What Makes a Good, Traditional Barlow?

Campbellclanman said:
Wahoo, Bars open Lads......
Charlie Sir - what Beer you want is what Beer they serve,the only problem I forsee is getting drunk, and waking up with no knives on my person...and seeing that Hilborn fella with just a little bit extra wide smile on his face..... mmmmm
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Yeah, more likely you'd wake up with those knives sandwiched between your face and the bar and a whole set of Barlow impressions! :p :D :thumbup:

Have a great new year my friend :thumbup:

 
Indeed, Duncan.

That would be a day / days even our grandchildren would talk about at a family meeting...

But back to knife content: That Belknap is a great knife. The bone is just amazing!
 
Nice image, Jack.

But isn´t Mr. Saywer carrying a fixed blade on that pic?! ... there should be the long bolsters shining out of one of his pockets. ;)

The books are a great read, even in german. I need to try them out in english language soon.
 
Jack Black said:
LOL! :D

Oops! Sorry, I thought you meant of Duncan! ;) :D



That must be one of the "case knives" Tom and Huck were intending to use to dig their way way out of Jim's impromptu cell my friend ;) :D :thumbup:
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Just in secondary - of course ... but it would be a great image, anyway... :D
 
Humppa said:
Just in secondary - of course ... but it would be a great image, anyway... :D
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;) :thumbup:

waynorth said:
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Pretty good scratting on the Bone. I've seen much cruder efforts.

This blade has really intrigued me. It is similar to the top one in the above drawing. Wonder what they called it back then?? It's sorta Sheepfoot-ey, but not exactly. Closer to a Lambfoot, I'd say. Might have had a name lost to history????
It's quite long - really fills the knife.

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The only marking on the knife is OATES deep-stamped on the blade.
There are at least 3 different OATES markings/companies on record.

The construction suggests age (mid 1800s) and economical effort.
Liners and bolsters forged as one piece each.
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Love these old ancestors!! Cover a lot of Christmases, don't they?!?!
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Charlie, I completely managed to miss your Christmas musings until now, and they were a pleasure to read my friend. Very interesting old knife, with intergral bolsters, it's definitely been a user hasn't it, but I guess they all were then? A great piece of history you have there :)

Oates is a common enough Sheffield name, and as you know there were a number of cutlers with that name. Luke Oates (Alpha Works, Stannington) certainly produced Barlows, as he claimed for the loss of them during the famous Sheffield flood. However, he may well not have been the only Oates to produce Barlow knives, since the pattern was very fashionable.

Hope you've had a good Christmas my friend :)

Jack
 
Gevonovich said:
Great picture of a fantastic knife, Jack! Love the scales on this one.
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Parke1 said:
Amen to that, Gevo! Jack, your anniversary model is just stunning!
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Thanks guys, very kind of you. I really must take some proper pics of it as the pile side is just as lovely as the mark side. Charlie picked me out a special one there :)

Jack
 
:thumbup: Very cool.

I know that this isn't a Barlow, but the knives above were my inspiration for the modification:
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Jack Black said:
Oates is a common enough Sheffield name, and as you know there were a number of cutlers with that name. Luke Oates (Alpha Works, Stannington) certainly produced Barlows, as he claimed for the loss of them during the famous Sheffield flood.
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Just having a quick browse through Tweedale, and apparently Simmons Hardware distributed Luke Oates & Co Barlows in the 1880's. Squire Elijah Oates, Luke's son, who continued the business after his father's death, apparently died in The Sportsman's Inn in Stannington, Sheffield, in 1891. I can remember spending a very enjoyable Christmas Eve there in 1981.
 
I had a great Christmas, Jack! I hope you did as well!!
Thanks for the insight into the Oates name. Here is a little about them from LGIV:
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I guess Bernie had limited info when he published his book!


The first Scratted modern-day Boys knife, Dan - nice going!

Thanks for showing the other side of your knife, John M!! It has great character!
I suspect Barry was "bogartin' that one for a while, before he turned it loose!!

One thing I like about those Soup-Bones is, no two are alike!!
 
Good to hear Charlie, my Christmas was fine thanks my friend :)

Tweedale covers several cutlers from the Oates family, who seem to have originated in the Stannington District of Sheffield, which sits on the hill between the River Rivelin and the River Loxley. The family had been involved in cutlery manufacture since at least the 18th century.

The Oates listed by the esteemed Geoffery are Albert Oates (I have a nice example which I often carry), Oates & Colley, who were particularly active in the USA), Isaac Oates & Son (the son - Alfred - reputedly making a famous 365 blade Year Knife, which is still on display in Sheffield), William Oates (who specialised in can-opener knives and also made Bowie knives), Francis Oates and George Oates (both of whom were scissor manufacturers), and the afore-mentioned Luke Oates & Company.

According to Mr Tweedale, Luke Oates (1799-1875) was apparently the son of Matthew Oates, who was listed with William Oates in the 1787 directory as manufacturers of spotted knives, and used a mark consisting of a horizontal letter 'b', and a heart and arrow.

Among other knives, Luke Oates manufactured Barlows, with the use of the word 'Barlow' leading to a long-running legal dispute. Apparently his workshop - Alpha Works - still stands. He also rented trows on a wheel on the River Loxley, employing several grinders there, and when the wheel was hit by the Sheffield Flood (a dam-burst) in 1864, Oates claimed compensation for his lost Barlow knives.

An advert for Luke Oates & Co reproduced by Tweedale shows the corporate marks of the arrow, heart, and horizontal letter 'b' and 'Oates'.

Luke Oates died in 1875, aged 75, leaving under £400 and large stocks of knives, the business being continued by his son Squire Elijah Oates (1836-1891). Some of the knives subsequently produced were stamped 'S.E.Oates'.

Simmons Hardware apparently sold Oates Barlow knives in the 1880's.

I dare say I can find more info if it's of interest Charlie. Wishing you a very happy 2015 :thumbup:

Jack

 
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Not my pics, but here's some of an old Oates Barlow reputedly picked up at Gettysburg a couple of years after the Civil War.







I'll PM you a link Charlie :thumbup:
 
Thought this might be of interest :thumbup:

From British Industries Under Free Trade - Harold Cox - 1903



 
Thanks for taking the time to look this information up, Jack! The "Little Mester" system is so different from how we do things today, it is fascinating to read of it. I am always amazed at how you come up with the histories. You must have majored in Google at university!
I never passed Remedial Googling!
More history is of great interest to me, and I'm sure others here appreciate it also! Please!
 
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waynorth said:
Thanks for taking the time to look this information up, Jack! The "Little Mester" system is so different from how we do things today, it is fascinating to read of it. I am always amazed at how you come up with the histories. You must have majored in Google at university!
I never passed Remedial Googling!
More history is of great interest to me, and I'm sure others here appreciate it also! Please!
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LOL! Thanks Charlie :D

As it turns out I know the house where Luke Oates lived very well, as a long-standing friend of mine lived very close to it. Hence, our visits to the Sportsman, which his son ran, and where he (the son) passed away.
 
Man, walking those old streets, tippling at that old pub - I'd be seeing ghosts for sure!:eek:
Wonder what the bitter tasted like in the 1800s?
:D
 
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