Barlow knife

[Eutycus]

According to Russell, archeological excavations of Native American sites have turned up a fair number of pocket knives despite the fact that Native American clothing rarely included pockets.

Some can now be had with a hole that would be almost perfect for a leather thong around the neck. But the Old originals were not equipped with that convenient hole were they? So how were they carried?

 

[TDM]

Medicine bag or pouch maybe?

 

[fubar22]

Good question.

 

[morehops52]

My main complaint about the Barlow (mine anyway) is that the blade does not "lockback" as in its not too rigid. Almost need to wear thick leather gloves when handling it. It tends to close fairly easy. And if one is not careful it'll close right on your fingers. Are all Barlows like that?

Most likely it is just well worn. Could be a weak back spring, a worn kick or a combination.

 

[Eutycus]

I forget, did Tom Sawyer call it a "sure nuff Barlow" or a "jenuyine 12 1/2 cent Barlow"?

 

[snakebit]

While reading that link about Barlows, the words "Shawnee Encampments" caught my eye. Somehow I just can't picture it. Did Indians really carry pocket knives?

Only when they wore their Levi jeans . Kidding. I do remember reading somewhere that early traders sold/traded a lot of tools to the
Indians included pocket knives and files. The Comanches were said to be especially fond of making arrow points from barrel hoops, and used said tools to do it. I mention the Comanches as unlike other tribes, weren't interested in giving up their bows for BP rifles, at least that's how I remember the article as written.

 

[Eutycus]

It would take either a very brave or a very stupid person to trade with the Comanches, either way not a nice person. I suppose that why the Comancheros were a despised bunch.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

If you are interested, Over on Samson Historical, they have an 18th century style thumb knife they call their 'Regular'. It has a barlow shaped carbon steel blade, no nail nick in the blade with a walnut handle. You hold it closed with your thumb.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I believe this is the oldest one I have. It’s an Imperial Barlow. Never really researched it, but I will.

I have one virtually identical to yours. It was my first knife, a gift from my father sometime in the mid/late 1970s.

 

[BruceHuxford]

My main complaint about the Barlow (mine anyway) is that the blade does not "lockback" as in its not too rigid. Almost need to wear thick leather gloves when handling it. It tends to close fairly easy. And if one is not careful it'll close right on your fingers. Are all Barlows like that?

My daily carry Barlow doesn't close up on you that easy. Opens and closes with a decisive snap

 

[LongWalker]

I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for, but Americana Pipedream apparel offers cheap reproductions that look good and fit the original style. https://www.americanapipedream.com/products/barlow-pocket-knife?variant=39887341486277

Except for being of the wrong pattern, made of the wrong materials. . . .

If the OP wants a decent Barlow that fits the period, he's probably looking at an original or a custom knife (probably $250-500 and up, either way). The modern knives sold as "Barlows" aren't the same pattern as the ones of 1700-1880.

While reading that link about Barlows, the words "Shawnee Encampments" caught my eye. Somehow I just can't picture it. Did Indians really carry pocket knives?

Pretty consistently, coast-to-coast anywhere they were offered, folding knives were a popular trade item. I've always wondered if part of the attraction was that some jobs are easier to do with a smaller knife, and it is generally easier to carry a smaller knife than a larger one--and aside from folding knives, trade knives seem to have mostly had 5"+ blades.

Some can now be had with a hole that would be almost perfect for a leather thong around the neck. But the Old originals were not equipped with that convenient hole were they? So how were they carried?

Those holes in the butt of the knife have been around for a long time. There are a couple of sketches, and many photos, of folks wearing folding knives as neck knives. By the last quarter of the 19th century, coke-bottle handled folding knives with what looks like a 4"+ blade seem to have been popular.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Maybe, some of y'all can help me with this, I'm searching for a Barlow knife to add to my kit. Would a Russell Barlow fit in with approximately mid to late 1830's or should I be looking for a different manufacturer. I have a passion for Barlow knives. Thanks y'all

There is a lot of good information in this thread. As noted, the Barlow pattern is an old one, dating to 1667, when a Stannington (England) cutler named Obadiah Barlow made these for sale. The design, with the elongated bolster and rounded butt, was very successful. Regarding Russell Barlows, they came much later. I gleaned some of the following from Merriam et al, The History of the John Russell Cutlery Company:

J. Russell & Co. started production of cutlery in 1833, making primarily chisels, but they started making fixed-blade knives in 1834. By the mid-1840's Russell's "Green River" knives were very well known in the American west. Most of the knives on the western frontier to that point were British, and in fact Sheffield knives continued to have a strong presence well into the mid-century. A lot of reenactors will tell you there were no Green River knives in time for the trappers' rendezvous, but we know now that there were, at least for the last one or two.

However, these would have been fixed-blade knives. Russell started producing some folders ("clasp knives"), apparently including Barlows, in time for the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. When the price of steel skyrocketed during World War 1, Russell's folding-knife production apparently ceased, except for a commemorative version in 1975, and some later ones (post-2000, I think) made under contract by Boker with the Russell trademark.

So, for a mid-to-late 1830's impression, I guess a Barlow knife would be a good choice, but it would not have been made by Russell.

I have a few Barlow knives I'd like to show:




Technically, the one on the upper left is not a Barlow. This was my first pocketknife, given to me by my dad when I was maybe 5-6 years old. It had been his first pocketknife. Dad was born in 1907, so this little jewel was probably made before World War 1. Dad said it was called a "tin knife," likely because it is all metal. The handle "scales" are of sheet iron with a jigged pattern pressed in. If I remember correctly, Dad said this type of knife was considered a "boy's knife" in his time, and they sold really cheap. All the general and hardware stores stocked them, and they came with a chain of some sort so the young owner could wear it suspended from his neck. The chain was long gone by the time I got it. This knife is probably not worth much in dollars and cents, but I wouldn't swap it for a blue-nosed mule.

This shows the same knives, in the same positions, with the blades opened:



My tin knife, on the upper left, has a very simple spearpoint blade:



The one right below it was marketed by Remington. This was not a Remington "Bullet Knife," but just part of their regular cutlery line in the late nineties or early 2000's, which is when I got it. The bolster is not marked, but it has a tiny "Remigton" medallion on the obverse side of the handle, which I believe is genuine sambar stag. The blade is stainless, in a clip-point design. This knife was not well finished when I got it. The scales had sharp edges and corners, and the medallion had an unsightly swipe of cement smeared on it. However, I was able to smooth up the edges and clean up the medallion, and it's actually a pretty good knife. I carried it a lot during my cowboy action phase.

The one on the bottom left was bought maybe 25-30 years ago from A.M. Leonard, an arborist's and nurseryman's supplier. I think I paid less than five dollars for it. This knife was made in Ireland, of all places, and it has an Imperial trademark. The two blades, one pen and one clip, are of carbon steel, and the bolster has BARLOW imprinted on it. The scales are some sort of composite or plastic, made to look like rough-sawn bone. All things considered, it is a very functional knife. Those cheap blades are really easy to whet to a razor edge, and I like the way they have naturally blued. I carried this knife a lot for a while.

The three knives on the right are all Russell Barlows, although actually made by Boker under contract. I don't remember exactly when or where I got these, but I think it was between 2000 and 2010. They were only in production for a short time and had actually been discontinued by the time I found out about them, but I found a dealer who still had a few. I recall reading that the "stag" handles on the bottom two are actually from red deer antler from Argentina, where these animals were introduced in the late 19th or early 20th century. The one at the top has a smooth, dyed bone handle. I'm pretty sure these have carbon steel blades. The main blades on the top and bottom ones are spear-points, while the middle one has a clip blade. All have some form of the Russell trademarks, including the big R transfixed by an arrow, on the bolster:



The one with the stag scales and spearpoint blade is my favorite of these:



That's what I have. The Russells have never been used because of their "collector value," whatever that is. I have no idea what they are worth, but they are kind of rare and I want to keep them in good shape. When I want to carry a Barlow, I reach for the Remington or the Imperial.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[BruceHuxford]

Y'all, many thanks. Now to search out my Barlow knife for my hunting pouch. Notchy Bob, I know how you feel about your first knife, I carry my grandpa's old Colonial cutlery Barlow knife quite often, he took it from his pocket and gave it to me when I was 12 saying " a man needs a good knife in his pocket", best day in my life, I was considered a man by him and treated as such