Urban EDC Supply/Justin Lundquist Baby Barlow Thoughts

I had the chance to check out the Baby Barlow on loan which is a collaboration between Urban EDC Supply and Justin Lundquist. If you're interested in learning more about them, here's a link to the all titanium version on Urban EDC Supply. If you want to see the different varieties, here's that link as well. I've never been too interested in traditional knives due to how formulaic they are. That's where the Baby Barlow comes in, finally adding some more innovation to the kinda dull traditional market with the addition of a front flipper, liner lock, and clip. It was fun to check out, though I'm not sure it's something I'd want to carry everyday.

Quick side note: this is a prototype and is not exactly like the final production version. This one is beadblasted while the production version is sandblasted. Apparently this one is not up to the final quality standards either, but I was very impressed with the quality and fit/finish. They'll end up shipping in early November of this year and are available for preorder at a slight discount. The all titanium version is going for $199 currently, while the versions with the G10 inserts are going for $215.

This is a Justin Lundquist design, who's also done some knives for Kizer like the Feist. It's a very classy and clean design that would function well for EDC tasks. It's a smaller knife that would work out well as a backup option. These are made by Fox Knives in Italy which is pretty cool as well. Like I mentioned earlier, the quality/fit and finish were top notch. I was very impressed with the quality and design.

The blade steel is M390 with the cutting edge coming in at 2 inches. I find 2" to be the optimal blade length for me, since it keeps the knife compact while not sacrificing usability. M390 is a great steel and performed very well. The only complaint I have about the blade involves the front flipper.

The nail nick is entirely for show, as the front flipper tab is the primary way to open this knife. As you can see in the photo below, the blade is entirely recessed in the handle. The flipper tab isn't that apparent in the photo but it's right above the pivot. The fact that it doesn't stick out that far in the photo goes to show how small it really is. I'm not sure if they had to make it that small to fit the design or if they just wanted to make it as small as possible. Either way, it's too small in my opinion and makes the knife that much harder to open. There is some jimping on the tab for grip, but it's almost too coarse and is one of the few flipper tabs I've tried that has absolutely destroyed my finger. I ended up getting a huge blister on my index finger just from flipping it in my video. I don't think dulling the jimping would help at all because it'd make the knife even harder to flip.

As far as the front flipper aspect, I'm not a fan personally. It takes too much concentration to flip well, and it usually takes me 3 or 4 attempts before I get it flipped open cleanly. Sometimes I miss the flipper tab because of how small it is. Other times, it only opens partially due to not hitting the tab right. I'd rather have a normal flipper that's easier to open than the gimmicky front flipper. The Baby Barlow does run on caged ball bearings, so when you manage to flip it well, it opens very smoothly. Maybe I just needed to get used to the front flipping action. To me though, it didn't feel natural to reach around the end of the knife to flip it. That's probably the biggest issue I have with the knife overall. If it's not easy to flip, then I'm never going to want to use it in my EDC.

This version of the Baby Barlow has a titanium handle with an OD green G10 insert around the pivot. I like the insert, and the three grooves help add a little grip for your pointer finger. I'm normally not a fan of titanium handles but really like these ones due to how nicely rounded the edges are. Though there's no jimping anywhere along the handle or spine of the blade, I've never felt that the knife is too slick. Also, the liner lock is solid and had no play at all.

I was able to fit a full four-finger grip quite comfortably. Those of you with larger hands are probably looking at more of a three-finger grip on the 2.93" handle. The edges of the handles are perfectly rounded so the knife feels like it melts into your hand. I'd like to see rounded handle edges become the standard on all new knives. 

The clip is simple and works as it should. The light weight (2.4 ounces) and slimness made it a joy to carry. I had no major complaints about how it carried.

Looking at the price, the full price of $239 may seem high for what you're getting. The higher-end materials (titanium, M390, and G10) are what you typically see in knives over $200. I hear the argument that people wouldn't pay so much for such a small knife which I don't get at all. Just because a knife is small doesn't mean the price should be reduced. If anything, they require more precision/details and have smaller tolerances than larger knives would. As a classier show piece for your collection, the price doesn't seem that ridiculous compared to what some knives go for.

It was neat to check out the Baby Barlow, yet it's not the knife for me. It's nice to see some innovation in the traditional market. I hope other knife manufacturers catch on and start innovating more in the production folder market. I see this knife as more of a show piece instead of one you'd actually want to use every day. The clean design and compact size was ultimately ruined by the front flipper. Thanks for looking!