Sheffield Made Barlow Pocket Knife.Manually Hand Opened Blade Less Than 3"

I bought this as I'd always had a hankering for a proper, Sheffiled made, Barlow knife. This certainly fits the bill, matching the iconic desigh, and overall it is a very nice knife for the price. I read some of the other reviews that criticised the back lock for being too hard, making the knife difficult to open, and another where the blade protruded beyond the end of the knife when closed. However I can only presume these were knives that had slipped through quality control, as my knife had neither of these issues. In terms of finish the knife is perfectly good, though naturally not up there with the knives produced by custom makers of the likes of Michael May. However at this price it is hardly pitched at the same market. So whilst the purist knife collector may fine fault - for example the blade is not perfectly centered when closed, and there is a paper-thin gap at one end of the closed knife between the backlock and the scales - in reality these are hardly dealbreakers, and soon get forgotton during day-to-day usage. This is a knife that is intended to be stuffed into a pocket so that it can be there when needed, so it really just needs to be handy, reliable and sharp (and easy to sharpen). It achieves these goals admirably. On top of that, it is actually very tactile and has a nice heft to it. I haven't treated the handle to anything other than an occasional wipe with carnauba wax, which brings it up to a very nice sheen. Overall I'm very happy with it, and would certainly recommend it.

love the knife especially for its strong back spring. well worth the price.

I always like to carry a small pocket knife and this one is an excellent example. The blade came sharp and the build quality makes for a tough knife. Not overly easy to open or close, but I wouldn't want it to be since it's non-locking. Over time it will ease up anyway. There were a few areas of tear-out on the wooden handle that I had to sand down to get smooth and level, hence 4 stars, but other than that, a pretty decent Sheffield made pocket knife that will last for decades of use. For reference I finished the wood with diluted shellac, then a beeswax buff to polish it off. Much better! I recommend this knife.

Exceptional fit and finish with bang on blade centering. The rose wood on mine was especially pretty. Blade came very sharp and with stropping was shaving sharp. Good strong pull that mean even though it's none locking it won't fold up on you during use. UK legal and beautifully made a must buy for anyone looking for a hard working British Barlow

The knife I received was fantastic throughout, top quality, fit and finish. Really well priced. I'm so pleased that I bought it.

I've had the knife for 10 months now and it's does what it needs to, but I'm disappointed at the build quality and should have returned it at the time. The blade isn't centred when folded and there's un unacceptable gap on the back. I'll be swapping brands shortly and going with another famous Sheffield knife brand instead.

This product has such potential as a traditional pocket knife, but the appalling quality control lets it down. It isn't premium cost but way above cheap and comparable to Victorinox in price, who offer amazing QC. On my example the wooden scales are so ridiculously uneven, it's absurd. One side has been ground down way more than the other and slopes in toward the metal knife liners making the grip uneven and the appearance awful. See photo. It's worth paying near 2x the price to get something that you can be proud to own. This is being returned and I don't even want to waste my time seeking a replacement.

I'm originally from Sheffield and my Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather worked in the Sheffield steel industry during its hey day. So as you can imagine, when I decided I wanted a small pocket knife, I just couldn't buy something that wasn't Sheffield made! I can imagine my Granddad's words to me "Sheffield steel is the best steel in the world lad". I wasn't disappointed with this knife. It's very nicely made, and of course hand crafted (I believe the factory is in the area of the "little mesters"). I found the strength of the mechanism to be just right, and not too stiff. It's made to be opened by a man, which is what I want considering I have 3 adventurous young sons! It's nicely honed and plenty sharp. If I had one complaint, it would be that it feels like it needs a little leather case to set it off just right. But for quality leather this would have significantly increased the price. All in all I would definitely recommend spending the extra money. How lovely it is that when I produce the knife to show people I can explain that it's not only made in England (not much is these days), but in the heart of the Sheffield which is known around the world for setting the standards of knife making. I've included a few snaps to help with understanding the scale.