What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

[pertinux]

Musing over barlows old, current, and upcoming, I've been returning often to Charlie's first post in this thread, and especially his pictures. In contemplating an upcoming spey blade barlow (and realizing I didn't think I'd seen one?) I thought I'd bring these posts forward again:

"There is the simplicity, the sturdy presence, and often the simple but proud insignia on the bolster." ~ C. Campagna

I think the oldest and youngest Barlows I own are in this third scan. One of these could be 130 years old!!

The knives in this picture are from a parallel universe, where people write upside down! I don't know how they got here.

As a further clarification of blades typically found on barlows (ie, not wharncliffes or drop points):

~P, Spear blades were often listed as the first option, with a clip blade being a close second.
Schrade, Case, KeenKutter and some others offered optional blades such as a sheepfoot, or a spey, or sometimes a "one-armed man" blade that you could hook on something and open one-handed.
The secondary, if present, was almost always a pen.
Spey bladed Barlows are usually the rarest. I have seen two made by Case, and managed to score one by Schrade Cut Co. That is in a few decades of looking!

Then:

Spaced out over the next 7-8 months you will see the Sheepfoot, Spey and Razor Mains, probably in that order.

Charlie, is the spey blade barlow present in your scans above? Could we please see it with the blade open?

~ P.

 

[waynorth]

Really liking that sheepsfoot Charlie :thumbup:

Will we see single blade versions of these?

Yes, we will see equal numbers of 1-blade and 2-blade Barlows.

 

[burnside]

That picture made me put my ebony spear point in my pocket today. What a beautiful picture of a wonderful knife.

Ed J

Thanks Ed! It is definitely one of my favorites.

 

[rockgolfer]

Yes, we will see equal numbers of 1-blade and 2-blade Barlows.

Thanks Charlie, just wanted to make sure. As you can see, I like the single clip blade just a bit

 

[pertinux]

Many agree with you, Rob! (and Dan, and Paul, and and and!) I have carried the first one ever since it arrived last fall.
It pings my heart to hear such things! A Barlow in every pocket is a dream come true!!

I know I'm repeating myself, but this one's the knife equivalent of "home" for me:

I just feel better when I have it near.

And I din't even boil it!

A Rendezvous Rollout, Sheepsfoot Style? This is getting better 'n better!

~ P.

Now I have to show up, for sure!

Yinzer waffling?

~ P.

 

[waynorth]

Sarah, here are the scans I took when I first scored this knife. I could not believe my luck, after looking for many years!!

Notice, the handles are a little "Soupy"!

 

[neilrazer]

I feel stupid for needing to ask, but where are these Charlows sold when new?

 

[waynorth]

I feel stupid for needing to ask, but where are these Charlows sold when new?

Email sent, Neil!

 

[pertinux]

Sarah, here are the scans I took when I first scored this knife. I could not believe my luck, after looking for many years!!

Thanks, Charlie! Those were views I was hoping to see (and, the first spey barlow I've "seen" yet). :thumbup:

Beautiful bone, that.

I meant to mention earlier, it's fun to now return to your earlier scans and pick out the razors, sheepsfoot blades, spears and clips (the spey iteration not having made it into the family pictures).

I feel stupid for needing to ask, but where are these Charlows sold when new?

Find the interesting character wearing the Mickey Mouse® hat selling knives out of his

Wait, I see that Charlie has already responded to you.



~ P.

 

[waynorth]

That Spey came along after the "family pics"! A "late addition" to the brood!
Maybe time to do another Schrade Family!!



M - I - Ceee - See ya real sooooon!
K - E - Y - Why? Because I like ya!
EMMM OHH YUUU ESSS EEEEEEEEEE!!!!

 

[pertinux]

M - I - Ceee - See ya real sooooon!
K - E - Y - Why? Because I like ya!
EMMM OHH YUUU ESSS EEEEEEEEEE!!!!

~ P.

 

[Hammer67]

I tried to stay strong. I told myself I do not need another knife (ok, actually I tell myself that at least once a week...).

And then I thought a would just send Charlie a harmless little email, merely inquiring about the ordering process - you know, for some time in the distant future, of course. It would not be information I would need right away. In fact, if he took a few weeks to get back to me, well, that would be perfectly fine.

Instead, I had a response within the hour. And he just happens to innocently share with me the following photo and says he still has a few of the rust-red sawcut Charlows left, in a single spear blade. A pool of drool accumulated on the keyboard, and there are at least 5 minutes I can't account for. It's as if the man peered into my soul and saw the EXACT color/blade combo that was the object of my suppressed lust. That is, if I was going to buy one right now, which of course there was no way I was going to do, thank you very much.

So I bought it.

 

[waynorth]

Ummmmm - that's my evil twin!

Don't pay any attention to him!!






Heh - this post seems to respond to both of the previous posts!!

 

[Campbellclanman]

Charlie, I hope with the years you have been collecting that you still feel the "warmth" and excitement that I feel when seeing a knife like the SPEY Barlow you just showed above.
I apologise for my absence in this thread ( but have been buying lots o' knives!! ), I haven't been here too much lately, and missed my favourite thread, although I have little to offer - I just feel that this thread is.....me!

 

[stratlanta]

Yes, pardon the ignorance but I have to ask as well. I'm absolutlely loving these things! New to them however so I'm a little out of the loop....

Email sent, Neil!

 

[waynorth]

just email me, stratlanta - click on waynorth.

 

[zippofan]

Another bit of Data from the "Little Knife Company That Could".

Email sent!!! I'm with Duane, heart palpitations for sure!

 

[street soldier]

Another bit of Data from the "Little Knife Company That Could".

I'm really liking that sheepsfoot main blade, Charlie. May just have to put that on the 'must have' list.
Any thoughts on handle material?

John

 

[waynorth]

There will be some Ebony, two sawcut bone colors, and possibly some black walnut.
My father had a couple of walnut gunstock blanks in his closet from the 1950s. My brother gave me one of them, and I of course immediately thought "knife Handles"!
We are just looking at it to see how it finishes up.

 

[TLARbb]

I can remember a time not that long ago that I didn't have a single barlow of any manufacturer or configuration. Because of a thread entitled something like "Show us your Barlows", I bought 2 Boker barlows and later another Boker. Then this thread popped up and I have since purchased 3 of the series, and a Queen Drake well barlow. Also picked up the 2009? forum barlow as well. So, now I have several. Never underestimate peer pressure and impulse.

Ed J