I was browsing through an ad for an estate sale tomorrow morning when I saw this. 



The rest of the sale is mostly furniture and decorative items, some foreign stuff, art, etc. So I'm thinking the type of people who'll show up aren't gonna be the kind interested in vintage Randall knives and maybe I can get it for a steal.

Unfortunately I don't know much about Randalls besides their reputation as high quality and desirable. So after a little research I'm pretty sure I've identified it as a Model 16 Diver. Can anyone confirm this? Also I've read that this particular model has been made from the 50's to today. Is there anyway to date it? Judging from the condition in the single picture my wild ass guess would be 60's/70's production. A more informed opinion would be appreciated. 

I'd also like to get an idea of it's value. No information was provided besides what's written below the picture so I have no idea if the sheath is included. I certainly hope so but I doubt it. So what's a fair price on this knife in this condition? The sale starts at 8am tomorrow so a quick answer would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks ahead of time for any information or advice you can provide. 

I would agree, that looks like a Model 16 "Diver's" knife to me. It has the brass double hilt from a Model 1. The 'S' stamp on the blade next to the Randall makers stamp denotes that it has a stainless steel blade. They are running around $430.00 new from Randall, but I am not sure if the double brass hilt would be extra. If the sheath is decent, I would guess it would go around $450.00+......

I had that exact knife for many years myself. I picked it up at a knife show back in the early 80's for $250.....The sheath was pretty well worn, so I replaced it with a nylon one. I gave mine to my son-in-law on the day he married my daughter:

does it have a sheath? is it engraved with someone else's name (not even sure that is offered on that model) if it is that would knock my offering price back a bit. personally I'd try to buy it for under $300 if I could. Randall does have a reconditioning service, you can pull it up on their website.


Refinish & Repairs
Refinish or Repair–How can I have my RANDALL MADE knife refinished or repaired?

Send us your Randall knife (limit of two at a time) in a box with points completely protected and complete instructions for the work to be done. We’ll then extend a regular mail  written quote before starting. Repairs typically take six to nine weeks. It is not the policy of Randall Made to work on knives that have been altered, including the old kit blades; these knives are not covered under the Certification and Guarantee. Address for shipment via US Postal Service, shipment via UPS or other carriers: 4857 So. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32839. Note effective September 11, 2001, Randall is not offering re-handle jobs, nor do we repair sheaths. Spare time and space is devoted to filling military knife orders for our active military customers.

Please note regarding Insurance:  The quote for repairs/refinishing will include  insurance on the knife(ves).  The insured value is based on “current year” prices.  If you would like a higher insurance amount quoted, please state the amount in your request for quotation letter when sending us the knife. From their website

Randall Model 16 $430 (current catalog price)
+ brass double hilt $20/nickle silver double hilt $30
+ sawteeth $55
- missing sheath?
- condition?
The sheath is the best way to date it. I would be surprised if it is older than the 80's, but that's a guess.  *Edit. It could be older than I originally thought depending on the lanyard hole construction.*

I agree that it looks like a 16, but didn't Randall make a "Special Fighter" that looked similar?
Just going by memory here.

Eta- be aware that the correct sheaths can be expensive.

And after googling, the Special Fighter has more of a model 1 blade, whereas the 16 has the model 14 blade.
I would say its definitely a 16.

Thank you everyone for the fast and informative replies! I'm definitely going to be standing in line tomorrow morning trying to get to it first. 

I have no information or pics other than what's in the OP, so I don't know if it has a sheath, I certainly hope it does but since it wasn't included in the pic I'm not getting my hopes up. Possibly they just didn't think it was important and didn't include it in the picture, so fingers crossed. 

I would've guessed it was older than the 80's but I'll defer to the experts. 

Yes it it does look very similar to the "Special Fighter" model but comparing the blades I believe it's a Model 16 Diver. Again though I'm no expert and will defer to those more knowledgeable than I. 

I see that a new one would be around $450+, so considering the condition and assuming it doesn't come with a sheath what would be the maximum approximate value?

I'm getting there early and like I said the sale was advertised as more home decor/furniture type items so I'm realllllyyy hoping I can get a deal. If I can't get it for around ~$250 or less I'll probably pass. I'd like to own a Randall but I could live without it. 

Thanks again for all all the replies. 

I can't tell if there is a brass tube in the thong hole and it is tarnished, or if there is no tube in the thong hole and the edge of the hole is beveled. A beveled lanyard hole in the micarta without a tube would indicate an older knife than I originally thought. A Heiser or Johnson sheath would also indicate an older knife. The stainless steel S stamp (not dropped; not seperate; hard to tell from the pic) and the choil look contemporary. The model 16 I got back in the late 80's came with a black nylon sheath. Then there were the smooth snap Sullivan sheaths and current production is Randall logo snap Sullivan sheaths. If it comes with an original sharpening stone, the type and color indicate age. It's not a Special Fighter, they have a 7" model 1 style blade.

To keep this from turning into a safe thread, I'm updating it to say that regrettably I didn't get the knife. 

The sale opened at 8am, I was there by 7:30am and I was number 92 in line, if that gives you an idea of how many people showed up. And continued showing up well after 8. When I finally got inside to the knives I asked the lady manning the table about the Randall and she said it was the very first thing sold, to a man who had been waiting at the door since 6:15am and got the number 1 ticket. She said that 4 people had already asked about it before me, mind you this was only 10 minutes after the doors opened. So apparently I wasn't the only one looking for a deal. It wasn't all that great of a deal anyway, it sold for $350 with no sheath, which is more than I was willing to pay. So I guess I didn't miss out on much. 

On the the plus side, I did buy a Pelican 1300 case for $10, which had a 1973 vintage scuba regulator, brand new, never used with original paperwork, spare parts and accessories inside. I just bought it for the case but after researching it apparently there's a market for vintage scuba equipment. There was a whole box of more for $25 but at the time I didn't know it had any value. I might go back tomorrow and buy it too. So at least the trip wasn't a complete waste.

Thanks again for the info. 

Randall Model 16 Diver info

Those guys are the experts. There are tons of details that go into setting a production time frame and value for a vintage Randall knife.

That's too bad you didn't get the Randall. I think $350.00 is a steal even with no sheath. I have seen Randalls go for some crazy stupid prices on eBay and some other knife sites. If you have your heart set on picking up a Randall, I would check with any one of these three dealers. They sell their knives at or close to what the Randall shop charges and you don't have to wait 5+ years to get one:

Stanaback Knives

Buxton Knives

Clinton Knives

ETA:

The Big Brown Truck of Happiness just dropped off my newest Randall......

It is a Model 15 with a cut down tang that I got from Buxton Knives:

The last Randall knife I bought was a 7" SS Model #1 with NS double guard and commando leather handle and duraluminum butt cap from Clinton Knives. Ordered in April 2009 and shipped April 2010 (lead time is less now) and the price was at the Randall catalog price at the time it shipped. Going through one of the authorized dealers is the best way to buy a Randall knife. Buying vintage Randalls is tricky, it is easy to overpay. There is so much to it (features and construction of the knife, sheath maker, sheath maker's stamp/font/orientation, sharpening stone type, etc.).

Yeah I realize that $350 was still a good price, but honestly I don't have my heart set on having a Randall. I love the knives, love the history and quality but right now I'd rather spend my money on guns and ammo lol. 

I was was hoping to pick it up but obviously I was wayyy too late. 

Beautiful knife though! Nothing brings quite as much joy as when that big brown truck of happiness shows up in your driveway. :)