They're older steels first off, part of the mystique (people care more about the name than anything) , cheaper to produce and grind (make money) , and if you're selling it why bother changing?

Almost the same reasons Chris Reeve barely changes steels.

I think that you're being overly critical, as is usually the case in Randall threads.

I've read enough Randall threads and I've seen hundreds of pictures of knives being used in the field, to know that many use their knives, so that's not it.

In my case on page 1, I had the knife made for my father, who being a doctor, probably wasn't going to go all 'stabby' on his patients.

After ~25 years, I now have it in my possession and I don't plan on whittling with it, I don't hunt and my 'mall ninja' days are long behind me, so it will remain unused.

Also, I don't have to sneak up behind somebody and slash their throat to know that Pop's Randall is a quality piece and would no doubt get the job done.

Chris

Yep, nothing special about O1 Carbon Steel, it also rusts and stains easily.

So does Maxamet but you could scalp most of the Reich before needing a touch uo

The point I am making is that they are excellent steels, both the carbon and stainless, and they know how to heat treat and grind them properly. I have seen both of Randall's steels survive royal beatings. Just because Randall doesnt use the latest go-fast chic steels doesnt mean they make inferior blades.

That is a very good point, especially the heat treat and grind portion.

yup, Bo started making his knives 82 years ago. Seems to me that if you and your family has been successfully making and selling something for that long then maybe just maybe you've worked out how to do it properly.

Agreed on the heat treat and geometry. If you're going to do one (two) things do them well.

I wouldn't jump all the way to excellent but O1 is solid.

A Randall in Elmax would be interesting to say the least

I got myself the same one for Christmas! Congrats!

I'm going to use my Randall in a bit to cut my 2.75" steak after I cook it. So you can shut the hell up about me not using it!

And I agree about other marks in terms of value. But there's just something about a Randall that makes it worth it.

What size/model is that one holding the snake head? Looks good-sized.

I know.
But I'll get one as soon as I can find one. I hit The Captain's site every chance I get hoping to see one before it's snatched up.

The large knife is a Model 12-9 Bowie with the Model 14 blade grind. It has a 9” blade. The pic below that is a Model 5 with a 5” blade.

Randall’s are a piece of Americana.
Like Colt, Harley-Davidson, and Moonpies.
Loves me some Randall knives.

Very nice. That's kinda what I'm looking for but I like the 14 because of the full tang. With Border Patrol stocks. In green micarta.

Nordic has some new ones listed.

MUST. NOT. CREDIT. CARD.

Or if a James Bond villain or the Russians were up there too and you needed to get standby.

Well put.

Trouble 2 of those 3 are having financial problems (Colt / Harley Davidson / Randall)

Colt -- Needs to move out of MA, and develop new product

HD -- Young people just are not buying motorcycles

Moonpies -- Are delicious, Love Them but they are just hard to find in Ohio

Randall -- not every (probably) going to have issues, but they do charge a premium for their product in Cost and Time/Delay

UK

The financial health is irrelevant to the fact that they are a bit of Americana.

Whether they go out of business tomorrow, or not, doesn't matter and we all like what we like.

I'm not a custom knife/flashlight guy, only having a few, because the full on custom stuff just isn't worth it to me, despite the limited runs and 'exclusiveness' of either.  The stuff is great no doubt, just not in my current price range, so I go more pedestrian routes.

Randalls are no different.

Custom flashlights at probably a grand a pop (Hanko, Okluma, Hanko):



Those look cool as fuck to me and I'd love to have one and I could tomorrow, but they're not worth the scratch to me.

Chris

My one Randall.  It was worth it.

That has to be one of the most drop dead gorgeous Randall's I have ever seen.

Attached File

That is a pretty knife.  I hope to be getting mine sometime soon, hopefully this month.

Thanks guys!  It was worth the money!!!!

are you serious Clark?

Is that a 28?

Just thought of another reason; how else are you going to hack all the green cheese away from your LEM landing gear?

Those guys at NASA thought of EVERYTHING.

25

That is an absolute beauty!

Looks like a 26 to me guys.

Nope, now that I compare, it's a 28.  Hard to see but the top has that additional grind that the 26 doesn't.

And the 26 looks like a stretched 28 with a more gradual belly.  I love that blade shape.

The 28 is a full-tang grind, and the #25 handle isn't available on the 28.  That includes the #25 option to replace the stag with wood or other materials.
"Note–the #25 handle configuration of leather/stag/leather is limited to the following models: #25, #26, #27,  #12-9?, #12-9?#14grind."

Looks like a 26 to me.  The exact grinds have changed slightly over time, so a fair amount of variation is possible.

While my model 1 is beautiful and I love it, it’s not an incredibly useful knife for day to day use for me.

So I bought a Model 11 4” with stag handel to use around the farm and while hunting.

One to play with and one to use.

I’ll post a picture when it comes in from Clinton.

A lot of places have new ones stocked for immediate purchase.

Top left I had for all my trips to Afghanistan.
Middle left came in time for all my trips to Iraq.
Bottom left was a retirement present.

(The ones on the right are some Gerbers from the 80s)

A better pic of the knives would be nice.

You have to keep in mind, Randall knives are cool the way a ‘69 GTO with RAIII 400 and Muncie 4-speed is cool.
They are cool the way an SP1 with Colt 4x20 carry handle scope and factory 20 round mags is cool.

Like 80s era folding stock SS mini-14s, Norinco underfolder AKs, HK91A3s, etc. they are not the latest and greatest.  Just like the no date Submariner is not the best featured dive watch with the most accurate time keeping or the best bang for the buck.

Rolex sells every SS Sub they make with a wait list.  Randall sells every knife they make and has an even longer order list.

I suck at pictures.

Anyways,
When I joined the Rangers in the 80s, the old school name era SF and Ranger/LRRP mystique was a Randall knife and a Rolex Sub.

But they were not as affordable relatively In The 80s as they had in the VN era.  We bought Kabars or  Gerbers and Seiko 6309s instead.

I spent 40 bucks on a real KBAR instead of the 25 bucks the Camillus or whatever copy was.
In that era, there was a lot of time spent out patrolling and away.  Knives cut stuff, chopped things, were used to hammer stuff, dug cat holes, etc.  the beatings my KAbar took were nuts.  I killed two sheaths.  I saved up for an AL MAR and that took a similar beating.

Many people also had a pocket Swiss Army knife, and later leatherman for small stuff.

In the 90s I was a mountain instructor - and boguht some knives used at a bargain, Gerbers.  The beatings continued.  Not as bad- when instructing your gear if often grounded.

By the end of the 90s many had a pocket clip knife or multi tool.

Things changed a lot after GWOT.  Most had a pocket clip knife.  Or a pocket clip multi tool.  Most fixed blades or elaborate multitools found their way to a battle belt or plate carriers.

Most SOF was not out in the bush for days on end living in their kit.
They went about their business in civies or uniform, with fixed blades living on their kit on a shelf.  Instead of being used daily to dig catholes, chop branches, open ammo crates, pry stuff, etc. other tools were around and they likely had a room with internet, AC, etc. instead of living out of amruck in their kit in a partrol base.  They blew out on HAFs, GAFs, VIs, etc. and even longer offset infill type stuff was completed in hours or one night.

Many did not even have large fixed blades anymore, and some were not even carrying smaller ones.  A guy wearing a Rolex or Seiko diver with a big Randall or other large  fixed blade was kind of old school, like mid 30s or mid 40s guys.  And the majority of mid 40s guys were not still going on target every night.  You were a rarity.  The sort of thing where you’ve thrown on your stuff to head out, are with a group of Rangers mostly half your age, their First Sergeant was not in grade school yet when you were a 60 gunner there, and the only other guy you see with an automatic dive watch and Randall knife is a troop sergeant major who is the only operator you have seen still carrying a 45 instead of a Glock in a while.

Anyways, I have gone on too long.
The point is, the life of a fixed blade knife in modern SOF is quite a bit less abusive than it used to be.  To the point they could go on a rotation, maybe do three dozen objectives or so in a four month period, and possibly never be taken out or used-
Vs the daily abuse they used to endure.

My retirement one has never been outside.
I don’t recal pulling out either of the other two on an objective ever.
And I didn’t need them in camp.

Those'll do.

They may not have been used as much as they could have or should have been,...but they were there and would have done a fine job. And that counts for a lot.

Oops.

Oh,
I forgot to say about the gerbers.
At least the BMF types in the cordura sheaths,
You don’t notice it the first few years-
But something goes funky with the sheaths as they age-
They will corrode the crap out of a blade even sitting somewhere dry and temperature controlled if you leave the knives in them.

Variousnother leather, cordura, kydex, etc I have had over the years does not do that as bad, unless really wet.

Cool knives ramairthree, I like the top middle knife in the picture with stag handles.

Yeah, I like it a lot.  It ended up being the only rh8ng I could have delivered in time for my first trip to Afghanistan.  Then my other one came in time for OIF.  They ended being my OEF and my OIF fixed blades each.  Although my old school benchmade Emerson cqc7 and DHG for mountain warfare school original model learhermans went to both and every other CZ/HFZ ever with me.

I know it’s not a “combat knife” but it is a very respectable fixed blade.

u

I do want to rearrange my man cave liquor shelf and maybe put the knives there.

Attached File


5.5in Model 18 arrived yesterday.

I got my Randall in a few months ago and finally got around to posting pics.  It feels super good in the hand the quality seems super nice.  I really like it.  Here are a couple of pics I took outside on my phone, same pics in the original post.

PM sent.