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The Great Eastern Cutlery #77 Yankee Barlow Might be CollectorKnives’ Best Yet!

TL;DR? Here’s my video review. Sorry the sound is kind of muffled, not sure why. I was incorrect on one point; Mike has not done more than one run of #77 Barlows per year.

The #77 Northfield Yankee Barlow is one of GEC’s most perennially popular patterns, for good reason. The #77 Northfield Barlow is done exclusively, through a gentleman’s agreement, as a Special Factory Order for Mike Latham of CollectorKnives.net (although GEC does make other knives on the #77 frame). The first #77 Barlows were made in 2014 and simply called the “Northfield Barlow” but on this run the nomenclature has been updated to the “Yankee Barlow”. No matter the name, the #77 Barlow is a classic and highly sought after knife, and in this article I’ll tell you why!

The #77 Yankee Barlow in African Blackwood next to my #15 TC Barlow in black dyed Smooth Ivory Bone

So, what is this knife anyway? It is a swell end shaped jack barlow, meaning it is wider and rounded at the butt end and squared at the blade end with straight sides. Being a barlow, it has an elongated bolster. Like many traditional barlows, the bolster is stamped with an identifying mark. On this knife it is a script “NF” for NorthField. It has a classic long straight spear point blade with cut swedges after a match strike long pull. As a GEC made knife, it is a slipjoint with pin construction. Mine has African Blackwood handles, but this run also had handles in Amber Sawcut Bone, Red Sawcut Bone (which Mike often includes on his SFOs), Natural Linen Micarta, and just a few in Snakewood. All the knives in this run were the same spear point blade shape as mine, and each handle material is reported to have been produced at about 125 knives (except the Snakewood with only ~15). So although it is not as rare as the early runs, it is still a low production run considering GEC’s current output. That, along with the consistent appeal of barlows, make it a highly sought after knife.

The Buck 119 and Yankee Barlow make a handsome and useful duo

So, how does one purchase a CollectorKnives GEC #77 Yankee Barlow? Well, unfortunately, if you haven’t already purchased one of this run directly from CollectorKnives, you’ll have to find one on the secondary market. Mike uses an early reserve system, which you can find at this link, rather than a “drop” system where the knives are posted for sale on his site all at once at a specified date and time. Over the last year or two Mike has put a lot of work into finding the right system to notify people of when knives go up for reserve. As of now, he has landed on using an app called Telegram, which you can find at this link. On that app you’ll need to follow CollectorKnives and allow notifications, so that you know when he posts knives for reserve. This run of Yankee Barlows actually went up for reserve in July of this year I believe, at a time when I wasn’t buying knives, so I missed the reserves. However, Mike had a few knives available and gave some interested people the option to request either African Blackwood, Linen Micarta, or Snakewood. He said that the Snakewood had little character, so although Snakewood was the rarest of the bunch I put African Blackwood as my top pick, and that’s what I got! I really appreciated the opportunity to get one, despite missing the reserves. However, if you missed the reserves that doesn’t mean you will necessarily have to buy one at the much inflated eBay pricing. I suggest checking out the BladeForums Exchange, where people tend to sell at more reasonable prices than on ebay (and are sometimes open to trades), linked here. Secondarily, you could check FaceBook groups like Great Eastern Cutlery, Great Eastern Cutlery Club, etc. You might still have to pay a bit of a premium, over the dealer price of ~$125, but if you keep your eyes peeled I’m sure you can find one at a good value… the Yankee Barlow is worth it!

  • Case Trapper, Yankee Barlow, Victorinox Alox Farmer
  • Ontario Rat 1, Yankee Barlow, Spyderco Native 5

So what makes the Yankee Barlow special? Well, naturally, it is built with the attention to detail and high quality that has skyrocketed GEC to popularity. It has great fit and finish (mine did have a very small patina spot on the pile side bolster), with flush transitions, no gaps, a perfectly centered blade, and great grinds. The action is extremely satisfying with about a 5.5 out of 10 pull, smooth and snappy with great walk and talk and a half stop, even with no blade play. The edge came more thinly ground than most I’ve gotten from GEC, although like many it was thicker at the belly, so I did re-apex it. One thing that seems to bother some is the “CK” CollectorKnives etch. This addition is not something that Mike wanted or requested; Great Eastern Cutlery recently instituted a policy that all SFOs must have an etch identifying the ordering dealer. It’s a perplexing policy that doesn’t seem to help anyone, but I don’t want to say too much one way or the other until I know the reasoning behind the policy. I did call GEC, but Joan Mae (their new sales manager) didn’t know the reason for the policy. I then emailed Bill directly, but I haven’t heard back from him as of this writing. Mike made the good call of having the etch put on the pile side, and used a very minimalist version of his logo. The only downside of it to me is that the knife that makes the “K” in the logo is a modern knife, but that is a tiny very petty nitpick, and the etch will eventually wear off with use and polishing.

The CollectorKnives “CK” etch as required by GEC’s new policy

However, any negatives with the etch are far outshined by the classic beauty and practicality of the knife. It just looks great. The stamped elongated bolsters and dark African Blackwood scales, with some streaks of brown and nice chatoyance underneath, give it the look of a classy refined barlow. The long straight spear point would fit in great next to the vintage knives it is based upon, especially with the matchstrike pull and cut swedges. Beyond its good looks, the Yankee Barlow will also make a great user. Because it’s a little larger than the GEC #15 frame, it’s easier to get a full four finger grip and bear down in use. You also get about 3″ of blade, which is a solid length for an easily carryable pocket knife. The spear point offers a generous amount of straight edge, but enough belly to be useful and a tip that should work for most piercing tasks. Although it’s not a cheap knife, it will make a great user, and it will sure look handsome while in use!

Overall, as you have probably inferred, I am very happy to have gotten this Great Eastern Cutlery made Northfield #77 CollectorKnives Yankee Barlow in African Blackwood. Not only is it a great knife, but I received it upon coming home from a Meniscectomy, so it was quite a good cheer me up! Don’t forget to subscribe here via email for updates when I post new articles, check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel, like my FaceBook page, and follow my instagram feed.

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Knife Thoughts Full Collection Overview Update

I recently set out to do a full collection overview video. A few people have requested an update to my previous collection videos, and my collection has changed some since I made those first videos. I intended to do the video rapid fire style and condense it into one video with a run time of under an hour. However, I had to stop filming after the fixed blades and modern knives and realized the length would necessitate a two part series. I intended to cover all of my traditional folding knives in the second video, but it just took too long covering the non – GECs. So 3 parts it is! I hope my enthusiasm for knives comes through in full force and you derive some enjoyment from perusing my collection along with me.

Part 1: Fixed Blades and Modern Folding Knives

Part 1: Fixed Blades and Modern Folding Knives

Part 2: Non – GEC Traditional Folding Knives

Part 2: Non – GEC Traditional Folding Knives

Part 3: Great Eastern Cutlery Folding Knives

Part 3: Great Eastern Cutlery Traditional Folding Knives

I appreciate all of you who watch my videos, especially these longer ones. They certainly make for marathon watch sessions. I often watch longer knife videos in parts while I’m cooking and things like that, and I find it’s a great way to take in a full video even on a busy schedule. Although I have a solid core of keepers, there are always lots of ins and outs in my collection so it’s nice to put a snapshot out there of how it stands at this time. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog here by entering you email, and subscribe to my YouTube channel at this link.

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What is a “Parts Knife” or “Special Factory Assembly” from Great Eastern Cutlery?

Great Eastern Cutlery is wont to run by their own rules. Quirkiness is one of their most characteristic attributes, and both the boon and bane of collectors depending on the situation. One example of their unusual approach to knifemaking can be seen in their “parts” aka “special factory assembly” knives. This article will explain what these knives are, how they are purchased, and how they fit into the collector market.

My haul from the 2019 GEC Rendezvous

These knives are built using leftover parts from previous runs of knives. Sometimes they are made from recent runs within the same year, and sometimes they’re made with parts from frames that haven’t been used for several years (like this year’s #65s). They often feature different handle materials, shields, and sometimes even different blade or handle shapes than previous runs (from which they drew their parts). For example, at this year’s Rendezvous (2019) GEC had lots of knives built with parts left over from previous runs: #65 Ben Hogans, #85s in different configurations than the normal runs, #97s with the Tango guitar shield (which they haven’t used in a while), and even some stainless #74 Mustangs (I was lucky enough to snag one!). Due to being made in previously unused configurations with old stock parts, you never know what these knives are going to show up as!

The Special Factory Assembly aka parts knives for 2019

GEC first referred to these knives in question as “parts knives” but has transitioned into calling them the more official sounding “special factory assembly” knives. This change in nomenclature has happened over the past two or so years, in conjunction with a change in how they are sold. These knives are only available for purchase at the factory store. They are made for the annual Rendezvous (if you’d like to learn more about why the Rendezvous is worth attending, read my article linked here). Originally, up until 2017 or 2018, there was no restriction on the number of these knives that one could purchase at a time. However, recently GEC has restricted each person to one “SFA” knife per transaction / time through the line at the Rendezvous / day at the Rendezvous. This rule makes it more difficult for a large number of these knives to be concentrated in one person’s collection, therefore making them even rarer and more sought after on the secondary market.

Not technically a Special Factory Assembly, but definitely a parts knife. #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna, 1 of 27

These “special factory assembly” knives are sought after for several reasons. First, they tend to be made in low numbers. GEC has moved generally toward larger runs, so the fact that these parts knives are still made in runs of 4-40 knives makes them quite rare relative to other recent runs. On top of this, many of this year’s SFA knives were “S” models (I’ll be doing an article on what this means also, so make sure you subscribe via email for updates) which are less desirable due to their lack of warranty and supposed lower aesthetic quality. Beyond their rarity, the sheer fact that the SFA knives can only be purchased at the factory store makes them more difficult to purchase, and therefore more valuable. The “special factory assembly” knives tend to be highly sought after, especially just after the Rendezvous.

2019 Special Factory Assembly GEC #74 Mustang

I personally enjoy the “parts” aka “special factory assembly” knives because they’re just plain unique and interesting. I also enjoy that they’re a hallmark of and a keepsake from each Rendezvous. If you ever get a chance to pick one up, I highly suggest you do!

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What Makes the CollectorKnives WarHorse by LionSteel a Successful Mix of Modern and Traditional?

T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s the accompanying video review.

The WarHorse is a modern slipjoint made by LionSteel for CollectorKnives. It’s one that I’ve been looking forward to trying for a while, as CollectorKnives announced it on their Early Reserve page early this year. I had previously tried the CollectorKnives Shuffler, which is the single clip blade version, and liked it other than the handle material. The main reason I decided to get this knife is a bit convoluted; Mike at CollectorKnives had an SFO made by Great Eastern Cutlery in 2014 of a #77 NorthField barlow with clip point and wharncliffe full sized blades. I decided not to get one and wish I had. When I saw Mike was doing one of his modern barlows with the same blade combination I decided to check one out.

Two big full blades, clip and wharncliffe

The WarHorse is an interesting mix of modern and traditional. First and foremost, it is a slipjoint. It is non-locking, and uses a backspring to stay open and stay closed. It also has the hallmarks of a traditional barlow; an elongated bolster on a jack frame. Additionally, it’s a two hand opening knife that uses long pulls. Finally, on the traditional side, the clip point and wharncliffe blades are traditionally shaped. However, that’s where the traditionality ends. Rather than being pinned, the WarHorse is held together with torx screws. It also has a pin that the blade kicks fall upon when closed, eliminating the risk of blade rap. Finally, rather than the blades pivoting directly against the liners like on a traditionally built knife, the WarHorse has phosphor-bronze washers between the blades and liners.

  • The grip is comfortable enough with either blade open due to the width of the handle
  • The grip is slightly more ergonomic with the Wharncliffe open

LionSteel did a great job making this knife. It came with nice action; great walk and talk, healthy snap, and a nice 5.5ish pull (just a little stronger than a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife). The blades are nice and tight, with no play or wobble, and they’re both centered dead down the barrel. The fit is different than on a traditionally made knife. Since the knife is held together with screws, the transitions between handle cover and bolster and liners and springs can’t be polished flat. Instead, all of the edges are nicely rounded so that they come together smoothly. The washers help to provide extremely smooth action without any blade play right out of the box, but they also create small gaps between the blades/springs. The blades seem to be ground quite thin, for good slicing capabilities, and evenly. The long pulls (which, unlike on the vast majority of traditional slipjoints, are on both sides of the blade) are a little more rounded than I’d prefer. A traditional long pull has a square / angled inside upper edge which allows the fingernail to catch securely, whereas the WarHorse long pulls are radiused. This radius can sometimes lead to my fingernail slipping off the blade, especially on the pile side wharncliffe blade. Although the WarHorse is not traditionally built, it is certainly built well.

  • Back springs with no spacer
  • Stop pin that eliminates blade rap
  • Brass washers for smooth action
  • Perfect centering and full blades
  • Really nice carbon fiber goes well with the titanium bolster
  • Collector Knives etch

One of the WarHorse’s biggest drawing points is its high end materials. It comes in several different handle materials including olive wood, ram horn, ebony wood, and carbon fiber. I went with the carbon fiber, because I think it really fits with the traditional meets modern aesthetic. Knives have been handled in synthetic materials for around a hundred years, like micarta and celluloid, but carbon fiber is a new age material and I felt that it represented the mix of modern and traditional in the overall WarHorse. It is handsome carbon fiber, with no noticeable voids and a nice even weave. The blades are M390 steel. M390 is a recent super steel that is well liked for its high performance across all categories: edge holding, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability. Finally, the liners and bolsters are a nice tumbled titanium, for strength and lightness. The materials on the WarHorse are high end, but I do believe (if the WarHorse was made with pin construction) the materials do not exclude it from being a traditional knife. I really appreciate the high end materials that make up the WarHorse, especially considering super steels are so rare on production slipjoints.

Ready to put in lots of work

Overall, I think the WarHorse is a knife that the slipjoint market needs. It brings to the market a knife with high end materials and newer build technology while retaining a respect for and homage to the traditional knives from which it draws inspiration. I don’t think it has the same spirit and soul as a traditionally made barlow, if I’m being honest, but it offers more muscle and utility to even things out. The WarHorse builds a bridge between the modern and traditional knife segments, and hopefully will continue the trend of production knife companies making knives with traditional designs.

  • Compared to some recent GEC patterns, the #29 and #97
  • Thickness compared to the single blade #97 and 3 blade/spring #29
  • Compared to the Spyderco Domino and Spyderco Native

The WarHorse is a CollectorKnives exclusive. You can get one for yourself from CollectorKnives.net (they are in stock as of 8/20/19). You can find all of the different versions for between $162 and $172 at this link. Tell Mike you heard about the WarHorse on Knife Thoughts!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts

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Knife Thoughts at the 2019 Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous

This past weekend Great Eastern Cutlery held their yearly Rendezvous. It’s a combination of several things: a gathering of GEC enthusiasts, an open house, and (since 2018) a small knife show. I’ve gone the last 6 years, and always look forward to the trip. If you want to know more about the Rendezvous in general, checkout my article here:

Why All Traditional Knife Enthusiasts Should Attend the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous

2019 is the second year GEC has offered tents and tables for collectors and vendors to set up displays, and this year I decided to set up as Knife Thoughts. I wasn’t sure that it was a good idea to set up a display, being that my collection and knowledge pale in comparison to that of many of the collectors who attend the Rendezvous, but I decided to go for it. I thought I could offer something worthwhile mainly by displaying the last 6 years (2019 inclusive) of Rendezvous Specials. In all the years I’d gone, I never saw any of the Rendezvous Specials displayed and I felt people would enjoy seeing them. I also wanted to display my Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association club knives.

  • 2019 Rendezvous Special
  • 2019 Special Factory Assembly
If you want to know more about the parts knives, subscribe for updates via email, as I plan to write a short article explaining them.

After waiting in line all night and getting my 2019 Rendezvous Special and a Special Factory Assembly, I set up my first public knife display! I used a very nice stepped display given to me by my wife to display the Rendezvous Specials, a magnetic kitchen knife holder to display some fixed blades, and laid out many of my traditional pocket knives in a semblance of order.

Knife Thoughts display the 2019 GEC Rendezvous (and a little shirt flair)

It turned out to be a great experience! I had many people stop at my table to discuss the knives and GEC in general. I also got to see some old friends from previous Rendezvous, and meet many new friends. I got to meet and talk with Mike of Collector Knives, Austin of C. Risner / Traditional Pocket Knives, and Jamie of JSR Sports & More. I also got to see and talk with Ken of Blue Creek Cutlery / Maher & Grosh, as well as Gary of Kifer Cutlery Classics, whom I’ve seen at previous Rendezvous. It’s always a treat to get to discuss knives with others who share your enthusiasm for all things cutlery!

  • The line to get in at 7am just before they opened the doors
  • The Special Factory Assembly aka parts knives for 2019

I also learned a few things in the process. First, I should bring knives I plan to sell and have their prices pre-determined. Pretty much everyone who came to my table asked if I was selling. Even the knives I was willing to sell, I didn’t pre-plan pricing which made it awkward trying to give an asking price. Second, it would be easier to have a table and still be able to look around at the other displays with a partner to help watch. Thirdly, I should have a Knife Thoughts shirt and/or banner to help distinguish and identify my display (rather than just stickers). So not only was this Rendezvous a fun time, it was a learning experience to help improve Knife Thoughts displays at future shows.

A Special Factory Assembly #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna