What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

What makes a good traditional barlow? I guess 930 pages here can attest to that. I could also probably use the search function and maybe find an answer or argument to my question, which is......

Would this knife be considered a barlow? It is billed as such by the manufacturer but I’ve thought that the bolster should be 1/3rd the length of the handle.

ploid.jpg


f2o9kk.jpg



BTW, philllll philllll that checkered TC is incredible!!
 
draggat said:
What makes a good traditional barlow? I guess 930 pages here can attest to that. I could also probably use the search function and maybe find an answer or argument to my question, which is......

Would this knife be considered a barlow? It is billed as such by the manufacturer but I’ve thought that the bolster should be 1/3rd the length of the handle.

ploid.jpg


f2o9kk.jpg



BTW, philllll philllll that checkered TC is incredible!!
Click to expand...
IMHO your Stag knife is not a Barlow . I have always had the same opinion as you do except for the Grand Daddy Barlows . Still a nice looking knife my friend .

Harry
 
draggat said:
Would this knife be considered a barlow? It is billed as such by the manufacturer but I’ve thought that the bolster should be 1/3rd the length of the handle.
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They are not traditional American pattern Barlows to be sure, but the pattern is English not American in origin. Some English makers began modifying the pattern quite a bit after their sale in the USA became impossible as a result of tariffs and the difficulty of competing with the higher cost efficiency of mechanical mass production techniques. The American Russell firm first was able to mass produce the pattern at at much lower cost than the British could compete with, and kept the price low by not making changes that would require updates in tooling. This caused the long bolsters to be recognized in the USA as a sign of extra strength at low cost, long after they really added any additional strength to the design (even the hollow metal shell handled Barlow patterned knives once made in the USA have extra long bolsters, although they are held together only by by domed rivets within the hollow bolsters). The Sheffield production of knives of this pattern continued to evolve as the focus for their export shifted to other colonial areas (indeed, the pattern Wright's uses is very similar to some versions of the "Bunny Knife" exported from Sheffield to Australia). The British pattern of Barlow with its somewhat shorter bolsters may be seen as a variant, just as the depression era American hollow shell handled Barlows may be seen as such. I do consider them as British Barlows, rather than American Barlows.
 
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I agree with you David - that is a killer improvement on a TC!! One of Evan's triumphs IMO!!

Evans checkering 1.jpg Evans checkering 2.jpg
Here is the first one that Evan experimented on, a used and patina-ed Ancient. Not as perfect and wonderful as Phil's, but not bad!!
 
paulhilborn said:
Hey I have one of them wonderful checkerd's as well from Evan. Mine is your famed Walnut Gunstock Charlie:thumbsup: It has several special things tied to it. #1 Gunstock Walnut of your fathers #2 the knife was a gift from Duncan and #3 artisan checkering by Evan:cool::cool::cool:
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You know the rules, Paul!!:eek:
Pictures or it just ain't so!!:rolleyes:
:D
 
waynorth said:
I agree with you David - that is a killer improvement on a TC!! One of Evan's triumphs IMO!!

View attachment 1075258 View attachment 1075259
Here is the first one that Evan experimented on, a used and patina-ed Ancient. Not as perfect and wonderful as Phil's, but not bad!!
Click to expand...
For a first try that is quite amazing, and I think not being 100% perfect, and that the tops of the "diamonds" being more flat really,really fit that ancient well:cool::thumbsup:
 
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