Vintage Colonial Barlow Pocket Knife

 The Barlow knife is among the oldest classic patterns of knives today, often used and prized by the common working man.  With its substantial nickel silver bolster it was a tough knife designed for rugged work.  Colonial was not a high-end knife company, but one that mass-produced. It was established in 1926 in Providence, Rhode Island.  My knife is from the period stretching from 1938 to the early 1970s.  The original Colonial Knife facilith closed in the late 1990s due to shifts in the industry and foreign competition.  However, former employees and members of the Paolantonio family restructured to keep the business alive. Today, the company operates in Rhode Island, distinguishing between its US-manufactured lines and imported value tools.  The Paolantonio brothers—who had years of experience working for the Empire Knife Company after immigrating from the famous knife-producing city of Frosolone, Italy—officially incorporated Colonial Knife in 1926.

This particular model, with the white synthetic handle, seems to range in price online all the way from $36 to over $100.  I paid $10 at a flea market, so I guess I got a decent deal!  (Although, as you can see in the picture, it could use a good cleaning.)