Barr Bros. WWII

[EnfCol]

My father (86 years old) is a WWII Navy Pacific PT Veteran. When he was stationed at Treasure Island in San Francisco for Schooling in 1943 he went to Barr Brothers and purchased a combat knife they were making and selling to Marines and Naval Personnel ONLY. He believes he paid the expensive sum of $25.00 for this knife manufactured from steel automotive leaf springs for the blades with leather washer handle and an aluminum cap.

I haven't ever seen any other Barr Brothers knife other than Dad's and always found it very interesting as I was growing up. Dad still keeps it razor sharp and uses it around the house these days killing dandy-lions and rope.

Will Post photos

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[PIC]

Would love to see some pics.

[EnfCol]

Sorry for the Delay

[PIC]

thanks-interesting piece.now i have to look into this maker.there were many private manufacturers during this period and finding new ones always is always great.

[EnfCol]

I've been looking since 1964 to purchase my own; no luck! I contacted Barr Bros about a year ago asking if a commorative edition could be made for sale. The President of the company returned my email advising it would be costly and they would have outsource it. I don't think they will. BTW, he had only found one he added to his collection several years ago.
They are the type of knife passed from generation to generation........ very few come up for sale.
Good Luck; if you find two, let me know will you; I'm still looking to purchase mine.
Best regards,
Enfcol

[PIC]

In the year 1873, at the little city of Eugene, Oregon, two brothers, William Robinson Barr and Hugh Barr, began making industrial cutlery. They did not describe their output in these words - perhaps they had no vision then of what this small enterprise was to become - but they did put into their product all their virility of purpose, all their unusual skill, all the love which the workman lavishes upon the children of his hands, with the result that the things they made were superior in quality to cutlery made elsewhere upon the earth.

For forty years, William and Hugh Barr stood at forge and lathe fashioning knives and other sharp steel implements of better quality than those manufactured by machinery.

And day by day, month by month, during those years came the demand for other articles. Men used their knives, found them good and called for other things. In the Oregon country in those days game was abundant and every man owned a gun - but these guns were sometimes defective, often undependable.

So, Barr Brothers, artists in steel, made guns, guns that stood up longer under hard usage, guns that shot straighter than the machine made firearm.

Then the flour mills required needles for sewing sacks, and Barr Brothers produced needles clearly suited for that purpose, a needle adapted to sack sewing and whose life far outlasted its machinery made cousin.

Thus grew Barr Brothers' reputation from the seed of small beginnings to the wideflung esteem of sturdy maturity, and in 1912 they removed to the city of Oakland and established themselves in the plant they occupy today.

Through all these years, Barr Brothers have never employed salesmen, never utilized the irresistible force of advertising, never published a catalogue, never availed themselves of any of the customary processes by which sales are promoted.

Nevertheless, from every state in the union, from every trade center, orders have continued to come for Barr Brothers' products. A situation illustrative of Elbert Hubbard's famous saying:

"If a man write a better book, preach a better sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, though he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door."

Forty summers and winters Barr Brothers bent over forge and lathe producing knives, needles, draw axes, shipbuilding tools and scores of other articles, in all of which the inherent characteristics of their makers were hammered into the steel, and with these sterling attributes a selling quality unsurpassed by any similar wares in the world.

The fame of their goods passed by glowing word of mouth from user to user, the demand grew wider and wider; but the two brothers were growing old. Age will be served as well as youth. And thus we reach another stage in the history of this house.

[unsub]

That was a fantastic post PIC! Very eloquent. It reminded me of the way Ed Fowler writes about knives and hand made tools with a sense of history and respect.

We need much bigger photos though. Those little ones are a tease.

The guys at the british blades militaria forum also might know about these
knives.