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A. g. russell ultimate pen knife9/21/2023 ![]() It lacks a clip, as this is still a true pocket knife, but that’s not the end of the world. The knife comes in three handle varieties–cocobolo, bright yellow delrin, and black Rucarta. Overall, the Medium Barlow is a very fun knife to carry, totally non-threatening and just the right size. Finally, for safety, he dropped a backlock on the blade. Russell also altered the blade shape, giving the knife a very easy on the pocket spearpoint blade (the traditional clip-point blade has something of a pokey point at the top of the clip). The Medium Barlow’s first addition is its most clever–it looks like a traditional two-handed opening knife, but its long pull-style opener is cut in such a way that you can easily open the knife one-handed. Russell, in his ninth decade, isn’t afraid to mess with a formula. With this history, some approach the Barlow form with reverence, altering nothing (see: GEC’s Tom’s Choice Barlows), but A. Tradesman, boys on their way to a fishing hole, and riverboat gamblers all could have had a Barlow in their pocket. The knife was so popular that it made an appearance, by name, in the work of Mark Twain. There were also some versions that had different blade shapes and ways of opening the knife (all were two-handed, though).Īfter its birth in Sheffield, the Barlow, like many things, came to America and made its way up the Mississippi River. Some models have an extra penknife-style blade, but most are single-blade models. The core of the Barlow design is the same - a rounded teardrop shape handle, a small blade around 2.5 to 3 inches, and an extra long bolster, usually about 2/5th the length of the handle. Early designs were made in Sheffield, England, though no fewer than three men are cited as its original designer. The Barlow is a knife that has a long and foggy history. My favorite Russell design is the Medium Barlow, pictured above. ![]() In that time Russell has focused on good, solid design over following trends. He has seen folding knives evolve from the traditional slipjoints your grandpa was fond of, to one-handed opening marvels, to massive titanium framelock flippers of today. ![]() Russell has been in the knife business, selling sharpening stones, and later knives of his own design, along with other brand’s blades, for more than 50 years. Russel, in his sixth decade, takes a new approach.Ī. With a history dating back hundreds of years, blade designers approach the Barlow Knife with a form of reverence. ![]()
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