All About Pocket Knives

Who knew?
I was surprised to see one on ebay, and more surprised to win the auction.
I never thought of Western and Barlow together. Never seen one.
This is a nice knife even if the blades are a bit thin.
Great font on the bolster and a nice patina delivered right to my door.
Just makes me want to grin.

Cool knife Joe, I've never seen a Western barlow either!

Joe;what makes them so rare??Is it just shear numbers?

Thanks guys.
A lot of things can get past me, but I've never seen or heard of a Western Barlow before.
So I win this one for $18.50 and the next thing I see another one, and I win that one too ......
for $18.49. Second one with different bolsters and not in as good shape, interesting and cheap enough to own. I think some folks scramble for Barlows, but for those that don't they wont pay much for them. I don't spend a lot of time trying to figure this stuff out. They may not be rare.
I'm just glad I got them. Especially this one. I just like knives.
Thanks again guys.

Very nice Barlow.
Western was a great company that made really good knives.
Good finds!

Westerns are my favorite using knives, especially my beloved 742 stockman patterns. I see several of the 822 pattern Baliws for sale, but not being a Barlow guy, I've just never bought one. Maybe I need to change that.....

Western had the best steel ever IMHO.

I just counted the Barlows in our knife collection (my daughter and I). 30 Barlows, no Westerns.

Joe;

Your knife is a modern example, 1960's to early 70's, made on contract by Schrade/Ulster. Check yours as compared to the Ulster "Prince Albert" barlow...same exact tooling, handle material, etc.

Attached is an image of an older one from the pre-WWII Western States era.

Western also made a more modern barlow in the 1970's (model 822) that I believe they made in-house. Tooling and materials are different with solid nickel silver bolsters and delrin handles.

Thanks for your nice comments, guys.

Steve, thanks for that information and attachment. Well, they put together a decent little knife.
I think the other Barlow you're referring to is in transit to me. I'll post a picture of it.
So there must be quite a few out there.
Thanks again.

That other Barlow came in today. Take a look.

Those are a couple of nice Barlows.

Thank you David.

No problem Joe, I love Barlows.

As you stated in an earlier post. 30 Barlows. And your daughter like them too.
That's really neat.

I just added 2 more. A 2010 Case with with the Case Bros. stamp and a HS&B O.V.B.

Here's another old Western Barlow. I forgot to get picts of the tang.
Curved Western States over Boulder.

Oh man Joe! I like that one a lot!

Western must not have been sold as much in other parts of the country early in the 1900's as it was in the midwest and central north. I started out collecting Western fixed (my first hunting knife as a kid was a Western L28, still have it) and when I started into folders, most of them were Westerns including a number of Barlows. I just thought they were all over the country. Someday I'll have to try to group them for a picture, but they are all over in different safes and display cases. ___Dave

Thank you, Colonel. It's got "old timey" all over it.

Dave, I sure would like to see pictures of your knives if you can take a day off for a photo shoot.

djknife13 wrote:Western must not have been sold as much in other parts of the country early in the 1900's as it was in the midwest and central north. I started out collecting Western fixed (my first hunting knife as a kid was a Western L28, still have it) and when I started into folders, most of them were Westerns including a number of Barlows. I just thought they were all over the country. Someday I'll have to try to group them for a picture, but they are all over in different safes and display cases. ___Dave

Dave, no one here had ever heard of them. I'm the only one in these parts that I know of who collects them. Growing up here it was Case, Eye Brand, and all them other off brand cheap knives.

Years ago two brothers from the Twin Cities used to gather all the local stuff from around here including Westerns and Marshall Wells and haul them down south and trade for early English stuff that was then considered gaudy, with the horse and alligator guards, and the Bowies that were considered too large and cumbersome to be a useful knife. You wouldn't believe that collection. You see some of it some of our reference books. He told me he couldn't hardly give the stuff away that he traded for the stuff he and his brother wanted. ___Dave

Western 822

Them Western barlows just say workingmans knife

Nice one, David.

The Barlows are short but stout.

Isn't it fascinating how the cheaper sawcut, maybe ebony handles that were on the old knives,now suit the replicas and make them very desirable.

I think authenticity goes a long way,'cause the golden age knives were about as good as it could get.

Great knives fellas.