What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

Fixall said:
I posted these in the Solingen thread, but I feel they belong here too.

The new end-cut, walnut cutting board is compliments of the wifey. :)

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Yeah they do, fantastic Brian!
 
Dave Dallam said:
Of this family of fourteen………which one (or two or three) are your favorites? One blade or two Preferred??
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That's an easy one! The Castle Burg Boker Barlow in acid washed O1 steel, hands down. It was my second Boker barlow (the grenadil and 440C was my first) and was a gift from my wife. She picked it out all by herself on a hunch that I would end up really liking the pattern (she really knows me, lol). I'm a really big wood and history nerd so I find the covers particularly wonderous. The construction of Castle Burg was completed in 1133. Recently Castle Burg has had large portions restored and Boker was able to source some of the original oak planks for their knives. There's just something about using a knife with covers made from a tree that likely started growing over 1000 years ago just blows me away... Not to mention all the history those oak planks were around for! I don't think a truer statement could be said than "if those walls could speak." I also like O1 steel a fair amount. It doesn't have the best edge retention, but it's fairly tough, and because of the fine grain structure, takes one HECK of an edge.

I tend to like a single bladed Barlow, which came as a surprise to me since I very much prefer two blades on a swayback and similarly sized traditionals.

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The Bog Oak and Chad Nichols Stainless Damascus Barlow is probably in second place, albeit a distant second. Bog oak has quite some history behind it itself, with most of the material I've come across ranging from 3,000 - 8,000 years old. I also have a huge amount of respect for what Mr. Nichols does with stainless damascus, and believe it is some of the best stainless damascus available on the market (there's a reason CRK uses it for the Sebenza), along with Damasteel, Devin Thomas damascus, and a couple of others.

I have a Boker barlow in Desert Ironwood (another favorite wood of mine) on the way that has a damascus blade made from the barrel of a Leopard tank... I have a feeling that that one is going to give the Bog Oak/Damascus barlow a run for it's money for second place.
 
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Posted this in the Case thread, but it fits here also. I’m probably in the minority in regards to shields on a Barlows, I don’t mind a nice well placed shield most of the time. That said, I don’t like this shield or it’s placement. It’s a bit of a “black eye” on an otherwise beautiful knife. E3A0708D-EE5B-4F7A-88E5-A5F4F3C03D63.jpeg
 
bigfish64 bigfish64
Absolutely as different perspectives always give up something more to ponder.
Being in the auto industry since forever, we used to hate badge changes on our vehicles. There were perfect ones historically and then changed to the marketing-branding of today…
It’s all about “in your face” till you’re chocking on that crap now lol!! Tasteless and gaudy really, but yours isn’t that way at all for these well tested eyes!!
 
I especially appreciate
Fixall said:
That's an easy one! The Castle Burg Boker Barlow in acid washed O1 steel, hands down. It was my second Boker barlow (the grenadil and 440C was my first) and was a gift from my wife. She picked it out all by herself on a hunch that I would end up really liking the pattern (she really knows me, lol). I'm a really big wood and history nerd so I find the covers particularly wonderous. The construction of Castle Burg was completed in 1133. Recently Castle Burg has had large portions restored and Boker was able to source some of the original oak planks for their knives. There's just something about using a knife with covers made from a tree that likely started growing over 1000 years ago just blows me away... Not to mention all the history those oak planks were around for! I don't think a truer statement could be said than "if those walls could speak." I also like O1 steel a fair amount. It doesn't have the best edge retention, but it's fairly tough, and because of the fine grain structure, takes one HECK of an edge.

I tend to like a single bladed Barlow, which came as a surprise to me since I very much prefer two blades on a swayback and similarly sized traditionals.

EiofH3i.jpg


The Bog Oak and Chad Nichols Stainless Damascus Barlow is probably in second place, albeit a distant second. Bog oak has quite some history behind it itself, with most of the material I've come across ranging from 3,000 - 8,000 years old. I also have a huge amount of respect for what Mr. Nichols does with stainless damascus, and believe it is some of the best stainless damascus available on the market (there's a reason CRK uses it for the Sebenza), along with Damasteel, Devin Thomas damascus, and a couple of others.

I have a Boker barlow in Desert Ironwood (another favorite wood of mine) on the way that has a damascus blade made from the barrel of a Leopard tank... I have a feeling that that one is going to give the Bog Oak/Damascus barlow a run for it's money for second place.
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I especially appreciate your thought processes, and for preferring knives that can still be purchased!
 
Un-Chained said:
bigfish64 bigfish64
Absolutely as different perspectives always give up something more to ponder.
Being in the auto industry since forever, we used to hate badge changes on our vehicles. There were perfect ones historically and then changed to the marketing-branding of today…
It’s all about “in your face” till you’re chocking on that crap now lol!! Tasteless and gaudy really, but yours isn’t that way at all for these well tested eyes!!
Click to expand...
Thanks Gus. There’s nothing more valuable then a well thought out, informed opinion from someone with enough experience to have one, as long as those of us with less experience are willing to listen. Thank you my friend. 👍
 
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