America may not have invented the hamburger, per se, but we have so emphatically made the tasty Europe-born meat sandwich our own that it’s pretty universally recognized as “American.”
Along similar lines in the knife and EDC world, we inherited the Barlow (which originated in England in the 17th century), but by the 1800s, Greenfield, Massachusetts-based John Russell Cutlery Company was selling these handy pocket knives like hotcakes.
With everyone from George Washington to Abe Lincoln reported to have toted a version of the stalwart slipjoint, it has also evolved into an American classic.
So it kind of makes all the sense in the world that Böker’s gorgeous new addition to the category, the Treebrand 2BLD Barlow, is only available to the US market.
A Barlow for our times
Though the history is hazy at best, the earliest known manufacturer is Obadiah Barlow, who some allege crafted the knife in Sheffield, England, around 1670, with his grandson John Barlow bringing the design to America several decades later.
That certainly explains the nomenclature, which Böker has truncated to BRLW for various high-end interpretations, featuring blades made of everything from MagnaCut to “non-stainless meteorite Damascus.”
