All About Pocket Knives

I thought since getting the TC Barlow in the mail today, to look and compare to an original NY/Hammer Barlow.
Besides the obvious main blade differences, the rest is very close indeed. Although IMO, the newer TC is by far a much better version of the classic. Tell me what you think after looking at the pictures. The wear overall, in the Hammer, is very evident even in the liners but if you notice the solid steel used in the newer TC is a stronger and more substantial thickness than in the Hammer. IMO the TC has all the marks of the classic Barlow from 75 years earlier and without which we wouldn't have this fine Barlow from Upnorth/GEC today.

While the new knife looks to be definitely a high quality item,I would still favor the older one.Kind of hard to explain but it reminds me of a song I heard Steve Martin do with the Steep Canyon Rangers called," Atheists Don't Have No Songs". The new knife is nice but it doesn't have any "soul" as the old one does. Maybe it will in 75 years but for now(to me anyway)it just doesn't do it for me.

I get what you're saying and I'm right there with ya k7k on the history or soul. Obviously own many myself for the same reasons you mentioned.

I suspect it is one of the best made production knives there is,in a classic container.It also would rival many customs.

Very nice shot Lyle! I would've bought another but got 2 Northwoods coming in as well.

Wow Perry, I love 'em both!

Thanks Blue! They're both quite a knife in their own right but for different reasons.

Perry you simply must send that Hammer Brand /NY knife back to the factory for corrective action. Have you looked at the way that master blade seats into the bladewell ? I can't believe a supposedly top notch knife company would turn out such a substandard product. Do they not have any quality control ?
















All the above written with tongue firmly in cheek in an effort to point out how nit pickin some of us can be when it comes to a pocketknife.

Those are two great barlows, each praiseworthy in their own right.

What is the weight difference between the two?

Phil I wondered how long it was going to take for someone to mention that blade seated crooked. Obviously over time someone has bent the action using it,, which is cool and part of the character of this old beauty. Well done!
Oddly enough the weight is very very close,0078.

Beautiful side-by-side pictures singin, both look to be wonderful barlows The N on the NY is really appealing.
Also, that is very well said K7K. One thing I also enjoy about a lot of early American knives is their relative light weight for the quality. They have an ease of carry about them. That is great that the TC is a similar weight.

Thank you Beechtree! Yep, while the TC may be a slight bit heavier it's pretty hard to tell, just holding them in each of your hands. When you account for blade wear and thinner liners on the Rough Cut Hammer and thicker used steel in the TC, it makes sense.