What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[gonebad395]

This is my schrade Barlow

 

[waynorth]

I have always enjoyed that fancy Schrade Bolster!
That knife looks unused, Keith!?

 

[Jfowl31]

This is my schrade Barlow

I was hoping you would post that one here. I never could bring myself to give that one pocket time! Here's hoping it will serve you well and your next post has some patina on those blades.

 

[Ryouchijtx]

This is exceptionally nice. The closest to old Case red which is the beautiful bone color ever, at list for me. Great find

Mike

Thank you Mike, seems like my barlow interest has been re-ignited. I received this one today from Bob's GAW and it is a beauty. 2 more of Charlie's offerings will be joining me shortly..I can't wait to "primble-lize" them matte and take some photos.

 

[btmccutcheon]

Speaking of Primble; maybe he would be so kind as to weigh in on a Barlow I procured last weekend. What might you be able to tell me about it?

 

[TsarBomba]

Finally grabbed my first of the block print Primble Barlows with some lovely bone scales -- unlike a few of my other vintage Barlows the pile side is sawcut (albeit time-worn smooth now) while the mark side was quite obviously left smooth. Already reached out to touch this one a few times, even though the master blade has seen better days I feel no qualms about displaying it alongside the rest. It's a rich orange-reddish bone and even the pitting on the bolster lends it character and adds to the knife's aura. Picked it up for a relative song, so all in all I'm quite happy with the acquisition.

 

[TsarBomba]

[EDITED]

Your nightly database maintenance duplicated my post, BF! :grumpy:

Sorry about that, folks! I'll have to stop posting at the crack of midnight.

Here, have a Barlow.

 

[paulhilborn]

@ bt, very nice Primble, I'll weigh in with my thoughts but like you the definitive answers would be from Rob himself:thumbup:

I THINK, the Star indicates Boker made? In regards to year? Rob, you out there buddy

 

[Primble]

Speaking of Primble; maybe he would be so kind as to weigh in on a Barlow I procured last weekend. What might you be able to tell me about it?

Paul is correct. The star stamped Primbles were made by Boker, between 1940-1968. If you look at a Boker Barlow from the same era, the blades were identical, however, the Primble bolsters were quite different from the Boker models.

Finally grabbed my first of the block print Primble Barlows with some lovely bone scales -- unlike a few of my other vintage Barlows the pile side is sawcut (albeit time-worn smooth now) while the mark side was quite obviously left smooth. Already reached out to touch this one a few times, even though the master blade has seen better days I feel no qualms about displaying it alongside the rest. It's a rich orange-reddish bone and even the pitting on the bolster lends it character and adds to the knife's aura. Picked it up for a relative song, so all in all I'm quite happy with the acquisition.

Nice to see the Boker made Primble Barlows showing up ! :thumbup:

 

[btmccutcheon]

@ bt, very nice Primble, I'll weigh in with my thoughts but like you the definitive answers would be from Rob himself:thumbup:

I THINK, the Star indicates Boker made? In regards to year? Rob, you out there buddy

Paul is correct. The star stamped Primbles were made by Boker, between 1940-1968. If you look at a Boker Barlow from the same era, the blades were identical, however, the Primble bolsters were quite different from the Boker models.



Nice to see the Boker made Primble Barlows showing up ! :thumbup:

Thank you gentlemen. It's good knowing there are people out there that can help out with information to fill in the gaps.

 

[philllll]

It's interesting to see the 2 different bolster stamps on your Boker Primble, bt, but not on yours, Tsar.

 

[TsarBomba]

I was thinking the same thing, philllll. I figured it was either a variation or perhaps a practice they altered with time, seeing as how so many 60s-80s Barlows have the word "Barlow" stamped on the bolsters, maybe Primble decided to follow the practice at some point. This is just speculation, however, but it gives me more motivation to go find old Primble materials and pad my knife notebook. :thumbup:

 

[Primble]

It's interesting to see the 2 different bolster stamps on your Boker Primble, bt, but not on yours, Tsar.

I was thinking the same thing, philllll. I figured it was either a variation or perhaps a practice they altered with time, seeing as how so many 60s-80s Barlows have the word "Barlow" stamped on the bolsters, maybe Primble decided to follow the practice at some point. This is just speculation, however, but it gives me more motivation to go find old Primble materials and pad my knife notebook. :thumbup:

I noticed that too and found it interesting. 28 years is a long time. I did not mention it because I did not want him to think that I was nit picking his example nor to think that I thought it odd. Most examples I have seen and the two I have both are stamped Primble on both sides. I think TsarBomba might be on the right track, hard to know everything about these old knives ! I do believe his is surely original.

I found another Primble Barlow on Google images search with Barlow stamped on the pile side. It was a Delrin handled model as well.

 

[btmccutcheon]

@ bt, very nice Primble, I'll weigh in with my thoughts but like you the definitive answers would be from Rob himself:thumbup:

I THINK, the Star indicates Boker made? In regards to year? Rob, you out there buddy

Paul is correct. The star stamped Primbles were made by Boker, between 1940-1968. If you look at a Boker Barlow from the same era, the blades were identical, however, the Primble bolsters were quite different from the Boker models.



Nice to see the Boker made Primble Barlows showing up ! :thumbup:

I noticed that too and found it interesting. 28 years is a long time. I did not mention it because I did not want him to think that I was nit picking his example nor to think that I thought it odd. Most examples I have seen and the two I have both are stamped Primble on both sides. I think TsarBomba might be on the right track, hard to know everything about these old knives ! I do believe his is surely original.

I found another Primble Barlow on Google images search with Barlow stamped on the pile side. It was a Delrin handled model as well.

It's amazing to me that so much is known about many of these older knives considering how many companies had their hands in so many brands. I can see the same thing happening years from now to younger versions of us... "I thought Northwoods was Scagel" "But this one is supposedly made by Queen" But, But, this one is made by GEC?" "What the Heck?"

 

[TsarBomba]

It's amazing to me that so much is known about many of these older knives considering how many companies had their hands in so many brands. I can see the same thing happening years from now to younger versions of us... "I thought Northwoods was Scagel" "But this one is supposedly made by Queen" But, But, this one is made by GEC?" "What the Heck?"

The fact that there are so many moving targets is part of what makes the hobby fun, IMO.

Boker had their hand in a lot of cutlery pots. I learned recently that my "old" bone Remington was actually an '80s Boker-made "reproduction", albeit one that seems to fetch a premium in pristine condition.





The end pins, bolsters and blades are different but these knives could be upwards of 30 years apart off the line. Either way, they're both pretty cool little knives.

 

[Primble]

It's amazing to me that so much is known about many of these older knives considering how many companies had their hands in so many brands. I can see the same thing happening years from now to younger versions of us... "I thought Northwoods was Scagel" "But this one is supposedly made by Queen" But, But, this one is made by GEC?" "What the Heck?"

Great point and I believe they will be saying exactly what you suggested ! :thumbup: Perhaps the digital age might clear it up for them.

 

[btmccutcheon]

@ bt, very nice Primble, I'll weigh in with my thoughts but like you the definitive answers would be from Rob himself:thumbup:

I THINK, the Star indicates Boker made? In regards to year? Rob, you out there buddy

Paul is correct. The star stamped Primbles were made by Boker, between 1940-1968. If you look at a Boker Barlow from the same era, the blades were identical, however, the Primble bolsters were quite different from the Boker models.



Nice to see the Boker made Primble Barlows showing up ! :thumbup:

The fact that there are so many moving targets is part of what makes the hobby fun, IMO.

Boker had their hand in a lot of cutlery pots. I learned recently that my "old" bone Remington was actually an '80s Boker-made "reproduction", albeit one that seems to fetch a premium in pristine condition.





The end pins, bolsters and blades are different but these knives could be upwards of 30 years apart off the line. Either way, they're both pretty cool little knives.

I'm thinking this Russell was made by Boker, but I haven't been able to track it down definitely yet.

 

[TsarBomba]

I'm thinking this Russell was made by Boker, but I haven't been able to track it down definitely yet.

Apologies if I already posted these earlier in this thread. I think they might be helpful in this context.





There's little doubt the Russell and Boker pictured above are dead ringers, even with the "extra" pin on the bone-handled Russell. The tang and bolster stamps are completely different, though. My Delrin 493 also matches with my one-armed Barlows:



Could be a different German-based cutler, perhaps, but it simply could be the march of time as Boker changed up processes and patterns over the years. I have a feeling your Russell is vastly older than any of the knives I've posted here.

 

[btmccutcheon]

Could be a different German-based cutler, perhaps, but it simply could be the march of time as Boker changed up processes and patterns over the years. I have a feeling your Russell is vastly older than any of the knives I've posted here.

I've got a way older German Barlow...

 

[TsarBomba]

I've got a way older German Barlow...

Another beauty, and the pin configuration seems much closer to the older Russell (as well as the Remington I posted here). When I get home I'm going to try and dig up some more info about this little German family of Barlows.