I bought in back in 1988, not long after I arrived here in Charlotte. The wait list for Randalls back then was about 2 years, rather than the current five years. This one is in stainless steel, 8" blade, stag handle (before the stag ban) and brass furniture. I've customized it in two places, thus ruining it as far as collectors are concerned. Since this is my knife and will be mine until I die, this is of no concern to me.
The first customization is strictly decorative. I took a small round file and crenellated the brass buttcap:
The second customization is functional. On Randalls, the knife is designed with a ricasso between the guard and the edge of the blade. The user of the knife can move his hand forward a bit on the knife so that the index finger rests in the ricasso area. This "choking up" on the blade allows the knife to be manipulated differently than with a normal grip. On standard Randall knives, though, the sharpened edge of the knife is too close to the guard, making it possible to receive an accidental cut when choking up on the blade. I took a sharpening stone and re-shaped the blade in that area (see arrow) so that the blade will not cut me when I choke up on it:
I actually have three Randalls. I'll show the others off on another occasion. :)
2 comments:
That's the first Randall knife I have ever seen. I have heard of them, but that is it.
Nice looking. Is it usable?
Very much so. Randalls have been around since WWII, when Bo Randall himself made them. They've been carried by our military men in every war since, and the various hunting styles are popular with sportsmen. Ronald Reagan owned Randalls and recommended them to his friends, and Guy Clark wrote the definitive song about them.
They're made in Florida, Orlando, off the Orange Blossom Trail. You can visit the Randall website to find out more about them.
Mine has seen light usage. I didn't own it during my Navy years, and we weren't at war then, anyway. Mainly it's a comforting presence on my hip when I'm on long hikes.
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