Rare Southington Barlow Or Best Fake Ever

[JohnR]

Nothing scares me more than an unused 100 year old knife and then add a rare pattern and usually too good to be true is too good to be true.

I picked up this Southington Barlow, unusual size 2 7/8, I would call it a boys Barlow. Ebony wood, construction sure looks correct to me, all Southington Barlows I have seen have 4 pins, the wood is proud of the bolsters and tapered on the edges, tang stamps look good although smaller to fit the scale of the knife, all steel construction. Bolster stamp is correct Southington only on smaller scale.

Knife is unused, does have a ding in main blade from hitting pin. Seller claimed it was found in the back of a dresser that came from New England. I took some pics showing it next to a standard Barlow and a GEC TC boys Barlow.

So what do you all think, real or fake? Anyone have a Southington catalog with a boys Barlow in it? Thanks for looking.

[supratentorial]

Nice knife! It's a killer!

[#goldpan]

Looks good to me! That barlow with the Electric Knife Co stamp on the bolster is nice! I have its twin. Is the Hammer Brand stamp ground off and re-stamped Sterling Cutlery? The one I have is. Nice group of Barlows you have!

[LongBlade]

Very cool John ... looks real to me.. maybe had some cleaning but hard to tell as maybe it was a sleeper in the back of a drawer as stated... how does the inside of the liner wells look? Consistent with the clean blades? Quite crisp tang stamps as well - and a Boys knife barlow - that really floats my boat ....

[RobesonsRme.com]

The most rare and valuable Robeson I ever owned was discovered in a drawer of a bedside table at an estate sale right here in town.

The price on the bedside table was ten dollars. When asked, the seller just let the picker have the knife.

I was not the picker, but he brought the knife to me and I bought it.

It happens.

Congratulations on the Southington.

Charlie Noyes

[JohnR]

Thanks guys, appreciate the comments. Lee, the wells look like they have accumulated 100 years of dust and some light rust but no real dirt, in hand the knife does not appear to be buffed at all.

Randy, the NYK co Barlow is stamped Hammer Brand on the main and New York Knife Co on the pen.