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.
They are 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.
View on eBay
IXL GEORGE WOSTENHOLM Knife SHEFFIELD ENGLAND BARLOW SMOOTH HORN HANDLES
 | $149.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $149.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
John Primble Belknap Inc Knife Made In Usa 1969-85 2 Blade Barlow
 | $104.49 Buy It on eBay for only: $104.49 Buy It Now on eBay |
CASE XX USA 4 Dot 1974 BARLOW 62009 1/2 Bone Sawcut Handles Knife Restoration
 | $113.85 Buy It on eBay for only: $113.85 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage Remington Knife R105B Barlow Camillus Camp King Cameo Vintage Lot 15
 | $160.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $160.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage Pocket Knife Lot USA Made Assorted Old Timer ,Imperial , Barlow , Ect
 | $59.99 (1 bid) End Date: Wednesday May-01-2024 17:58:15 EDT Bid |
Huge VINTAGE POCKET KNIFE LOT OLD ANTIQUE ESTATE BARLOW, CAMILLUS, IMPERIAL, Ect
 | $199.99 End Date: Thursday May-02-2024 00:10:06 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $199.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
Early 1884-1933 RUSSELL Pocket Knife BABY BARLOW 1 bld BONE Straight Line Stamp
 | $131.00 (40 bids) End Date: Sunday Apr-28-2024 21:31:00 EDT Bid |
Vintage 1982 CASE XX 62009 1/2 Barlow 2 Blade Pocket Knife USA Great Snap Unused
 | $119.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $119.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage Cattaraugus Cutlery 2139 Two Blade Barlow Pocket Knife
 | $91.00 (14 bids) End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 09:14:34 EDT Bid |
Case xx Barlow 1965-1969
 | $67.50 End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 09:12:27 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $67.50 Buy It Now on eBay |
MILLER BROS. CUT. CO. MERIDAN CONNECTICUT USA 2 BLADE SAW CUT BONE BARLOW KNIFE
 | $119.51 (5 bids) End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 21:00:01 EDT Bid |
OLD CASE XX BONE 6143 GRANDADDY BARLOW KNIFE USA 1940-1964 NO DOTS CARBON
 | $76.00 (9 bids) End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 10:49:14 EDT Bid |
Vtg Schrade USA 206 “Grand-Dad's Barlow” 2 Blade Knife, 3-3/8" Closed, Looks New
 | $49.99 (1 bid) End Date: Monday Apr-29-2024 18:30:50 EDT Bid |
Old Vintage Antique Remington UMC Daddy Barlow Jack Folding Pocket Knife
 | $99.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $99.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage USA 1945-1955 Hammer Brand Barlow Pocket Knife Tuf Nut Work Clothes
 | $49.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $49.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS HK-16-S Genuine Stag Barlow
 | $65.00 End Date: Sunday Apr-28-2024 21:50:02 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $65.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
VINTAGE CASE XX 62009 1/2 Barlow 1965-1969 REDBONE 2 Carbon Steel Blade Knife
 | $59.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $59.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage Russell Barlow One BLD Knife 1884-1933 Nice
 | $150.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $150.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Schrade USA 206 Barlow Knife
 | $110.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $110.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Frost Cutlery Little Barlow 5 Knife Set, Pearl, Abalone, Bone Handles
 | $49.75 (5 bids) End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 16:16:15 EDT Bid |
Case XX USA 1970 TEN DOTS 6143 Granddaddy Barlow Pocket Knife 3016
 | $80.00 (16 bids) End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 21:07:01 EDT Bid |
Rare Vintage Russell USA Single Blade Barlow Aluminum Handle Pocket Knife
 | $72.00 End Date: Monday Apr-29-2024 16:44:24 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $72.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
John Primble India Steel Works 5922 Barlow Pocket Knife
 | $54.00 End Date: Saturday Apr-27-2024 12:47:44 EDT Buy It on eBay for only: $54.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage QUEEN STEEL #22 Barlow Pocket Knife 1950s NOS USA 1922 Pocketknife
 | $89.95 Buy It on eBay for only: $89.95 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vintage Boker Tree Brand 493 2 Blade Barlow Folding Knife Sawcut Red Bone Handle
 | $69.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $69.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
Remington Vintage Series Large Barlow Pocket Knife Knives, set of 12
 | $199.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $199.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
Pocket Knife Lot - New And Slightly Used 17 Knives. Barlow, Browning, Kabar
 | $55.01 (6 bids) End Date: Sunday Apr-28-2024 20:46:45 EDT Bid |
1998 CASE 62009 1/2 SS Limited Edition New Black Jig Bone Barlow MINT IN BOX
 | $70.00 (5 bids) End Date: Sunday Apr-28-2024 19:11:30 EDT Bid |
Old Vintage Antique Queen Steel 23 Sawcut Bone Barlow Jack Pocket Knife
 | $99.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $99.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
Vtg Barlow Solingen Germany Inox 6 Blade Pocket Knife Swiss Army Knife
 | $79.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $79.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
