What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

I guess I am a collector. There I said it! :)

I enjoy re-reading old posts in this thread. I look forward to seeing the photos and comments that are shared here every day. I am very fortunate to have acquired such wonderful pieces of functional art. I am teaching my kids (3 boys 1 girl) to respect and appreciate quality tools. I think I stand a good chance that one or more kids will value my collection. ;)

I wanted to share a photo of mostly Barlows.



Curtis
 
Awesome shot of some nice knives Curtis- I do have to remind you ( as I see your copyright ) that I own all rights of knife photos on wood lol - no seriously that is a lovely shot, and I am glad that your kids are listening to Dad- as they will treasure your knives far greater than any uneducated soul.

Jake - nice to see that etched Bolster out and about Sir! Nice knife that
 
JP1974 said:
I started collecting with my Grandfather when I was a kid and just recently picked up interest again after finding Great Eastern Cutlery. I absolutely love the quality and feel of their knives. As for the Barlow interest, my Grandfather had a few that he use to show me and my cousin ended up with them when he died. I don't remember what make they were just that I liked the weight of the big silver bolsters. The craftsmanship and attention to detail that Charlie and Bill put into these knives are spot on, even to a neophyte collector such as myself.
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Thanks for the info sir :)

JP1974 said:
Beautiful pic Jack!
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And for the compliment :thumbup:

mr_badexample said:
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Great pic of a very beautiful knife Brian :thumbup:

Campbellclanman said:
Jack - you have a real nice example of a soup Anniversary going on there my friend - just simply a beautiful knife
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Half/Stop said:
Jack and Brian those are 2 nice Soup Bones :thumbup::thumbup:
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Thanks guys :)

mr_badexample said:
Jack that is a sweet one! Looks like mine. Apparently they were separated at birth???? ;0)

Thanks for the compliments Ron and Duncan. Here's the other side.
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Thanks Brian, I think you might be right! :D :thumbup:

TX_planes said:
I guess I am a collector. There I said it! :)

I enjoy re-reading old posts in this thread. I look forward to seeing the photos and comments that are shared here every day. I am very fortunate to have acquired such wonderful pieces of functional art. I am teaching my kids (3 boys 1 girl) to respect and appreciate quality tools. I think I stand a good chance that one or more kids will value my collection. ;)

I wanted to share a photo of mostly Barlows.

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Nice post Curtis :thumbup:

jkulysses said:
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That's an interesting knife :thumbup: I'd love to hear about it if you don't mind sharing the story :)
 
Thank you Humppa. I was looking for someone to shed more light on to where I might find a Charlow. I have had a few responses that have helped point me in the right direction.
 
Campbellclanman said:
Awesome shot of some nice knives Curtis- I do have to remind you ( as I see your copyright ) that I own all rights of knife photos on wood lol - no seriously that is a lovely shot, and I am glad that your kids are listening to Dad- as they will treasure your knives far greater than any uneducated soul.

Jake - nice to see that etched Bolster out and about Sir! Nice knife that
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Campbell, ok you got me! :D I apologize for the gross copyright infringement. A royalty check is on its way.

I see others have claims to props and backgrounds including coffee, mugs, beer and coins. Anyone have dibs on leaves?

All kidding aside, thank you everyone for the kind words. I am having a great time here.

Curtis
 
Here's a super rare Tom Ray barlow. I've seldom seen other patterns by this manufacturer but I've never seen a barlow. The sawbone covers, long pull, and blade profile of this knife are awesome, lot's of character! The history of this company is very cool too, here is what Goin's has to say: "TOM RAY CUT. CO. KANSAS CITY MO c 1905-1910 This wholesale firm did business at 609 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Knives were made for them by a cutlery manufacturer in Fulton, New York. The manufacturer was possibly John Chatillon & Sons. William E. Wirt Jr. was a member of the firm." Sometimes the historical aspect of the traditional knife is the best part!!! :thumbup:

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Jack Black said:
Thanks for the info sir :)

That's an interesting knife :thumbup: I'd love to hear about it if you don't mind sharing the story :)
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Well I don't know a whole lot about it and haven't been able to find another like it yet. It is made by Colonial under their "Old Cutler" brand name. From what I have researched it seems they used 1090 tool steel blades and are well made knives that were Colonial's premium line created to compete with Schrade at the time. Most everything I've read says the Old Cutler brand was only made for a few years in the 70's or 80's so I find it a little weird that this barlow is etched 1998. Maybe the etch was added later or something or Colonial just did a special run of them. I would say fit and finish is pretty comparable to most of the Queens I've had or handled from the same era. Excellent bone scales on it. Wonder if they made their own or they came from Culpepper or something. :)
 
Nick, love that Tom Ray!!! I saw one on the auction site about a month ago but never pulled the trigger...love the history:thumbup:
 
Thanks Ron and Paul, I appreciate your positive comments! Yes sir, that is the one from the auction site. I ended up cutting a deal for several knives from the owner and made out with a couple of real gems. He's a good guy by the way.
 
Never heard of a Tom Ray before, Nick!

Nicely unearthed!! Thanks for looking up the back-story as well!!
 
jkulysses said:
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jkulysses said:
Well I don't know a whole lot about it and haven't been able to find another like it yet. It is made by Colonial under their "Old Cutler" brand name. From what I have researched it seems they used 1090 tool steel blades and are well made knives that were Colonial's premium line created to compete with Schrade at the time. Most everything I've read says the Old Cutler brand was only made for a few years in the 70's or 80's so I find it a little weird that this barlow is etched 1998. Maybe the etch was added later or something or Colonial just did a special run of them. I would say fit and finish is pretty comparable to most of the Queens I've had or handled from the same era. Excellent bone scales on it. Wonder if they made their own or they came from Culpepper or something. :)
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Very interesting, thanks :thumbup: My guess would be that the etch was added later, and that it is a reference to the play The Winslow Boy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Winslow_Boy - Perhaps it was performed in London in the Spring of 1998, and the knife was a gift to the director from the cast or something? Or perhaps it was an even more personal gift, if the The Winslow Boy is a nickname given with reference to the play. The Anchor on the bolster would also relate to the play.

Set against the strict codes of conduct and manners of the age, The Winslow Boy is based on a father's fight to clear his son's name after the boy is expelled from Osborne Naval College for stealing a five-shilling postal order. To clear the boy's name was imperative for the family's honour; had they not done so, they would have been shunned by their peers and society. Similarly, the boy's life would have been wrecked by an indelible stain on his character which would have followed him throughout adulthood.

The play was inspired by an actual event, which set a legal precedent: the case of Stonyhurst College alumnus George Archer-Shee, a cadet at Osborne in 1908, who was accused of stealing a postal order from a fellow cadet. His elder brother, Major Martin Archer-Shee, was convinced of his innocence and persuaded his father (also called Martin) to engage lawyers. The most respected barrister of the day, Sir Edward Carson, was also persuaded of his innocence and insisted on the case coming to court. On the fourth day of the trial, the Solicitor General, Sir Rufus Isaacs, accepted that Archer-Shee was innocent, and ultimately the family was paid compensation.

At the age of 19, George Archer-Shee was killed in World War I at the First Battle of Ypres. His name is inscribed on the war memorial in the village of Woodchester, Gloucestershire, where his parents lived; on the memorial plaque outside the Catholic St Mary on the Quay church in Bristol city centre, where he had been an altar boy; and on Tablet 35 of the Menin Gate in Ypres, as he has no known grave.
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It could also relate to the 1998 film of the play, which was filmed in London.

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Markesharp, aka Mark breaths new life into old Barlows and allows them to continue on dutifully serving their owner;):thumbup:

All three redone by the Man himself:cool:

The Yellow Uster he gifted to my wife Nanc, the Red Keen Kutter he gifted to me, aka "Ole Red" and the German made Barlow "York Dutch Barlow" Mark resurrected from a broken two blade bone Barlow to a stellar single blade Spear with Ebony covers:thumbup:

All are SOLID and centered blades:thumbup:

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THANK YOU BROTHER!!!
 
gunstockjack said:
Paul those are outstanding! Nice work Mark!!!
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Thank you Barry, I consider myself very fortunate to own them (well at least two of them) seeing how the Ulster is Nancy's:D

Mark's skills are amazing and as nice as all three are, it is mind blowing how smooth and radiused he made the "York Dutch Barlow":thumbup: it melts in your hand;):cool:

The York Dutch was a gift from Andi along with some other knives Andi mailed me. In Andi's letter he mentioned something about "if your able to fix the broken barlow" well, it was a no brainer to send off to Mark.

Mark can attest to the condition of the York Dutch as being doubtful as the liners were terribly warped and the pen blade was snapped off...he didn't flinch and simply said "send it my way, I'll make it work" he did at that:thumbup:
 
Oh man that Keen Kutter stamp kills me. Very nice knives. And especially like that Wiseman Jon.
 
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