In 1958, Harold Peterson wrote a book "American Knives" that was a history of cutlery in America. In one chapter on pocket knives, he had a page that had a print out from shipping records of various jobbers and suppliers. He stated that between 1850something and 1980, the most common pocket knife shipped west was the Russell Barlow. Apparently they were for sale at just about general store and trading post west of the Mississippi.
If there was any other common pocket knife, it would be a medium to large single blade sheeepfoot. Looking at the photos of the knives that were being shipped west on the Steamboat Arabia that sank in the Missouri River and recovered in our time, there were a large number of single blade folders that looked like large garden/florist knives. The knives were amazingly preserved by the mud and silt and were in actually usable looking condition in the photo. Google steamboat Arabia and knife photos.
In the 1870's there was the cattle knife, that morphed into the premium stockman in the 1880's or 90's. The trapper was from a similar era, and the humble little peanut was about 1915. Late in the game endnote real player. My money is on the Barlow for the old standard that was carried by everyone from a cowpoke pushing cows up the trail, to a store keep opening up package to a factory worker back east. Even Frank Hamer carried a old well used Barlow in his pocket while hunting down Bonnie and Clyde. His effects are on view at the Texas Ranger museum in Waco.
