Rustbucket Colonial Barlow Pocket Knife - Too Far Gone?

[@knifedelights7473]

Looks really nice TK! The biggest thing is to get rid of the rust to avoid pitting, and you got that done. There is something very satisfying about cleaning up an old knife. Thanks for sharing, my friend!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

That's right you just want to keep that rust from propagating. Thanks for watching and also for the inspiration to do another of these type videos.

[@terrancecoard388]

After watching a few Ugly Knife Challenge videos I remembered my SIL had a few knives she found in her garage after buying a house several years ago. Earlier this week I asked my wife to see if she still had them and she did. Years ago when I first saw them I thought they were too far gone. My mindset has changed since then and I took another look. One is a Barlow just like yours made by Imperial of Rhode Island...She is the best of the three and in much better condition than the one in this video. Because of my amazing results with 50/50 vinegar and water on cast iron skillets I will use the solution on the rust. Fifteen minutes of soaking should take care of it and then some deep cleaning with some swabs and polish with Flitz. The second one is an Ulster made in Kingston NY probably between 1920-1930. Other than some rust much of the main blade has been ground down. Someone used the heck out of this knife and sharpened it over the years so the blade edge is about 30% less. The main blade is still workable and the second blade shows little use. Can't call her ugly though...just used. The third knife is a Camper made by Ideal of RI circa 1950. At first glance she seems ok then you realize there are no scales but based on the design, it does not immediately stand out. The bolsters and the body of the knife seems to be the same material and other than the pins standing proud because of the missing scales you would think it was an all metal knife. It will be fun returning these noble tools back to serviceable condition.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I like experimenting with different techniques, this is definitely NOT the most effective or efficient one, but I was trying not to use hard chemicals or abrasives. Thanks. With anything you really care not to harm this would work well.

[@drewwhite5601]

Great restoration pal lovely old Barlow ,my favourite part of collecting old knives is restoring them and the anticipation when you add some oil and wait to see if you have some snap , keep up the great work 👍

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Drew, that is a lot of fun to discover with these well used ones.

[@JoseGonzalez-yx6vm]

Cleaned up really good, I like some blemishes left on the blades, no need to remove a lot of metal from the blades, thanks for showing the process!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yessir, not looking to make it perfect, it turned out okay. Good enough to carry now. Thank you Jose.

[@timwilliams8343]

Restoration "101", Good Job! I've done several that I thought I did OK on. Sometimes you can only do so much. After you rubbed a lot of that surface rust off I have found that Flitz does pretty good on the blades & bolsters.

[@timwilliams8343]

Duh, I didn't watch long enough you did use Flitz!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Flitz is great stuff. Ballistol too. I continue to improve on them.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

No problem Tim.

[@Mikes_Life]

That came out awesome, lots of cool character left. Thanks for sharing this one with us. I love that sheepsfoot main blade.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for watching, Mike. Glad you liked the fix up.

[@MrBarlow]

Awesome knife makeover Thrifty 🔪 fine steel wool does wonders taking off pesky blade rust

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yep, it does a great job too. Tried to real noninvasive with this one.

[@rustyknifelover4463]

Turned out great. Love a knife with character

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Oh it's got plenty of character! Thanks Rusty.

[@RJsKnives]

Wow! You really did a great job saving that knife! You can be proud of your “new” pocket knife. I think it always will have a place of honor in your collection.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Cleaned up really well and the blades are nice and sharp. Gotta love the old carbon blades when putting a fresh edge on them. Thanks, RJ. Epic stream today!

[@RJsKnives]

@@ThriftyKaniffy it will be hard to beat that one for sure. Thanks so much for being a part of it!

[@jonlouis2582]

Very interesting sympathetic clean up, I like it. I’ve been collecting old knives for years and usually don’t do much except oil and clean. You did a great job. To me, the most interesting thing was the minimal blade wear. Usually when I find these knives they’re worn to a nub.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yes, it was unusual in that way considering the condition otherwise. Crack in the handle? Yes. Rust everywhere? Yes. Blades worn away? No, not at all.

[@wizardofahhhs759]

Yep, I have a few of my grandfather's old knives and every one of them have blades that have been sharpened down to picks.

[@carlangstrom3025]

I always enjoy cleaning and using an older slip joint. Thanks for showing your process.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for watching, Carl. I enjoy working on them

[@Semitotal]

Great to have a sheepsfoot on a Barlow! You could try a good soak in Evaporust. That stuff is kind of magic.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yes, I like the sheepsfoot on a Barlow. I'll likely try that on a future project.

[@BigT962]

Got one of these from a flea market today for $2.50. Small blade is missing the tip, but I like it. Granted, it’s nothing expensive originally, but it was a good deal.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Just a good ol Colonial. Budget, but a hard worker and American made.

[@cogs2937]

Just bought a new Balow pocket knife a couple weeks ago from the hardware store. Blade already has a spot of rust. Probably had it when purchased. Cheap stuff.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It cleaned up alright. Maintenance is key to keeping them rust free. Thanks, Cogs.

[@BushcraftWoodsDevil]

Very nice. I like that you cleaned it up, but didn't mirror polish it as some do. I love seeing these old pocketknives with pitting and wear, which to my mind, is character and tells a story. Thumbs UP!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

100% agree. You gotta leave some of that character. Thanks, BWD

[@wesleywooten1655]

I always enjoy your reviews and was surprised to see you do a restoration one. Great restoration and vid!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thank you very much, Wesley. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@randyblackburn9765]

These knives were the poor man’s or school boy’s knives. They sold them in the 1960’s in an open cardboard stand on the counter where the clerk could watch them . Different patterns from stockman and others . They all had the faux saw cut beige plastic handles with tin bolsters crimped to the liners . If I remember correctly they never replaced the sold knife in the cardboard stand until all knives were sold and a new stand would replace them .I used them and they got the job done as well as an expensive slip joint folder .

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Welcome to the channel Randy. They definitely were just a cheap general store style knife that sat upon the counter. I like that nostalgia about them. Thanks for the comment.

[@YetiYoji]

My wife uses an ultrasonic cleaner for all her jewelry. I don’t think she would ever let me put my knife in there but I guess I could get my own. Looks like it does a pretty good job.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yea I have my own. Wouldn't want to upset anyone.

[@Tom.Barlow]

My surname is Barlow and I am the proud owner of a Barlow knife ❤❤

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Very cool, Tom. It's a great knife pattern.

[@billyjohnson2495]

Wow, you brought it back from the dead. Well done man, very well done.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thank you, Billy.

[@diverdave2179]

Pretty good rehab, TK! So far I have used only vinegar, will try the glass cleaner next time.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Just wanted to use something mild, I'm sure vinegar would be more effective on the rust.

[@philipstephan5451]

I think you are doing a super job considering you dont have any steele wool. Great job! You really got the steel on that shiny, and scary shaving sharp. Take care 😊

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thank you! Cheers, Phillip

[@TPINSC]

It really turned out nice You did a great job.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks very much, Mr.MT.

[@jeroenvoss6231]

It was in a pretty rough condition, but you sure got it cleaned up nicely. Thank you for showing TK.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It turned out real nice. Thanks, Jeroen.

[@davidkurle5418]

Fantastic job, buddy. That knife looks great! 👍

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

David what’s up brother? Have a fantastic weekend buddy

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Good enough to carry now, so I'd say it was a success. Thanks so much, David

[@davidkurle5418]

@@jerseyknifeguy6382 you too buddy!

[@RoyalEmpressTree]

I have a knife like this. What I like is, the blades are carbon, so they are really sharp. I've been wondering if anyone put on different scales on these before?

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I haven't ever tried to replace the scales on these. Good value when you find them under 15 bucks. Thanks, Royal.

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

Thrifty your gettin fancy on me over there ultrasonic cleaner wow!!!!! You don’t play around…… I’ve always liked doing restos…….. I find it very relaxing…… your a very thorough guy nice restoration bud very naive cleanup thanks buddy stay well 😊

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Just giving it a shot to see what it would do. Works pretty well at ridding the loose stuff.

[@JoseyWhales-ii4dk]

There's not many of those sheepsfoot barlow...lol I love these old colonial & imperial barlow's they are pricey on ebay thank you for sharing

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Pricier than they ought to be. Thanks, Josey.

[@johnm.9989]

If you couple the ultrasonic cleaner with Evaporust, it will do an excellent job of removing even the hidden rust trapped between surfaces. I don't understand why more tool guys haven't figured this out yet.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I've not tried it yet, but I agree it would do quite well.

[@gizmocarr3093]

Nice job! 🙂

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Gizmo. It turned out alright. Experimenting.

[@TheRealMarkS]

I'm sure everyone has their own recipe, but with razors and knives, I've also had good results by adding coffee maker descaler, and a few drops of dish detergent to the ultrasonic cleaner. Good job, and like you, I don't typically aim for a full restoration. What remains after a decent cleaning is "character".

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

That's right. Also I wanted to try this method as a very non aggressive way to go about it so if ever I do something valuable I know what to expect.

[@skcamerican]

Nice job saving that old knife! You could use Milliput to patch that cover if you wanted. I’d use that puppy proudly.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for the tip. I kinda like the chip as it is as It gives it some added character. Thanks Su.

[@matthewrussell485]

Thanks for this! Definitely just saw a few tricks to help me clean some blades up

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I was going for non abrasive, non hard chemicals. You could do it more efficiently no doubt.

[@mikecurtis2585]

Great job looks nice and great working condition!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Mike. Took a while as I was trying not to use abrasives or hard chemicals.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Okay it will never be a beauty queen but too far gone is always a judgement call. The question really comes down to how much time you want to spend on the knife and are your happy with it.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It was pretty rough, but the work paid off. I'll make it a frequent carry. Thanks for watching, Tobias.

[@caesar4880]

You saved a classic there. Something that is not around any more. Nice job.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I appreciate it, Caesar. Thank you for the kind words.

[@larrydye6374]

Thanks for posting this! I'm sure there may be other videos on KZbin where others have used an ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning a knife, but yours is the first I've seen. I plan trying Evapo-Rust in my u-s cleaner, sometime soon. Thanks again.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks, It does a great job once the stuff is loose, but may not do much on it's own.

[@singingtoad]

Job well done. Cheers!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks, Singing Toad. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Roosterdad50]

You did quite a nice job! I hear that little rolled up bits of fine steel wool does a good job inside those channels. push them around with your stick. Don't you just love a patina on an old blade? I sure do. Nice video, Subbed. 😊

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yes nothing quite like a good patina. Thanks for tip Rooster.

[@georgethomas4483]

Use a nail board to clean the chanels-stiff toothbrush warm soapy water also =good vids

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for the suggestion, George.

[@chaddamron3877]

Bringing it back to life 1 blade at a time 💥💥👊🥃 great vid man

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Heck yeah. Thanks Chad. Cheers.

[@herbertsmith6416]

Great job tk looks good.thats all my dad would ever cary.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Good ol' Barlow. Classic. Smart man.

[@GriffMJ]

... the ultra sonic is great Thrifty..... just be careful on wood handles though. Dont leave the knife in there for longer than a couple of minutes.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Agreed. Thanks for joining the discord.

[@randelyoder9446]

WD-40 and 0000 steel wool

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yep, I've done that method before. Going a less aggressive route this time.

[@propblast82nd]

Oh btw , I had a Barlow like that and a soak in Break Free really helped. Your's turned out great .

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Cool thanks for the info, Prop.

[@Mike-uh2gw]

Sabre has bone handle Barlows near that color on fleabay. They go cheap and are an excellent deal for what you get. The bone is near translucent and looks stunner after polishing. Nice job on this one.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Mike. I've got a Sabre Barlow video you should check out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iau6Yq1pocaffbc

[@michaelbeams9553]

Nice job .👍 It has character. Informative video . Peace , Be Free .

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for the support Michael, much appreciated.

[@danedwards8535]

Get a paint can stirrer to use as a brace for the blade while polishing and working on it

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

That'd work. Thanks, Dane.

[@byronkennedy7912]

Thanks, TK, for the share. May I suggest a Dremel tool with a set of polishing wheels, wire brushes, and ultra fine sandpaper (600, 1000 grit paper)? I think you could then bypass the ultrasonic cleaner. Some work but it looks and sounds great! Thanks for the share.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Next time perhaps. Experimenting with no abrasives or hard chemicals. Thanks, Byron.

[@byronkennedy7912]

@@ThriftyKaniffy Why?😁

[@kevinfoster1213]

I found a BARLOW on a trailer i recently bought. At the time knew nothing about it but added it to the collection. Can one knife be defined as a collection? Cleaned up I noticed milling marks on the big blade so assumed very low use. Was and still is dull as a butter knife. Didn't want to screw up something i know nothing about. Plus I don't carry a knife. It's scary enough shaving so why double the odds. Cool video

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for having a look Kevin. For us knife guys we feel naked without one. Have a great weekend.

[@kevinfoster1213]

@@ThriftyKaniffy on the blade it reads.. COLONIAL...and then under that....PROV U.S.A.. I noticed on the knife you rehabbed it had 2 pins holding the grips.. this has 3.. does that mean anything?

[@propblast82nd]

Hey TK , I've seen these long thin plastic sticks with a fine cotton point for cleaning in tight place's . Do know where to get them ?

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Amazon has loads of different types. Search swabs or electronics cleaning.

[@propblast82nd]

@@ThriftyKaniffy thanks 🙏

[@jimclonan]

Great job restoring this Barlow; lots of patience, eh?!?

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yep, that's just what it takes. Thank you for watching, Jim

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

You have to get the KPL swabs they are fantastic the next time you get a bottle of KPL pick up them little Q tips they work wonders

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yea I've seen those before. Thanks Jersey.

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

Thrifty stick the knife in a vise and get like 1000 grit sandpaper and pull back in one direction maybe wrap the sandpaper in a little block of wood and pull straight back one direction…… I think that you’ll get even better results thanks buddy

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Lots of ways to skin this cat. Trying for a non aggressive method just to see.

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

@@ThriftyKaniffy I hear ya…. Years ago hanging out and drinking we used to work on cars constantly and we did body work too!!!!! I have a little experience with rust and pitting…… we fixed so many cars just playin around I wouldn’t be able to count how many dune buggies we built…… I stray painted a entire car with spray paint cans and it actually came out out good…. You probably know….. a friend of mine his dad had a shop and we used to hang out in there and tinker all day and night!!!!! Be well Thrifty

[@MrArdentatheist]

Good job.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for tuning in to the restore, Titus. Take care.

[@MrArdentatheist]

@@ThriftyKaniffy The pleasure was mine.

[@jeffjackson5331]

Sweet

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Jeff, hope you enjoyed the fixin'.

[@jeffjackson5331]

@@ThriftyKaniffy oh yeah i did. I have been learning alot from you, Knife Delights, J.O Adventures and others, thank you! Oh and it is my pleasure bud.

[@jamesomalley4556]

Not bad TK.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Not bad, not bad. Thank you,

[@matthewrix2164]

Soaking in vinegar for four hours wrapped in vinegar soaked newspaper really loosens the red rust

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Lots more to experiment with. Trying lots of methods with each one I do.

[@popeye27528]

Nice

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

👍 Thanks!

[@mathewgoebel4078]

You need to look up metal rescue it supposedly Only attacks rust will not harm any other Material. So they say.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks, Matthew. I'll look into.

[@nameless-yd6ko]

Wouldn't dropping the knife into some cola product have eaten off all the rust in just a few minutes?

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Coulda done a lot things different, I should have stressed this is the method I would use for a knife of value being that is the least invasive. Thanks Nameless.

[@nameless-yd6ko]

@@ThriftyKaniffy Well yes! Had it not have been scales of 'plastic', for instance... I agree that the (even) slight acidity of coke (not to mention that beautiful mahogany coloring) might be disastrous for some other materials, like abalone, bone, etc... I figured that plastic was bulletproof! Thank you for the fine vids! Peace and Love

[@terrillschneider3778]

Nothing like getting your hands on an old Barlow unless it’s getting your hands on an old one in new in the box condition Keep rubbing it Thanks

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I worked on it a bit more beyond what is seen here. It'll be a carry now.

[@terrillschneider3778]

@@ThriftyKaniffy Nice Atta boy