What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

supratentorial said:
Some handles were entirely iron. I think I posted a half dozen or so catalog cuts in this topic... somewhere in these 731 pages... but here's one example...
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Sorry Jake, I missed a couple of your earlier posts while I was uploading pics :thumbup: I believe the first company to use all-iron handles were Northfield in the 19th century, the inventor being Samuel Mason from Sheffield. The US patent is included in the GEC book :thumbup:
 
I did some Google searches and found several late 1800s *fictional* stories describing barlows as boy's knives used for whittling....

The old Billy Barlow was a very different knife than the Charlie Barlow. ;) We are fortunate to have some of the best made barlow knives ever made by a factory.

[book quotes removed]
 
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In 1886, a Sheffield cutler would make $3.75-$4 per week by making barlow knives.
[survey text removed]
 
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I think one of many interesting things about the Barlow knife is just how early nostalgia was used as a factor in selling them. Certainly it dates back to the early to mid 19th century, and was employed in Sheffield.

Unfortunately, there has probably been more utter drivel written about the Barlow knife, and then repeated, and sometimes by authors who really should know better, than about any other knife except the Bowie knife.
 
I'll delete the quotes from the books in the post above. But I think it's worth noting that they were often described as popular knives for boys.

I couldn't get access to the text but a good knife like a barlow was recommended as a necessary tool for bee keeping by "Office of the American Bee Journal", 1885
 
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supratentorial said:
I did some Google searches and found several late 1800s *fictional* stories describing barlows as boy's knives used for whittling....

The old Billy Barlow was a very different knife than the Charlie Barlow. ;) We are fortunate to have some of the best made barlow knives ever made by a factory.

[book quotes removed]
Click to expand...

supratentorial said:
In 1886, a Sheffield cutler would make $3.75-$4 per week by making barlow knives.
[survey text removed]
Click to expand...

I'm glad I was able to read your excerpts from 19th century fiction before you removed them, Jake; they were definitely entertaining! :thumbup::D

I'm sad I missed your excerpt about the Sheffield cutlery industry. I actually saw that it looked interesting, but relatively lengthy, so I was waiting to come back to it when I had more time. Looks like I snoozed and I losed!

- GT
 
supratentorial said:
I'll delete the quotes from the books in the post above. But I think it's worth noting that they were often described as popular knives for boys.
Click to expand...

Please post them back up. I think that they were an excellent commentary of their time. If we're going to talk barlows here, I find your posts to be exceedingly pertinent.

The use of the word barlow in writing is quite interesting, and I wonder if some of it has to do with geography. When I was a kid in Upstate NY, any traditional folding knife for kids was a "jackknife".

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The 1680's Store Records for the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire (Sheffield) survive, and tell us that Obadiah Barlow was getting a price of 2 shillings and sixpence per dozen for his 'ramshorns' and 'tyn ends'.
 
Very beautiful vintage IXL Barlow Jack! Love those yellow golden honey saw cut bone handles. The saw cuts on the mark side bone handle flat and then the saw cuts visible on the bevel or chamfer cut of the bone is beautifully photographed :thumbup: Lloyd
 
Thank you very much Lloyd, you're very kind :) The Barlow was a gift from Charlie :) :thumbup:
 
Thank you all for posting so much history about the Barlow's. Here is a quick pick of my growing collection. Just added the African Blackwood to the family today.

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Nice Barlow's Jack, Atiger and JITDC, Atigerb those Kutmaster Barlow's make great users, they take a real sharp edge.

I've had a Case 6205R Barlow on my want list for awhile now and finally found a nice one, XX era so puts it before 1964, close to mint condition. I think Case calls this a Jack instead of a Barlow but that big bolster means Barlow to me.

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And a picture with a few other razor Barlow's.

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