawyer knives? Thanks!

 

[pertinux]

Some more views and impressions of this 2-bladed ebony Sawyer Barlow.

The Spear main is beautifully proportioned, within itself and also in relation to the handle/length (I didn't think to take a picture highlighting just the main blade, but many other images here provide a good look.) It's a strong, sleek slicer.

The pen blade is substantial, with a deep, comfortable nick.

While the back of the pen blade is swedged as per Charlie's earlier description, I've still had to adapt my approach to the main blade in order to achieve the correct angle to access its long pull-- it's tucked in there! While I usually open blades by holding them in my right hand and using my left thumb nail or that of my left middle finger, I was struggling to quickly achieve leverage and open this one until I switched hands. I can easily open this one by holding it in my left hand and using my right thumb nail, right at the end of the long pull:

Like, easily.

The knife's walk and talk are excellent, smooth in its transitions yet satisfyingly authoritative at the half-stop and upon full opening or closing.


Alert readers may have already noted this, but:

See it?

The back of the main blade has P for PERTINUX etched right on it, in triplicate!

Somehow a Barlow looks right at home in that old garage/shed window!

It's not nice to make fun of people's houses like that.





Nah, you're right, that's my garage. However, I do have this little bit of business going on in a basement window of my very house:

An Infiltrator!

This barlow is fine indeed, a stellar expression of the clarity of vision and skill in execution that brought it into being.

Thanks again to Charlie, and to GEC.

~ P.

 

[Thalestin]

Thanks to everyone for sharing their thought and pictures. Special thanks to Charlie. I really loom forward to reading the posts in here daily. Have a merry Xmas everyone

 

[Humppa]

Thanks for the shots, Sarah!

This is a must-have for 2013 I really need one of those two bladed GEC Barlows...

 

[seadweller]

Great review and pictorial references, ~P!

I am so looking forward to mine .. should be next week, hopefully.

 

[Rsmith_77]

yeah i am reallly liking the look of this knife, ESPECIALLY in ebony
alas i didnt know what they were going to look like when i had a little $$

perhaps 2013 will be better and i'll be able to jump on one

 

[Campbellclanman]

~P you gave me a good laugh...I was astounded at Charlie making fun of your house too! ,
See the impact that you are having on the knife world ~P?.... Your initials live forever on the blades now...some Kings didnt have that!

 

[akadave2]

Some more views and impressions of this 2-bladed ebony Sawyer Barlow.

The Spear main is beautifully proportioned, within itself and also in relation to the handle/length (I didn't think to take a picture highlighting just the main blade, but many other images here provide a good look.) It's a strong, sleek slicer.

The pen blade is substantial, with a deep, comfortable nick.

While the back of the pen blade is swedged as per Charlie's earlier description, I've still had to adapt my approach to the main blade in order to achieve the correct angle to access its long pull-- it's tucked in there! While I usually open blades by holding them in my right hand and using my left thumb nail or that of my left middle finger, I was struggling to quickly achieve leverage and open this one until I switched hands. I can easily open this one by holding it in my left hand and using my right thumb nail, right at the end of the long pull:

Like, easily.

The knife's walk and talk are excellent, smooth in its transitions yet satisfyingly authoritative at the half-stop and upon full opening or closing.


Alert readers may have already noted this, but:

See it?

The back of the main blade has P for PERTINUX etched right on it, in triplicate!

It's not nice to make fun of people's houses like that.





Nah, you're right, that's my garage. However, I do have this little bit of business going on in a basement window of my very house:

An Infiltrator!

This barlow is fine indeed, a stellar expression of the clarity of vision and skill in execution that brought it into being.

Thanks again to Charlie, and to GEC.

~ P.

Im jealous of the two blade Ebony, I wanted one. Oh well I will have to settle for my one blade Ebony and two blade antique yellow bone...lol!

 

[mrrampro]

I have never had one before and after this thread I needed to see what all the talk was about. I really like this pattern for small chores. Thanks for all the info, history and excitement.

 

[waynorth]

You have reminded me, mr. rampro, that I wanted to post a comparison picture of GECs #25 Barlow next to its young cousin the #15 Barlow.
These two went right back into my pockets after leaving the scanner!

The #25 has a GEC jigging I know little about, except I got it from a rep at a knife show, without a box. I have come to think of it as "Early Old School" jigging.

Mainly, I wanted to post them to show the differences in size and proportions.

 

[pertinux]

Very nice, Charlie, and an interesting coincidence.* I had a longer drive yesterday, and out of many possible topics I found myself wondering about your #25, and if you'd ever learned more about its jigging.

As good a job as GEC is doing with its newer bone offerings, I've yet to see anything that matches the attractive randomness of some the earliest covers, such as this one. (Not that I've seen all the newer bone coverings, by any means!)

Regardless, I appreciate seeing your little #25 again, and especially with its newest counterpart.

~ P.


*(I was holding my just-arrived TC Barlow in my hot little hand while driving, which no doubt contributed to thoughts of "Charlie and his barlows," but still.)

 

[AFAustin]

I don't recall seeing blood red jigged scales like that before on a #25. And the triple scored bolster is always nice. :thumbup:

Andrew

 

[AFAustin]

Double post. Apologies.

Andrew

 

[waynorth]

Very nice, Charlie, and an interesting coincidence.* I had a longer drive yesterday, and out of many possible topics I found myself wondering about your #25, and if you'd ever learned more about its jigging.

{Still haven't learned anything new about it! The guy selling it, concocted a B.S. line about it, which was pathetic, but didn't dim my enthusiasm for the knife.}

As good a job as GEC is doing with its newer bone offerings, I've yet to see anything that matches the attractive randomness of some the earliest covers, such as this one. (Not that I've seen all the newer bone coverings, by any means!)

The jigging on the JBF Champlin #85, which GEC calls "old school number 3" is quite wonderful! If anyone has a picture, I would not consider it intrusive in this thread!}

Regardless, I appreciate seeing your little #25 again, and especially with its newest counterpart.

~ P.


*(I was holding my just-arrived TC Barlow in my hot little hand while driving, which no doubt contributed to thoughts of "Charlie and his barlows," but still.)

Hmmm - at this rate, we are going to have to invent a Hands-Free Barlow, ~P!
Just to keep you safe, mind you!! I hope you weren't tearing along the interstate!!

Goofing around aside, thanks for posting those nice pics of the Barlow in those Rustic window settings. They seem so appropriate to that venerable old pattern.
Makes a traditional Barlow even better!

 

[maloosik]

Thanks Charlie, even though the knife looks fantastic the best part for me is the smoothness of the action. I really like the bone on this and am glad I didn't act quickly enough to get an ebony version. This knife feels very solid and well made. Here it is next to an old favorite.

The only nit pick, one of the pins isn't as well finished as I'd prefer, but I'm stretching.

 

[pertinux]

Goofing around aside, thanks for posting those nice pics of the Barlow in those Rustic window settings. They seem so appropriate to that venerable old pattern.
Makes a traditional Barlow even better!

Thanks! It's nice to otherwise redeem what is fundamentally, outside the lens of camera and nostalgia, a garage in need of renovation.

{The jigging on the JBF Champlin #85, which GEC calls "old school number 3" is quite wonderful! If anyone has a picture, I would not consider it intrusive in this thread!}

I'd love to see that jigging as well. However, I just saw Alfredo's pictures of his new #74, and am thrilled to see this bone. Is the Champlin's jigging anything like?:

Great picture! Thanks for this, and the others. My, these look fine.

~ P.