- Joined
- Dec 2, 2005
- Messages
- 65,538
When I was a kid, my first knife was what was then, certainly here in the UK, a typical kid’s first pocket knife – a Richard’s Little Chief (I had previously been given a Nepalese Kukri, but that’s another story! 
). On the shell handle it had a picture of a Native American war-chief on a white horse, lance in hand, with the knife’s name in script below. I must have gazed at that picture a thousand times, and the knife was a good pattern, with a somewhat worn Clip blade, and an accessory blade with a screwdriver and bottle-opener. It was a trusty boyhood companion.
I can’t remember what happened to the Chief. I was probably given a bigger, better, less boyish knife, or bought one for myself, and only having a need for one pocket knife, gave it away to another kid, or swapped it for a cap gun or a fishing lure or something. As kids we rarely treasure things which may mean something to us later in life. I own a few dozen Richards knives, and have seen thousands more, but strangely, I’ve never seen another Little Chief.
Despite their cheap construction, like the shell-handled Imperial knives, Richards knives, with their garish colours and bold emblems, always had a sense of fun, something we rarely see or look for in a pocket knife I think.
Some years ago, I posted a thread about a fun little knife I’d picked up on my travels: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/lets-see-your-pictorials.1223592/ Unfortunately, many of the pics are gone from that thread now, but the Novelty Knife Co Barlows posted by @flatblackcapo are still there Here’s one of Kevin’s pics 
I had to check these out!
My post:
But having found them on the big river site, they were listed as 'Currently Unavailable' I've checked back numerous times over the past five years, and they are STILL 'Currently Unavailable'
The thread snoozed, but a couple of years later @5K Qs , who was a new poster then I think, but already displaying the great sense of fun we all love about him, posted pics of his Zorro Barlow.
It's a little different to Kevin's knives, and certainly to the Novelty Cutlery Co knives of old, but it looked great to me, and I set off to find one again, only to be unable to find one available in the UK - 'Currently' Now the kind folks here are always asking me if they can send me anything, but I never thought to ask, and the Zorro Barlow would pass from my thoughts until GT periodically posted his in the EDC thread, which would cause me to make another brief search, then forget again.
GT must have posted a pic around the time Tom @Whetstone39 posted his generous giveaway thread: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/5-years-3000-posts-gaw.1614563/
Tom was offering to spend $100 on a knife of the winner's choosing I don't often enter giveaway threads, but I figured this might be a great opportunity to finally secure a Zorro Barlow without depleting the fund (which would then buy another winner a knife) too much. It was a really nice idea for a giveaway I thought, and typical of The Porch, plenty of folks chose to designate an inexpensive knife if they won - so there were a lot of winners in Tom's giveaway, and luckily for me, I was one of them
Now the last thing I wanted to do was cause Tom any extra trouble or expense, so I offered to pay the postage, but Tom wasn't having any of that. He struggled to find a knife too, since they were initially out of stock, but he did so, and let me know that Zorro was finally galloping my way Unfortunately Tom and Zorro had run into some bad guys in the form of the UPS - who, on this side of the pond at least, are a bunch of no good outlaws, best avoided - and they stung Tom for some taxes and customs duties, which weren't owing in the first place I'm hoping that this chicanery can be avenged, and that the thieving scoundrels get the justice coming to them
Tom sure went to a lot of trouble to get Zorro to me, and unfortunately it cost him more than the price of the knife Zorro rode into town in the end however, and when I opened the box, I was surprised to find not just The Fox himself, but a whole posse of good guys in the form of Tom Mix, Red Ryder, and Lash LaRue! It seems that Zorro didn't come alone, and Tom had to purchase the set, so thanks to his generosity, I now have a growing collection of Heroes of the Silver Screen Barlows
But those weren't the only Barlows in Tom's package, he also included this lovely old Case model, which is definitely a very grown-up knife
So thanks Tom, for all your kindness my friend. I'm sorry you had so many travails and misadventures along the way, and hope that I can make it up to you one day - and that the bad guys get their just desserts. Me and Zorro, and his amigos, are going to be kicking back and having some fun together (while I admire that beautiful Case on the sly), and if any of you folks have a fun knife or two you'd like to share here, it'd be great to see 'em
Thanks again Tom, like Zorro and his pals, you're a legend
Jack
). On the shell handle it had a picture of a Native American war-chief on a white horse, lance in hand, with the knife’s name in script below. I must have gazed at that picture a thousand times, and the knife was a good pattern, with a somewhat worn Clip blade, and an accessory blade with a screwdriver and bottle-opener. It was a trusty boyhood companion.I can’t remember what happened to the Chief. I was probably given a bigger, better, less boyish knife, or bought one for myself, and only having a need for one pocket knife, gave it away to another kid, or swapped it for a cap gun or a fishing lure or something. As kids we rarely treasure things which may mean something to us later in life. I own a few dozen Richards knives, and have seen thousands more, but strangely, I’ve never seen another Little Chief.
Despite their cheap construction, like the shell-handled Imperial knives, Richards knives, with their garish colours and bold emblems, always had a sense of fun, something we rarely see or look for in a pocket knife I think.
Some years ago, I posted a thread about a fun little knife I’d picked up on my travels: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/lets-see-your-pictorials.1223592/ Unfortunately, many of the pics are gone from that thread now, but the Novelty Knife Co Barlows posted by @flatblackcapo are still there
Here’s one of Kevin’s pics
I had to check these out!
My post:
A Zorro Barlow for only $5?! Are they crazy?!!
But having found them on the big river site, they were listed as 'Currently Unavailable'
I've checked back numerous times over the past five years, and they are STILL 'Currently Unavailable' The thread snoozed, but a couple of years later @5K Qs , who was a new poster then I think, but already displaying the great sense of fun we all love about him, posted pics of his Zorro Barlow.
Since Jack obviously yearns for The Fox, I'll post my version. (It's very similar in style to the ones flatblackcapo posted featuring Roy/Dale, Gene Autrey, and Red Ryder.)
"Out of the night, when the full moon is bright
Rides a horseman known as Zorro ..."
- GT
It's a little different to Kevin's knives, and certainly to the Novelty Cutlery Co knives of old, but it looked great to me, and I set off to find one again, only to be unable to find one available in the UK - 'Currently'
Now the kind folks here are always asking me if they can send me anything, but I never thought to ask, and the Zorro Barlow would pass from my thoughts until GT periodically posted his in the EDC thread, which would cause me to make another brief search, then forget again. GT must have posted a pic around the time Tom @Whetstone39 posted his generous giveaway thread: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/5-years-3000-posts-gaw.1614563/
Tom was offering to spend $100 on a knife of the winner's choosing
I don't often enter giveaway threads, but I figured this might be a great opportunity to finally secure a Zorro Barlow without depleting the fund (which would then buy another winner a knife) too much. It was a really nice idea for a giveaway I thought, and typical of The Porch, plenty of folks chose to designate an inexpensive knife if they won - so there were a lot of winners in Tom's giveaway, and luckily for me, I was one of them Now the last thing I wanted to do was cause Tom any extra trouble or expense, so I offered to pay the postage, but Tom wasn't having any of that. He struggled to find a knife too, since they were initially out of stock, but he did so, and let me know that Zorro was finally galloping my way
Unfortunately Tom and Zorro had run into some bad guys in the form of the UPS - who, on this side of the pond at least, are a bunch of no good outlaws, best avoided - and they stung Tom for some taxes and customs duties, which weren't owing in the first place I'm hoping that this chicanery can be avenged, and that the thieving scoundrels get the justice coming to them
Tom sure went to a lot of trouble to get Zorro to me, and unfortunately it cost him more than the price of the knife
Zorro rode into town in the end however, and when I opened the box, I was surprised to find not just The Fox himself, but a whole posse of good guys in the form of Tom Mix, Red Ryder, and Lash LaRue! It seems that Zorro didn't come alone, and Tom had to purchase the set, so thanks to his generosity, I now have a growing collection of Heroes of the Silver Screen Barlows
But those weren't the only Barlows in Tom's package, he also included this lovely old Case model, which is definitely a very grown-up knife
So thanks Tom, for all your kindness my friend. I'm sorry you had so many travails and misadventures along the way, and hope that I can make it up to you one day - and that the bad guys get their just desserts. Me and Zorro, and his amigos, are going to be kicking back and having some fun together (while I admire that beautiful Case on the sly), and if any of you folks have a fun knife or two you'd like to share here, it'd be great to see 'em
Thanks again Tom, like Zorro and his pals, you're a legend
Jack
