Why did Case stop making the Barlow?

Seems like Case is trying to modernize the classic traditional patterns by offering laser etched bone of everything from Elvis to Hello Kitty. I don't know who's buying them. They need to take a step back and look at what some of their competitors are making. They did a SFO for SMKW's with an Ebony collection. You see tons of old knives made out of Ebony. They should make a standard wood line and offer them at the same cost as their other knives.
 
Unfortunately (to me) I sold this 2 or 3 years ago, IIRC it had nice F & F

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Mike
 
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Sadly, the Barlow pattern has faded in popularity over the years. When I was a kid growing up ( 1940s - 1950s) they were very popular. I'd say at least half the guys along with some girls carried a Barlow when I was in grammar school as did some teachers.

Here are a few of mine.

9-dot 1981 SS Appaloosa


10-dot 1970 CV red saw cut bone (note the bone marrow canals in the mark side and pile side covers.


1940-1964 CV red saw cut bone very faint bone marrow canals


Charlie has helped revive the pattern but mostly in the Blade Forums community. Hopefully, the revival will spread beyond the Blade Forums community.
 
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Modoc ED said:
Here are a few of mine.

9-dot 1981 SS Appaloosa


Charlie has helped revive the pattern but mostly in the Blade Forums community. Hopefully, the revival will spread beyound the Blade Forums community.
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You still have the most handsome Barlow I have ever seen with that Appaloosa bone.

I agree that Charlie has brought the pattern back here and in a few other places, but the Barlow has long evolved from the humble workingman's knife. I have my grandfather's Barlow, an old Keen Kutter, which he is reported to have paid around a dollar (probably less) for it in the '20s or '30s. The wouldn't satisfy today's crowd as it is only about 3" or so, and is pretty small by today's standards.

Today's Barlows (excepting CASE and BOKER) are more robust affairs with thick handles, highly polished blades, specially jigged scales with unique shields (as opposed to "sawcut" right off the saw), exotic scales, limited run editions, etc., and all the other aspects of making a unique traditional knife.

I think the old style Barlow has been lost in the more modern rush of big knives somewhere. Even many the "traditionalists" today like bigger knives than I can remember as EDC knives. The GECs and Queen Mountain Man pattern, the huge CASE stockman, the Queen Cattle King, large trappers, and all kinds of other patterns around the 4" mark are popular.

When I got my first knife at the dawn of the 60s, I remember holding up my BSA knife next to my Dad's EDC, a two bladed half congress that was about 3 1/2" in length. My BSA knife looked huge. For years, all the older fellas I was around used 3" and 3 1/2" knives as a rule, and I never saw larger knives. When I started in the trades, even the trades guys that carried traditional patterns didn't go for large knives, and certainly nothing thick and heavy like today's GEC knives.

There is only so much you can do with a Barlow pattern itself, and in its original workingman's form along the intent of providing a simple, moderately finished work knife has been left behind. Although I find the design has a lot of utility value (I have 5 or so) it seems it lives on now mostly as a nostalgia pattern and collector's editions.

Robert
 
Very good post, Robert. I am guilty of preferring the larger knives, but very much enjoyed reading your perspective.
 
midnight flyer said:
I think the old style Barlow has been lost in the more modern rush of big knives somewhere. Even many the "traditionalists" today like bigger knives than I can remember as EDC knives. The GECs and Queen Mountain Man pattern, the huge CASE stockman, the Queen Cattle King, large trappers, and all kinds of other patterns around the 4" mark are popular.

When I got my first knife at the dawn of the 60s, I remember holding up my BSA knife next to my Dad's EDC, a two bladed half congress that was about 3 1/2" in length. My BSA knife looked huge. For years, all the older fellas I was around used 3" and 3 1/2" knives as a rule, and I never saw larger knives. When I started in the trades, even the trades guys that carried traditional patterns didn't go for large knives, and certainly nothing thick and heavy like today's GEC knives.

Robert
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This is one of the many surprises I had when I got interested again in traditional folders after ignoring them for over 40 years. As midnight flyer points out, many of today's knives seem much bigger than I remember. One aspect that really struck me was the size of blades, especially their width, edge to spine. The proportions of the blades just seem strange to me. Lots of blades look stocky, or stout, or "on steroids", at least to this old man!

(Not really related to the demise of Case barlows, but just an observation sparked by Robert's post.)

-GT
 
5K Qs said:
This is one of the many surprises I had when I got interested again in traditional folders after ignoring them for over 40 years. As midnight flyer points out, many of today's knives seem much bigger than I remember. One aspect that really struck me was the size of blades, especially their width, edge to spine. The proportions of the blades just seem strange to me. Lots of blades look stocky, or stout, or "on steroids", at least to this old man!

(Not really related to the demise of Case barlows, but just an observation sparked by Robert's post.)

-GT
Click to expand...

Interestingly i also found this to be of particular interest. I would have thought that back in the day the city folk would have carried smaller knives and the farmers/hunters more rural types would have carried something larger (perhaps like a larger sodbuster). But its apparently not so. Kinda makes us put stuff in perspective doesnt it?
 
5K Qs said:
This is one of the many surprises I had when I got interested again in traditional folders after ignoring them for over 40 years. As midnight flyer points out, many of today's knives seem much bigger than I remember. One aspect that really struck me was the size of blades, especially their width, edge to spine. The proportions of the blades just seem strange to me. Lots of blades look stocky, or stout, or "on steroids", at least to this old man!

(Not really related to the demise of Case barlows, but just an observation sparked by Robert's post.)

-GT
Click to expand...

Interestingly i also found this to be of particular interest. I would have thought that back in the day the city folk would have carried smaller knives and the farmers/hunters more rural types would have carried something larger (perhaps like a larger sodbuster). But its apparently not so. Kinda makes us put stuff in perspective doesnt it?
 
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