All About Pocket Knives

This is what a bolster looks like before it is finished.

One nice thing about a barlow is - plenty of room to put the company name.

As far as I know, you'll only find this bolster on a Robeson made knife. This one is marked PAXTON & GALLAGHER , but was definitely made by Robeson.

When the blade is opened that cut-out portion of the bolster and its underlying spring steel liner slips in behind the tang, locking the opened blade in place.

Charlie Noyes

H. Boker's & Co's Improved Cutlery.

I particularly like the big bold bolsters with a name stamped into them. To me, on solid bolsters, that looks very classy.
Even the bolsters on the Barlow shell knives look pretty good.
Boker went the extra mile on this English Jack.
The threaded bolsters on this GEC Barlow are also a favorite of mine.
I couldn't leave out the bolsters on this GEC Bullet Jack.
GEC Riverboat Gambler's threaded and pinched bolsters look nice too.
The Schatt & Morgan Horticulturist - Barlow style bolsters.
Winchester did something special with the bolsters on this '87 Gunstock Jack (Coffin Jack, Swell Center Jack, Coke Bottle Jack, English Jack - what ever you want to call it)

Gulo,

That is a very attractive old Boker

The bolsters are very similar to the old Wadsworth I posted earlier

Thanks MRB. You are right; they are VERY similar.

Here are some different bolsters on this Schrade.

Cool thread
Not that unusual but still nice looking













Mike

Those Bokers are show stoppers.Nice knives guys.

Some amazing bolsters in this thread! A pleasure to peruse!
Here's a Boker Barlow Bolster - only one like it I've seen so far:

And I always liked the NYKs:

More like markings than bolsters, but they have a nice effect.

I'm with ya there Charlie, here's mine.

I`ve always like these real old style Keen Kutter bolsters

Bob

Here's one to bring this topic back to the top of the list. It's made by William Elliot & Co. Yes, I bought the knife just because of the bolsters.

Nice knife and bolsters!

I have seen a couple like this before, one had a German tang stamp and the other an American hardware brand.

I like this one, pinched and ringed.

This is a great thread,
The diversity of these bolsters is a lot of fun. Its great to imagine the old ones pressed and pounded by hand with such precision as that Wadsorth and the clarity of that Southington stamp barlow of yours Miller Bro's. And that little mushroom cap like one of yours dcgm4 is very neat, I can imagine that was a very common style.

Here's a few Old H. Boker's.

Very nice! I really like the bolsters on that whittler. Very unusual!

Here's a few that Case has to offer.
wazu013

Here's a few ringed and a knocker as well.
wazu013

Nice additions everyone!

Some nicely designed bolsters on this J.W. Hickey knife. Note the massive 5/32 inch wide master blade!

Bob

Nice designs on this Fight n Rooster too.

Bob

Here's a S&M president's choice.