What makes TC barlows more expensive?

[Peregrin]

Folks, This thread is slipping into the old "flipper" discussion. It's being moved to Feedback.

 

[Elgatodeacero]

one issue that makes the recent 14 barlows so hard to find at any price is they were made in ebony and in ivory bone.

for collectors, and those with OCD, it means having one of each ebony wood/ivory bone.

if the run had been half ebony and half ironwood (or half red jig bone, etc) i dont think anyone would care about a matching "set".

i also feel the barlows take substantially more labor and skill to create for GEC.

 

[waynorth]

There is more cost and labor involved in the GEC Barlows, than in the regular run knives in the same pattern - at a guess 15-20% more. I make a small mark-up between GEC and the dealers, for the effort I put in, for design, writing etc. Between GEC and I, we can only make a finite number of knives without interfering with GEC's capacity to make other knives that people want.
We are all flattered that so many people like the Barlows.
Sometimes, the after market sellers/flippers make way more profit than we do, taking advantage of the freedom in the market that democracy provides, and the desire of collectors to have shiny things. Most dealers will only sell one knife at a time - I have had people offer to buy 10, 20 30 Barlows!! I refuse them always. The dealers I sell Barlows to, are trusted to do the right thing.
Buy judiciously, and remember, you don't need every single one. If you WANT every one, expect to pay more some times, and be proud of what you have accomplished!!
When I was younger, and winning competitions in bull's eye shooting, NRA style, I collected all types of pistols, thinking the next one will be even better!! I wound up with nearly 70 target-worthy guns; but I could never shoot better than I did with my first old S&W .38 special revolver!
I sold most of them off, but still have that .38, 45 years later!!

 

[cbr1000]

Perhaps the cost of the TC Barlows and the more common models have been close in the past, but this is not currently the case. The recent 14 TC Barlows are definitely more expensive at the retail level than the corresponding 14's. The recent ebony and white bone versions were approximately $140 at most dealers. The single blade 14 Tidioute versions were in the $75-$85 range. The really nice single blade SFO's were in the $85-$95 range.

I agree, the past two runs of TC's have gone up a lot. After I got my bill for the 14's I thought to myself that I will need to reconsider getting more in the future. In the not too distant past they didn't run much more. I don't have numbers in front of me, but if I recall they would run about $10-15.00 more years ago. This last run at $50 more is likely my limit and won't collect them anymore.. I don't know for sure. As a collector I'm priced out. As a flipper I'd assume it would still be a bargin.

 

[cigarrodog]

There is more cost and labor involved in the GEC Barlows, than in the regular run knives in the same pattern - at a guess 15-20% more. I make a small mark-up between GEC and the dealers, for the effort I put in, for design, writing etc. Between GEC and I, we can only make a finite number of knives without interfering with GEC's capacity to make other knives that people want.
We are all flattered that so many people like the Barlows.
Sometimes, the after market sellers/flippers make way more profit than we do, taking advantage of the freedom in the market that democracy provides, and the desire of collectors to have shiny things. Most dealers will only sell one knife at a time - I have had people offer to buy 10, 20 30 Barlows!! I refuse them always. The dealers I sell Barlows to, are trusted to do the right thing.
Buy judiciously, and remember, you don't need every single one. If you WANT every one, expect to pay more some times, and be proud of what you have accomplished!!
When I was younger, and winning competitions in bull's eye shooting, NRA style, I collected all types of pistols, thinking the next one will be even better!! I wound up with nearly 70 target-worthy guns; but I could never shoot better than I did with my first old S&W .38 special revolver!
I sold most of them off, but still have that .38, 45 years later!!

Your SFOs are standout and worth every penny. The quality, fit&finish, and every detail makes them a work of art.

 

[Old Engineer]

From what we hear, the sheepsfoot will be the next offering.
Can't wait for that, a sheepsfoot 14 will be so sweet.

The size 15 TC Barlows were available in 2017 with Sheepfoot blade . Blade Forums knife in Micarta then a run of Red Bone and then Black I think Ebony , but maybe someone will clarify that .
Harry