All About Pocket Knives

Any which way you look at it you will have to pay a pretty price for a quality knife.
If you find an antique or vintage Barlow in excellent shape, it is going to cost you.
An old Barlow at a cheap price will have issues which will affect the quality of the knife.
You can buy a new Barlow for cheap but the knife will not hold up to rigorous use plus a crappie guarantee or none at all.
From my research Barlow knives were invented in Sheffield England by Obadiah Barlow 1670.
I'd go with a high quality Sheffield made Barlow like a Taylor Eye Witness.
They cost a pretty penny but worth every one of them.
I have this one I carry around a lot and have never had any issues with it.

J W

For excellent Barlow quality see if you can find a generation 1 or 2 Bulldog barlow (the ones with the word Tobacco on the bolsters). The inside of the backsprings are even polished. Both gen's use a 'tear drop' shape handle. The Gen 1 has the slight dip going down & the Gen 2 the dip is going up as you hold the knife in the closed position. Also, Burnt Chimney also make a decent barlow. I know there is a decent Taylor Eye Witness barlow above but I have found the F&F on most English made Barlow's as just OK - this is just my opinion. Great Eastern makes a very good quality Barlow too.

Big Barn wrote: Great Eastern makes a very good quality Barlow too.

I just wish GEC would make a full size Barlow instead of the little 3" midgets!
Schrade, Ulster, Camillus & Camco Barlows are all about 3-3/8”. The 3/8” makes a vast difference for me having large hands and arthritic fingers.

I know GEC makes good knives as I have several other patterns they make. I have tried their Barlows and I cannot safely and comfortably use them no matter how nice looking their Wharncliffe Barlow is, I refuse to buy one until they make them bigger.

I have around an '80 stag IXL(I hope to learn and share pics).It has the hardest snap of any knife I ever held.Great thick stag also.

I'm sure some of you guys have one too,wonder if the snap on yours is that strong?

wlf wrote:I have around an '80 stag IXL(I hope to learn and share pics).It has the hardest snap of any knife I ever held.Great thick stag also.

I'm sure some of you guys have one too,wonder if the snap on yours is that strong?

I own one as well, hardest snapper in my small collection.

Tim

orvet wrote:

Big Barn wrote: Great Eastern makes a very good quality Barlow too.

I just wish GEC would make a full size Barlow instead of the little 3" midgets!

They're so small it's hard to actually consider them as a barlow knife. I have two of them and they are fine knives but I don't count them as part of my barlow collection.

orvet wrote:...I just wish GEC would make a full size Barlow instead of the little 3" midgets!...

I love the look of those little midgets, orvet. Are they still available new? They'd be just right for my dress pants pockets.
What's your smallest user, orvet? (for my future reference)
My arthritis is still negligeable but I just tore my knife nail on a very tight slip joint, so I'm limited to my GEC easy open which doesn't even have a nail nick; or my douk-douk, but the GEC is smoother.

Edgewise wrote:

orvet wrote:...I just wish GEC would make a full size Barlow instead of the little 3" midgets!...

I love the look of those little midgets, orvet. Are they still available new? They'd be just right for my dress pants pockets.
What's your smallest user, orvet? (for my future reference)
My arthritis is still negligeable but I just tore my knife nail on a very tight slip joint, so I'm limited to my GEC easy open which doesn't even have a nail nick; or my douk-douk, but the GEC is smoother.

I know you asked Dale but I think I can answer your question, if I understood your post correctly. Here are a few of the "midget Barlow's" and Dale is correct when he calls them midgets. They're short fat midgets, but cute. They kind of grow on you. (The obligatory disclaimer: No offense intended toward "little people" here)

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/index.php?cPath=606

Thanks jerryd. I had a look but now I'm wondering if the spear point or the clip point, single blade or double blade, is the more traditional barlow pattern.

Analysis paralysis.

MyDogsHunt wrote:...I'm a little suprisewd about the "one" review stating that the springs were wimpy...

That's the risk I'm talking about. Otherwise I'll have to fork out for a GEC. That's one brand I think which really
makes knives "like they used to be."

woseyjales wrote:Well actually they're kinda big.....
if you think of them as peanut barlows.

That smooth blue is sweet. GEC should bring that color back. Another great pic, WJ.

Edgewise wrote:

orvet wrote:...I just wish GEC would make a full size Barlow instead of the little 3" midgets!...

What's your smallest user, orvet?

I have a couple penknives that are under 3" but the springs are not typically real strong, and the blades set high enough to get them out easily. And a penknife is typically not used for heavy cutting (well, not by me anyway).

I usually won't consider a knife as a user unless it is at least 3-3/8", penknives being the exception.

The 1st generation bulldogs are the best barlows I have had.
Tom

This is my first post here. What a great thread. You guys have a nice selection of barlows! I really like the pattern but I only have one of the aforementioned "midgets" from GEC. It's a great knife though even if it is a little fella. Well made and very very comfy in the pocket. Here's mine in Sawcut Goldenrod bone:

Another person who knows how to take great pictures. Welcome aboard Clown. Grab a rack, stow your gear and report to the Cpl of the guard. You have first watch.

Beautiful GEC Clown. Welcome to AAPK. Here's my two.

Thanks for the warm welcomes. VikingDog, that is some sweet ivory. I've been amassing a relatively decent knife collection for a few years now but I am just starting to get into traditional pocket knives. I've got a few so far but still no Stag or Ivory. Gonna have to do something about that soon

Welcome clown, great lookin barlow

My first real knife as a kid was a barlow...loved them ever since...I wouldn't hesitate to look at older knives in the search

My first...still have it 46 years later...



If you can find a Fight'n Rooster they are very nice...



Queen can do nice work too...

Queen does do a very nice job.
This old Prov. Cut. Co. isn't bad for a shell knife. As with most shells, the price was right.

I just saw a Boker Magnum for $10 with a rave review. The guy called it a $10 knife with a $40 value.
Wish I had that luck. Boker seems quite reliable, but you guys keep tempting me with your
beauties so it's back to 'analysis paralysis' jerryd. But I'm learning a ton and having a load of fun.
Thanks for sharing your experience.

Up to you but be sure you understand that Boker Magnum is a Chinese made knife.

How about a Belknap "Blue Grass"