What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

r redden said:
I do not know what it was about a 494 Boker that caught my eye but the first time I ever saw one was in a post here and I immediately went on the hunt for one. I have around 50 barlows but to me the 494 is the finest one available bar none. This is my favorite knife bar none.

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I think you may have seen mine. For a $1 yard sale knife, it's perfect! I've had mine on me for 2 weeks straight.
 
Âchillepattada said:
Friends always help you to walk when you have a problem ;)

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Ha ha!! I am glad you are putting that stick to good use, Achille!! And I hope you are feeling better!!:thumbsup: (Trucks should never pick on Harleys!!:mad:)
The 1 of 1 Diamond-Diamond Willow ancient-looking stick!!
The stick came from northern Canada, through Vancouver for alterations into a walking stick, then personally carried via Air France to Paris!!
Some of those beads are several hundred years old, and Bill from Great Eastern contributed the Diamond shield; and of course made the New Ancient Barlow!:)
 
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r8shell said:
I'll do some more reading, but I think Bakelite does not melt. It was used for electrical insulators and radio components, etc.
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There's a smell test for celluloid vs bakelite. Some people can rub it hard enough on a bit of silk or something to heat it enough to smell it, which works better at the flea market than dipping in hot water.
Of course I can never remember which smells like what.

SteveC said:
Camillus did use Bakelite before the switch to Delrin
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Thanks for that.
 
scrteened porch said:
There's a smell test for celluloid vs bakelite. Some people can rub it hard enough on a bit of silk or something to heat it enough to smell it, which works better at the flea market than dipping in hot water.
Of course I can never remember which smells like what.


Thanks for that.
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Thanks, I'll do some more reading up on it. I have my doubts that I could distinguish between Bakelite and celluloid by smell alone. I'll bet there are antiques hunters who could, though. Probably takes years of familiarity with both materials.
 
traumkommode said:
Hey Charlie, care to give us a neat New year's Barlow lineup?
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Hard to pass up that invitation, tk!!
Here's a drawer from my archive. The knives are not in a completely sensible order, as I have taken some out from time to time, and not filed them in order correctly!!:rolleyes:
There's a used one in there, a one of a kind, a re-handled one and a non-TC!!:)
Can you find those four, or do I need better pics??:eek:
:D
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Top half of drawer of drawer (uncropped):
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Bottom half, (uncropped).
Drawer 3.jpg
There is another drawer like this one, but it needs work!!:cool:
 
waynorth said:
Hard to pass up that invitation, tk!!
Here's a drawer from my archive. The knives are not in a completely sensible order, as I have taken some out from time to time, and not filed them in order correctly!!:rolleyes:
There's a used one in there, a one of a kind, a re-handled one and a non-TC!!:)
Can you find those four, or do I need better pics??:eek:
:D
All
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Top half of drawer of drawer (uncropped):
View attachment 1047354
Bottom half, (uncropped).
View attachment 1047355
There is another drawer like this one, but it needs work!!:cool:
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Ooh, sweet Charlie! This is terrific!

Okay okay... The non-TC is bottom row of top drawer, 2nd from the right. And I'm pinging to n the stag and the pure white as the one-of-a-kind and rehandle options, although I'm not sure which is which because I could see you getting one of either as a special from Bill. There's also a really dark red/maroonish sheepsfoot that looks like it might be cocobolo in the bottom drawer bottom row towards the middle? I might just not be able to discern that one properly.

As for the user, it's hard to discern any scratches or patina on blades in these pictures, and I don't see Old Boiley in there in any recognizable way...
 
Thanks Dwight and JP and all you who have "liked" the post!!:thumbsup:
It was fun looking at them all, and remembering the "slabs", JP!!:)

tk, Boiley is in there, 3rd in, in the top row of the bottom half.
The Ivory was a gift from Bill, the Stag a rehandle from a member here!
And the non-TC is a Schrade Cut Co. You got them all!
 
waynorth said:
Hard to pass up that invitation, tk!!
Here's a drawer from my archive. The knives are not in a completely sensible order, as I have taken some out from time to time, and not filed them in order correctly!!:rolleyes:
There's a used one in there, a one of a kind, a re-handled one and a non-TC!!:)
Can you find those four, or do I need better pics??:eek:
:D
All
View attachment 1047353
Top half of drawer of drawer (uncropped):
View attachment 1047354
Bottom half, (uncropped).
View attachment 1047355
There is another drawer like this one, but it needs work!!:cool:
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Wow, that's a sight to behold right there.
 
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