The barlow knife is about as traditional and simple as pocket knives get. Mark Twain spoke of the barlow knife in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. A barlow knife has a large, long bolster on one end, sometimes with a maker’s mark stamped in it. It typically has a single spear or clip blade but is sometimes accompanied by a pen blade. Sawcut, brown bone is the most common handle material on vintage barlows but fancy versions had stag, jigged bone or even pearl.

The barlow knife is very much a part of Americana even though the knives themselves originated from the Barlow family in Sheffield, England. In the 17th and 18th century, many members of the Barlow family including Obadiah, John and Samuel made many simple pocket knives. They were inexpensive to produce, very utilitarian and were soon exported to the American colonies. Many of these knives are stamped with the name BARLOW on the blade or the tang. Eventually, United States knife manufactures began producing these knives in the late 1800s and early 1900s including Russell, John Primble, Cattaraugus, Remington, Case and many more. I appreciate any traffic to the links below as I earn a comission at no extra cost to you.
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Old Vintage Antique Cattaraugus Barehead Barlow Jack Folding Pocket Knife
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ROBESON Shuredge USA No. 512224 " DADDY BARLOW " 5" Folding Pocket Knife USED
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1920-1940 "Case Tested XX" pocket knife single blade barlow celluloid old
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Vintage 1940’s to 60’s IXL Sheffield Two-Blade Barlow Pocket Knife Sawcut Bone
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VINTAGE CRIPPLE CREEK SAWCUT BONE SINGLE BLADE BARLOW POCKET KNIFE MADE IN USA
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Case xx Barlow! 1940-1964
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Vintage Russell Barlow Jack Knife 2 Blade
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1979 CASE XX USA 5143 SSP Founders Knife Genuine Stag Grandaddy Barlow
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CASE XX 6143 1940-64 DADDY BARLOW POCKET KNIFE USED CONDITION PLUS CASE XX
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Vintage Case XX U.S.A. 1965-1969 BARLOW
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Antique 1910’s to 1930’s RUSSELL Two-Blade Barlow Pocket Knife Sawcut Bone
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Antique 1884-1889 LaBelle Barlow 2 Blade Folding Pocket Knife Rare
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Robeson Shuredge USA / 512224 / Barlow Style Knife
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VINTAGE ULSTER USA BARLOW 2 BLADE FOLDING POCKET KNIFE!
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Case XX Barlow Knife 62009 1/2 In Box Sper Clean
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Vintage Keen Kutter #K2881 Barlow Wood Handle 2-Blade Folding Knife
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Vintage Case XX 1940-64 Bright Redbone Grand Daddy Barlow Knife
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Case XX 1970 10 Dot Barlow Razor 61009r
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Keen Kutter K1771 3/4 Vintage Folding Knife – Barlow Style – Bone Grip
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Vintage George Wostenholm & Sons IXL Stag Barlow, NOS, NIB
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RARE VINTAGE CASE XX BARLOW 62009 BLACK SAW CUT 2 BLADE POCKET KNIFE
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Case XX Usa 65-69 Dot Barlow Razor 61009r
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Vintage Schrade USA-Made Barlow Schrimshaw SC506 Pheasant Design
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Vintage 1950's to 60's SABRE JAPAN Two-Blade Barlow Pocket Knife Sawcut Bone
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1994 CRIPPLE CREEK AWESOME GENUINE STAG 2 BLADE "BARLOW" POCKET KNIFE- MINT/L@@K
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Vintage (16) Pocket Knifes Imperial Barlow Kamp-King Boker Collection
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Case Tested XX 1920 - 1940 Green Bone Barlow A Fine Example! 6143
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Ka-Bar 1013 Pocket Knife Kabar Pocketknife Barlow Vintage
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2006 Case XX Walnut Barlow Folding Pocket Knife C PLATTS SONS Tin 62009 1/2
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Vintage Stunning CF. Wolfertz & Co 2 blade Barlow w/sawcut bone handles--1114.25
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