# Barclay Forge



## joyfull (May 24, 2006)

So I did some junk box cleaning yesterday, and in all the mess found what was one of the first paring knives I purchased when I got married in the 60's.. 
I'm sure I've had this stashed away instead of trashing it for my own silly sentimental reasons, as I tend to do that with a lot of my old 'stuff.'

Well I was about to toss it out thinking this thing is just too old and ugly, but thought I'd give it one last try to see if it would still cut..
Well by gosh it sure did! The blade is still very sharp, way sharper than some of my newer knives as a matter of fact.. It sliced through a ripe tomato with no problem..

So, I tried to find info on this knife and couldn't seem to find a darn thing on the internet, but I knew if I asked here, I would find someone would know about this brand!

It surely can't be a very high end knife as the blade says stainless steel Taiwan on one side..
The other side however says Barclay Forge, has a small logo that looks to be an anvil? I'm not positive on that though. There's also the TM next to the logo..
The handle(scale?) itself is wood, (very bleached out) has the same logo branded on the wood, and the rivets appear to be gold.. Could be brass but there is no disscoloration like brass can tend to do..

I would like to restore the finish on the wooden handle somehow.. Any idea's on how to go about this other than painting it? I don't think that would be a good idea.. Right?
What do you all think? Have you heard of this brand at all, and would you fix up the handle or just let it be?
Thanks for your help as always,
Joyfull


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## joyfull (May 24, 2006)

How interesting! I finally found out a little bit of info on Barclay Forge knives on the Bladeforum site..

What type of steel in "Barclay Forge" Chef's Knife? - BladeForums.com

The only differences are this fellow talks about a chefs knife while mine is a paring knife and that his knife in question says stainless steel Japan, whereas mine says stainless steel Taiwan..

I suspect I got mine the same as the other person replying to him. Nice and cheap with a certain amount of groceries.. I was and still am a sucker for that! 

It is a dandy little knife though!!


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

For God's sake... don't paint the handle! 

Mineral oil (USP) is what is used to season and protect wooden cutting boards, and it should darken the wood and give it a little shine. I would mineral-oil it, let it sit handle-up for a couple of days, rub it down with fine steel wool, and give it another shot of oil and let that dry.

Boiled (not raw!) Linseed oil would give it a nicer color, but I don't know how that would do with food. I have no idea if it's FDA-approved, but sort of doubt it.

In any case, don't put it in the dishwasher. Actually, I've quit putting _anything_ with an edge in the D/W let alone anything with a wood handle.

Mike


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