Got pics of your Boker Barlow?

[gruntmedik]

Here are a few of mine. The top 493 was given to me by my Papaw several years ago, but I don't recall exactly when. His is the well used one, with one of his "mods" he would do. He wanted the point more inline with the handle.

They both have 3 brass liners, and 2 pins. Tangs have 493.

[treefarmer]

gruntmedik,
How many years did it take for your grandfather to wear that bolster down? That's a real prize! Back to that ol' sayin' "If knives could talk". It's great that you have one from him that is like his. Treefarmer

[Old Hunter]

That is a true "pocket worn" knife right there, what a classic.

[gruntmedik]

I'm not sure how long it took, but he carried it daily, and he had it before he gave me mine. It rode in his pocket with coins, keys, and at least one other knife. He had several pocket knives, and by several, I mean it would have been easier to judge his knives by poundage, versus counting them. He used his knives, and used them well. I have a couple of his old Imperials that are all but used up.

He had an old Boker Whittler pattern in his pocket when he died. My younger brother has that one.

I do remember that when he gave it to me, it had a pocket slip that came with it.

[jon_slider]

Hello, late to the party, found this 494 on ebay, now trying to learn what the blade steel is.. and a date of manufacture..

The blade looks stainless. It has a steel center liner. Sounds like this is a Delrin scale, thanks for the info!

[jerryd6818]

Welcome to AAPK Jon. Let me bump this up and maybe you'll get an answer to your question.

[Old Hunter]

Hello Jon, welcome to AAPK. Look back in this thread and you will find most answers to your question are bedded in the discussions. The handles on your knife are Delrin, I guess the approximate age of your knife would be mid 1970's, I think the blade steel is stainless (have a 492 in my pocket right now and I would guess the blades are stainless - not a spec on them.) OH

Ps I like your knife - great blade configuration.

[jon_slider]

Thanks for the info, yes, my 494 with thin tree has delrin handles and stainless blades. I was hoping someone would tell me the kind of stainless (Sandvik?), but nobody has chimed in with that info.

I recently saw another 494, with the Fat Tree on another forum, and the person who showed it indicated it was carbon steel. By the look of it, I agree.

Here is another one:
I see this knife on ebay at the moment, at a very inflated price, and the owner claims it is carbon steel and made in germany. It has a fat tree.

Can anyone here confirm that the fat tree boker 494's were German made and that the fat tree bokers are allways carbon steel?

here is a quote of his description
"This vintage Barlow knife features two high carbon steel blades, (1) sheep foot blade 2-1/2” long and (2) a 1-7/8” long secondary pen blade.
...
The handles, bolsters, brass spacers, brass frames and steel back-springs are well aligned showing the quality of workmanship of a vintage German made Barlow knife."

[PigSticker]

I didn't think any of the Boker Barlow's were stainless--I carried a 492 I bought new in the 90's and know it was carbon steel blades-are you saying it depends on the shape of the tree if it's carbon or stainless ?
I've got a 493 & 494 I'll dig out later I'm thinkin both are USA and both carbon steel

[jon_slider]

> are you saying it depends on the shape of the tree if it's carbon or stainless ?

yes, I am asking if the fat tree denotes carbon. The 2 carbon steel 494's I know of have fat trees.

My thin tree 494, also pictured above is definitely stainless. I dont know when the fat tree started, or whether it was made in USA.. (I suspect it is a USA model and that the vendor is mistaken claiming its german made.)

Im only asking those who know more than I do. Im just posting pictures, and noticing a pattern, in a very very small sample of the three 494's I have mentioned, my stainless thin tree and the two carbon fat trees.

Note I am only talking about delrin handled knives with 2 pins, Im not talking about older models with bone handles and 3 pins, that were definitely carbon, not stainless.

Another variations that seems to imply carbon blades, is 3 brass liners, and also ringed bolsters.

My delrin handled 2pin, stainless bladed 494 and the carbon steel 494's I know of, all have brass outer liners, and steel center liners, with fat trees on the carbon bladed ones.

the variations then are
1. ringed bolster, rare, carbon blade
2. three brass liners, carbon blade
3. thin tree with steel center liner, stainless blade
4. fat tree with steel center liner, carbon blade

None of those 4 variants are marked made in USA, but this forum says they are USA made Bokers, other forums think they are german if it does not say USA, as also claimed by the vendor of the carbon 494 I posted. Personally, I think this forum is correct, these are USA made Bokers..

[jon_slider]

There is currently a NIB Boker 494 here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Boker-494-Tree- ... 4173ee8230

it is a Fat tree version, and comes with a paper insert in the box that specifically says that this item is Carbon Steel, not stainless like my boker 494 with the slim tree.

Notice that the box also has the Fat Tree on it.

So far I think it is fair to say that the difference between a Stainless and a Carbon bladed 494 with Delrin scales, is the carbon has a Fat Tree..



By the way, I had an email conversation with the Boker factory regarding whether the stainless Bokers can be identified by being non magnetic. The answer is no, even the stainless Bokers will stick to a magnet.

Here is a thin tree 494 that I believe is stainless, currently also on the bay


And, since Ive been perusing the Bay, one last distinction I think may be accurate. To tell a USA Boker from a Germany one, note that this German one says so on the tang stamp, leaving me to believe unmarked tangs, those that just show the Blade Style number, are USA Bokers.

I think this is a Solingen Stainless Steel model, note it has the Fat tree, but the blade stamp says Solingen Germany. Feedback welcome.



here is another fat tree Solingen Stainless German Boker



And lastly for now, here is a Boker being sold on Ebay as having saw cut bone handles. I contacted the seller to share my opinion. To my eye it is clearly a Delrin handled Boker, thin tree, stainless

[jon_slider]

Here is a bay listing that is full of wrong info, the knife is not from the 40-50's, and the handles are not stag at all, not even bone, and the blades are not carbon steel. The knife is from the late 70's and has delrin handles, and the thin tree stamp on the bolsters means the blades are Stainless Steel.. The seller ignored my updated info, and continues to ask $199 for the knife. Buyer beware.

“This knife is a Boker 492 Improved Stag Barlow Knife 3-5/16" Closed. Circa 1940's-50's and has the main spear blade made of the 1085 cutlery steel and the pen blade is the same. It has genuine Sawcut Improved stag handles that are fabulous and tight and as new as the rest of the knife."

[TexasJack]

1 Blade, Bone, tang stamp Boker U.S.A.

[TexasJack]

Some mor e pics.

[jon_slider]

Beautiful 1940-50's? 3 pin Bone scaled Boker USA, thanks for the pics!

show and tell more about your three 2 pin Bokers please. I see one has a fat tree. Does the fat tree one have a brass center liner? and do the two thin tree ones have steel center liners? Are any of them tang stamped Solingen? Are any of them apparently stainless?

Im trying to sort out some assumptions about 2 pin bokers with delrin scales..
check my assumptions please, are they true or false based on your samples?
1. steel center liner means stainless blade on thin tree bokers with no solingen stamp
2. fat tree means carbon blade and includes brass not steel center liner, unless stamped solingen
3. 2 pin Bokers do not have bone scales and are not stamped USA
4. 3 pin Bokers do have bone scales, and some are stamped USA.

your last knife with 3 pins looks like a modern Solingen Boker, is it stainless?
also I note one of your 2 pin bokers has a ringed bolster, less frequently seen, nice selection.

here btw is a Boker with 3 pins and no USA nor Solingen stamp. Yet another variation: sorry for the poor pics, lifted off the bay.. looks like a smooth bone handle, similar to yours maybe..

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b_Zp ... G_7572.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Pl7u ... G_7567.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y0Hq ... G_7569.JPG

[TexasJack]

Boker#1
I believe Bone handles, brass liners and carbon blades.

[TexasJack]

Boker #2 Delrin handles, carbon blade, steel center liner.

[TexasJack]

#3 Delrin, Carbon, steel center liner.

[TexasJack]

Stainless

[jon_slider]

image.jpg

image.jpg

#3 Delrin, Carbon, steel center liner.

thanks for all the pics and info
so the #1 with the ringed bolster and brass center liner you think is bone, good to know. that wrecks my idea that 2 pin handles are delrin, not bone

and #2 with steel center liner and delrin you think is carbon blade, that wrecks my fledgling theory that the steel liner indicates stainless

Im happy to be better educated, even if my guesses were mistaken

#3 is a new player, not pictured in the group shot, steel center, delrin handle, skinny tree, and you believe carbon.. thanks for all the pics and info

btw, I just the bid on that Ebay Boker, with no Boker USA stamp, bone handles with 3 pins, and no Solingen stamp. I make it possibly a 1940's knife, waiting to see the liners, they should be steel. I believe your latest bone Boker with 3 pins and the Boker USA stamp would be a 1950's model.

all good fun, thanks for sharing, will post pics when my Bone Boker arrives

[orvet]

Here is a Boker Barlow I have-

[jon_slider]

Here is a Boker Barlow I have-

Boker 493 Barlow.jpg

Are those flat bolsters or are my eyes getting worse?

[jon_slider]

Here are a few photos of a Boker Barlow I got off ebay for cheap, under $20. The seller said it had never been sharpened and had bone handles. Both not true. It has lots of scratches all over from being cleaned with some kind of abrasive, possibly a scotchbrite wheel, not sure. The plastic covers seem to have been melted with a torch on one side. The only tang stamp is the number 492. Overall a good lesson on how little a photo on the bay reveals, and what dishonesty exists among some of the vendors. This knife was sold by 30yearmanusmc.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-U9Er ... G_7628.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-58_U ... G_7629.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o7lW ... G_7630.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vf7_ ... G_7631.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-toxR ... G_7632.JPG

There are some good points to the knife, solid snap, no wobble, sharp blades with nice steel and a long swedge on the primary. Although it has 3 pins on the handle, the covers are not bone. I believe all 2 pin knives are plastic handled, and all bone covers are held by 3 pins not 2, but obviously not all 3 pin handles are bone, some are plastic. Live and learn.

update, just to eat some Crow and admit my ignorance. The handles I now believe are stag, based on the way they absorb oil on the porous side. You can see in this pic that the oil is not sitting shining on the surface, even though I dabbed it on repeatedly, it kept sinking into the pores. So, Stag it is. That renews my faith in the rule of thumb that 3 pin covers can be non plastic, even stag:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_s-3 ... G_7637.JPG

[jon_slider]

a boker barlow, bottom knife, and a Boker made Russel, top knife

http://i974.photobucket.com/albums/ae22 ... f5a22d.jpg

[rangerbluedog]

Here are a few photos of a Boker Barlow I got off ebay for cheap, under $20. The seller said it had never been sharpened and had bone handles. Both not true. It has lots of scratches all over from being cleaned with some kind of abrasive, possibly a scotchbrite wheel, not sure. The plastic covers seem to have been melted with a torch on one side. The only tang stamp is the number 492. Overall a good lesson on how little a photo on the bay reveals, and what dishonesty exists among some of the vendors. This knife was sold by 30yearmanusmc.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-U9Er ... G_7628.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-58_U ... G_7629.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o7lW ... G_7630.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vf7_ ... G_7631.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-toxR ... G_7632.JPG

There are some good points to the knife, solid snap, no wobble, sharp blades with nice steel and a long swedge on the primary. Although it has 3 pins on the handle, the covers are not bone. I believe all 2 pin knives are plastic handled, and all bone covers are held by 3 pins not 2, but obviously not all 3 pin handles are bone, some are plastic. Live and learn.

update, just to eat some Crow and admit my ignorance. The handles I now believe are stag, based on the way they absorb oil on the porous side. You can see in this pic that the oil is not sitting shining on the surface, even though I dabbed it on repeatedly, it kept sinking into the pores. So, Stag it is. That renews my faith in the rule of thumb that 3 pin covers can be non plastic, even stag:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_s-3 ... G_7637.JPG

Jon, I could be wrong, but I think someone replaced the original scales on that knife. Looks good though.