Barlow knives

[Dutchman Dick]

Now, I know Barlow knives existed in the Civil War, but someone told me that the 2-blade style is post-war. Anybody know if that's true? I just got a nice deal on a bone-handled, carbon steel, 2-blade Barlow with no obvious maker's marks that I've found so far. It appears to be new, so it may be Indo-Paki, but I couldn't turn it down for the price and it takes a decent edge so if nothing else it will be a good "beater" jack-knife.

[BrianHicks]

Take a look at this:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17583&highlight=pocket+knives


These are from the Steam Boat Arabia which sank in 1856. Look closely at the pocket knives (8th post down on the first page).

You'll find at least five 2-bladed knives amongst them... and.... one 4-bladed knife!

[Nathan Dodds]

I would like to observe that all three of the actual Barlow style knifes in that steamboat Arabia link are one bladed. Remember, a barlow has a long bolster (the bolster is the cap at the top of the handle that the blade pin goes through). However, the book Tenting Tonight has an example with two blades on the page with pictures of personal effects (IF I remember correctly, and it's the only one I've ever seen).

“The Barlow knife was designed to be a rugged knife and be produced at the lowest price. To keep costs low, the blade was forged from high carbon steel and the handle was usually bone with little effort spent in polishing or other finishing. To add strength, the bolster was increased in length and weight since that is the point of greatest strain in all folding knives. Today Barlows have lost their original rough finish and cheap price. They are often two blades (the originals Barlows had only one), but the distinctive long bolster is always present, usually with the name Barlow stamped on it.”---The rest of the article with a nice picture of an early one blade at the top under "our knife": http://www.barlowgenealogy.com/Edson/barlowknife.html

Link to a one bladed Barlow I won on Ebay, dug from a Civil War battlefield in GA, and it is quite like the one in the link above: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150265420926&ssPageName=ADME:B:BCA:US:1123

George Washington's supposed Barlow :http://www.nextek.net/gcarlson/webdoc2.htm).

Nathan Dodds

[Charles Heath]

The recent flood of $2.99 Barlow knives on the counters of the normal, usual, general, impulse buy locations make this a logical question, even if that isn't what prompted the original post.