Schrade Imperial 278 Jackmaster Barlow Folding Pocket Knife for Outdoor, Outdoor survival, and EDC

I got one of these for my dad, who had one just like it when I was a kid. The big blade was broken and the small blade had been sharpened down nearly to a toothpick before he finally retired it.This one is a lot better knife than you’d think for the price, and up for light work around the farm. This & a pair of channel locks will get you most of the way, most days.

There is a reason that this timeless design is so popular. The age-old Barlow knife has always been a functional, no-frills, 5 and dime item offering classic looks and good value.It's not S35VN or Carpenter CTS XHP steel. There's no carbon fiber or ballistic nylon handle.It's a Barlow knife; a cheap, handy, small knife with super-strong spring action, cheap stainless steel blades, knobby brass rivets, a brown plastic handle, and that unmistakably cool "BARLOW" stamped into the bolster (on both sides) that we all remember from childhood in the 20th century. It's priced so that if you drop it into the lake or snap off the tip doing something stupid, you can replace it for 10 bucks. It shows up with a mildly sharp edge. If it's not sharp enough for you, then, sharpen it.My only problem is with the handle. The plastic is a bit cheap and chintzy feeling. There's not even an attempt to provide a knurl for gripping, nor any wood-like coloration. It's just smooth, shiny, brown and brittle plastic. Charge an extra dollar for some impact resistant ABS plastic and this would be a five star product.As it stands, it's an amazing value EDC knife and might be right for you. It's a Barlow after all.

This is my favorite. It's no-frills, practical, and does what it needs to do. I like the celluloid covers and the brass pins standing proud. Not too large and does not feel like a crowbar in the pocket. Cheap. It's a Barlow, a cheap Barlow. And I love it. If you are not experienced in sharpening knives, then I'm not sure what to tell you. These come dull right out of the box and the bevel will need to be taken down with a light to medium bastard file, and then you can move to a stone and get it as sharp as you ever want it. The steel is just stainless, it's not going to be the best, but it works, and if you are ever close to saltwater it will be ok. It's cheap. It's just a Barlow. A cheap Barlow. It's 'pretty' in a way of its own. Too many frilly and fancy knives out there now. I just wanted a Barlow, a cheap Barlow, and I got one.

The case / handle is plastic and feels of low quality. The blades are sharp. For the price, it’s still a decent little pocket knife that provides nostalgia but I don’t have to worry about losing it.

I love this little knife. It's not especially high quality but to throw in my pocket, it works great. It's nostalgic in a cute way. Although the blades aren't especially easy to open, they seem to be pretty darn sharp. For opening mail, packages or cutting the occasional loose thread from a piece of clothing, this knife works fine for me. I have better small knives but I am not afraid of losing this one because it's mass produced and is inexpensive.

I've carried these Barlow's for 60 years but nowadays I just keep three or four stashed in various places around the house for when I need a pocket knife.

This knife is absolute junk. The ones made by Imperial in Ireland were never super high quality, but they felt solid. I just got one made in China by Schrade (not all the Chinese Schrade knives are junk, some are ok) and its handle was cracked. Even if the handle wasn't cracked, it just feels 'loose' like its going fall apart if I use for anything more rigorous than opening letters. If you really need a barlow, I would suggest Kissing Crane or Boker Bonsai for a solid cheap import. Case, Utica/Kutmaster, or Bear if you want one to pass down to the next generation of barlow users.

I bought this knife because I was re-reading The Adeventures of Tom Sawyer and was overwhelmed by an urge to own a real sure enuff Barlow. In case you've never read about Tom or his buddy Huck Finn, both of the boys aspired to own a Barlow pocket knife, even one that wouldn't cut, because there was " inconceivable grandeur in that ".Now grandeur might not be the right word for this scrappy little Everyman's knife, but it does have a simple charm all it's own, sort of like a n English bulldog The knife itself is not very sharp out of the box, and I'm not the best knife sharpener by any means, but I used a Lansky sharpener and was able to make both blades functional. Which is cool because I can use them for all kinds of light cutting chores. I'll use something else for the heavy work, but I'm having a good time carrying around the Barlow, since it makes me feel closer to my boys, H & T.