What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[556hunter]

ooops haha

 

[5K Qs]

Good response, Ryan!
This kind of stuff happens to all of us!!

- GT

 

[JSCHENK]

I was able to get one of my grail knives this week, a Case Damascus Barlow, been trying for one for some time, they are not rare but they don't crop up all the time.Lucked out this week on a nice one, pretty well matched stag, brand new condition, perfect construction. Case really did a nice job on this knife, this one was worth the wait.

very nice barlow

 

[5K Qs]

Here is this weeks haul, some were a surprise and some a disappointment. So far I found an Imperial that has a Certified brake parts blade etch, a real nice almost unused Ulster 10OT and the disappointment, a G Furness single blade that unfortunately has been heavily repaired.
Really impressed with the Ulster, very well made quality Barlow, took the picture with my Craftsman and pretty sure the Craftsman was made by Ulster also.
The G. Furness is probably pre 1890 as there is no England mark anywhere, unfortunately it has been repaired, been apart and repined and put together with bolsters and handles not even, does have great walk and talk, reasonably full blade.
...

I was able to get one of my grail knives this week, a Case Damascus Barlow ...

I found another of these Queen 1972 Drake Well Barlow's. What I really like about the older knives is the saw cut bone they used, it has a real depth and glow to it. I don't find it as much on newer knives in saw cut….

The definition of a "Good Traditional Barlow" is!
...

Just received this 1916 Keen Kutter Barlow from my good friend Jon Slider. It has some blade wear on the main spey and secondary pen, but walk and talk are awesome. Great snap on both blades.
...

Augie, Ron, and Mark, you're sporting some spectacular old barlows!!! Ron, that Camillus is incredible! Mark, congrats on getting that fine Keen Kutter that you've had your eye on for so long! :thumbup::thumbup: Augie, you're on a barlow hot streak that makes my head spin!

- GT

 

[Dadpool]

My fourth Barlow arrived today, a Joseph Rodgers single-blade:

I'm curious about its pedigree. Sheffield would be quite traditional indeed, assuming it was actually manufactured there as its tang stamp indicate. The seller listed it in the "pre-1970" category, and I must say I'm dubious about that.

If you look just above the "R" on the bolster, you can see what looks to me like a faint portion of "Joseph." My guess would be a weak stamp strike, as the knife doesn't have enough wear overall to make me think that the name wore off in that spot. My guess for the handles is rosewood, darkened by age and light use.

Fit and finish are good overall, with nice walk and talk. The covers aren't cut quite evenly, and there's a slight swell at the butt end and bolster. None of which detracts from it looking and feeling good to me.

I like that it nicely combines slimness and heft (2 oz.), and I like the profile of the slender clip point blade. I dig it.

 

[ThievesLikeUs]

I was able to get one of my grail knives this week, a Case Damascus Barlow, been trying for one for some time, they are not rare but they don't crop up all the time.Lucked out this week on a nice one, pretty well matched stag, brand new condition, perfect construction. Case really did a nice job on this knife, this one was worth the wait.

Absolutely beautiful!!!

I just found my grail knife, thanks

 

[Jack Black]

My fourth Barlow arrived today, a Joseph Rodgers single-blade:

I'm curious about its pedigree. Sheffield would be quite traditional indeed, assuming it was actually manufactured there as its tang stamp indicate. The seller listed it in the "pre-1970" category, and I must say I'm dubious about that.

Nice Barlow Dadpool, but I think you're right to be dubious about the given date. That looks to me like a much later Barlow produced by the Eggington Group, who bought up the Joseph Rodgers mark in the 80's, and who still sell the pattern today. They are made up by a number of cutlers in the town, and that bolster looks like it may have been a second. Since knives are not offered for sale there, I hope it's OK for me to link to this page from the Eggington site: http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/bran...t-knives/rodgers-clip-point-barlow-knife.html I doubt it's more than ten years old, and indeed it could have been produced very recently. I can't remember when Eggington started producing Barlows with the Rodgers mark, but when I had contact with the company in the mid 90's they didn't produce it then, and I think that when they first began producing Barlows again, they used the IXL mark (and in carbon rather than stainless, which they used later). The Rodgers mark has always been particularly popular in Australia, and I believe that is one of the company's main markets, but Rodgers Barlows like this are widely available today.

 

[HFinn]

Oh my crying bank account. Any experiences about this one?

Queen Cutlery - American Walnut Barlow

 

[Relee1]

I've got one and it is a very nice knife. Good walk and talk , no blade play, sharp right out of the box. The action is not perfectly smooth, as is the case with most of my Queens, but that does not matter to me. You will be happy.

Oh my crying bank account. Any experiences about this one?

Queen Cutlery - American Walnut Barlow

 

[HFinn]

I've got one and it is a very nice knife. Good walk and talk , no blade play, sharp right out of the box. The action is not perfectly smooth, as is the case with most of my Queens, but that does not matter to me. You will be happy.

Traditional folders of this quality are, where I live, rare indeed. I really should not but how can I resist? I have been looking at Barlows for some time now and this one has the features I want, only lacking bone handle (that would make it even better). Size is right and I wanted a nice and sharp clip point.

 

[Markesharp]

Nice Barlow Dadpool, but I think you're right to be dubious about the given date. That looks to me like a much later Barlow produced by the Eggington Group, who bought up the Joseph Rodgers mark in the 80's, and who still sell the pattern today. They are made up by a number of cutlers in the town, and that bolster looks like it may have been a second. Since knives are not offered for sale there, I hope it's OK for me to link to this page from the Eggington site: http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/bran...t-knives/rodgers-clip-point-barlow-knife.html I doubt it's more than ten years old, and indeed it could have been produced very recently. I can't remember when Eggington started producing Barlows with the Rodgers mark, but when I had contact with the company in the mid 90's they didn't produce it then, and I think that when they first began producing Barlows again, they used the IXL mark (and in carbon rather than stainless, which they used later). The Rodgers mark has always been particularly popular in Australia, and I believe that is one of the company's main markets, but Rodgers Barlows like this are widely available today.

Good info Jack, you nailed it! :thumbup: It does look like a second after looking at the ones in your Eggington link, the bolster stamp is much deeper on them.

 

[Dadpool]

Nice Barlow Dadpool, but I think you're right to be dubious about the given date. That looks to me like a much later Barlow produced by the Eggington Group, who bought up the Joseph Rodgers mark in the 80's, and who still sell the pattern today. They are made up by a number of cutlers in the town, and that bolster looks like it may have been a second. Since knives are not offered for sale there, I hope it's OK for me to link to this page from the Eggington site: http://www.eggintongroup.co.uk/bran...t-knives/rodgers-clip-point-barlow-knife.html I doubt it's more than ten years old, and indeed it could have been produced very recently. I can't remember when Eggington started producing Barlows with the Rodgers mark, but when I had contact with the company in the mid 90's they didn't produce it then, and I think that when they first began producing Barlows again, they used the IXL mark (and in carbon rather than stainless, which they used later). The Rodgers mark has always been particularly popular in Australia, and I believe that is one of the company's main markets, but Rodgers Barlows like this are widely available today.

Thank you so much, Jack Black! That sounds spot-on in all respects, and it makes sense that it's a second. Thank you as well for the link -- it's good to see what the bolster stamp should look like!

I've read enough mixed reviews of modern Rodgers knives here to feel fortunate to have lucked into an inexpensive one which, stamp aside, is a nicely appointed little user.

 

[Jack Black]

Good info Jack, you nailed it! :thumbup: It does look like a second after looking at the ones in your Eggington link, the bolster stamp is much deeper on them.

Thank you so much, Jack Black! That sounds spot-on in all respects, and it makes sense that it's a second. Thank you as well for the link -- it's good to see what the bolster stamp should look like!

I've read enough mixed reviews of modern Rodgers knives here to feel fortunate to have lucked into an inexpensive one which stamp aside, is a nicely appointed little user.

Thanks guys, glad to be able to help. In Sheffield today, as in the past, a lot of the knives are produced by jobbing cutlers working for the few existing cutlery firms, so 'wasters' often find their way onto the market by the back-door so to speak. It sounds as if that is just a cosmetic second Dadpool, so I hope you get some good use out of it :thumbup:

 

[B.F.U]

I found another of these Queen 1972 Drake Well Barlow's. What I really like about the older knives is the saw cut bone they used, it has a real depth and glow to it. I don't find it as much on newer knives in saw cut.

I like these old Queen barlows. I have one my dad gave me, but it's pretty much wrecked.


I haven't posted here in a while. Here's my first traditional I bought myself, first GEC, and first Barlow. I've used this thing well, and it shows. There's a chip and some scratches in the bone, a couple dings and countless scuffs on the bolsters, and I've lowered the kick from having too heavy a hand on some sharpenings. Still looks, and cuts, great.

 

[Dadpool]

Thanks guys, glad to be able to help. In Sheffield today, as in the past, a lot of the knives are produced by jobbing cutlers working for the few existing cutlery firms, so 'wasters' often find their way onto the market by the back-door so to speak. It sounds as if that is just a cosmetic second Dadpool, so I hope you get some good use out of it :thumbup:

It's riding in my pocket right now!

 

[Jack Black]

It's riding in my pocket right now!

Good stuff I've got a Rodgers Stockman with me today

 

[RDaneel]

On my two month anniversary of my first TC Barlow purchase, I got my latest one: the Anniversary red soup bone. This collection is growing as my wallet's contents shrink. Each one of these is my favorite.




Rainy here today, so please excuse the photo quality.

 

[Modoc ED]

Queen #22 Barlow 1960 - 1961 manufacture Aluminum Frame

 

[MercyfulfateXX]

very nice barlow

That is sweet! out of all my Case Barlows I only have a few in stag, no Damascus.

 

[BigBiscuit]

Dean, very nice collection of Charlows in a short time frame. :thumbup: