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What's your opinion of Randall knives?

Dr Bailey....., paging Dr Bailey!!!!!

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CT Brian Custom
'Blending Art With Firepower'

I am a huge fan of Randall knives. They are extremely well made, come in a number of configurations and priced reasonably if you wait for a knife (2-3 years) from Randall.

Despite being production knives they have never lowered the quality of their product. Their increased value on the secondary market is a solid indicator that they will hold their value. Even the handmade knives from the past still hold up and are functional.

You generally will never lose buying a Randall at a reasonable price.

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Heirloom Precision, LLC.
480-804-1911

"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
- General George Patton Jr

I will be glad to give you my opinion in August of 2007 when mine arrives.

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Sic Semper Tyrannis

Thank you!

They are all right.

Like waiting on a custom. Send the order and forget.

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Gary Eastridge
http://www.randgfirearms.com

Nice pic., Gary.

Do you know what the handle material is?
Looks like a very smooth Micarta...sort of a Damascus look.


Very Kewl!

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Redeemed

I ordered this one and one for my son about 1998. Took 26 months. It is a #15 airman with black micarta and single finger groove.

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Gary Eastridge
http://www.randgfirearms.com

My OPINION - they are a great bargain for forged - my experience is quite a long long time ago - a forged #1 from the time when they were under pressure to turn out combat knives - I was very pleased to have it and proud of it - I had a few options a motto engraved and compass in the handle, nickel silver hilt and tiedown sheath.

At that time and I suppose today the forged blades were a little softer and easier to sharpen and maybe tougher than today's AT34S/154CM stock removal blades. Although I was more than happy with mine and felt an emotional connection in later years I noticed the grind and the symmetry did not match current standards for stock removal knives - I later bought a fancy [did I say Randall] stainless stag handled carving set which I consider to be as good a carving set as it's possible to buy and the grind and symmetry is much better than the forged #1 was. I wouldn't be surprised to find the grind and symmetry on forged knives is a little better today than it was during a time of troubles. In any event still a great bargain for a forged knife with all the effort and spoilage that entails. The Randall is still a nicer knife than the many recent copies Blackjack et. al. but I'd be just as happy with a stock removal super steel hard to sharpen stainless for the same applications today - cheaper to buy and no wait.

I'll second what Steve said. I have more than my share of custom knives but I almost always recommend a Randall for someone's first custom knife. Good, solid, dependable quality. However, there are better knives out there for not much more money and shorter delivery time. The standards set forth by the American Bladesmith Society for the Journeyman and MasterSmith ratings are providing some of the best quality knives ever made. Period. Of course, like with any piece of quality equipment, proper use and maintenance is required. Modern stainless steels don't forge or perform as well as carbon steels in doing the business of what a knife is supposed to do- cut, maintain an edge, not break, resharpen easily- so, if you want a knife that you can set aside, not use much, and not be concerned with rust or discoloration a stainless blade may be what you're looking for. For sheer performance, a properly forged carbon blade is hard to beat. Plus, they're cool and chicks dig 'em!!!!

Gee, this is a very excellent situation.
I get to BS with fine people from all over about things that go BANG, and things that go Zzzzzzt.

Randall's.
I too have an opinion about the one Randall I own.
It is a Randall Model#1 Fighting Knife, that I bought when I was in the Air Force, circa 1960, with assignments in the UK, Denmark and to South East Asia.
As a aircraft Crew Chief S/Sgt I could not resist the allure of the Randall, which was touted to me by "old" guys (T/Sgts. & M/Sgts) as a necessary item for the professional military man.

The #1 cost me $26.00 and change and a few bucks extra for my name and outfit etched on the blade. Leather dagger shaped handle and brass dagger hilt completed the deal. I still have it albeit with a few dings and scratches. It has letter (read bills and advertisements) opener duty now.

It has been thru my military service and all of the years as a police officer and Detective, Deputy U.S.Marshal, and more years with the Customs Service in various positions and assignments.

It is a nifty thing to have and concentrates my memories of fun gone by.
I have nothing but good to say about a high quality piece of goods, like the Randall.

My two Agorot into the pot.

Joel Ariel

"if someone tells you he is going to kill you,.....believe him."

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The mature gentleman sitting quietly in the far corner, sipping Lagavulin and very much enjoying the "Stan Getz's CD.

I'll never forget the day I cut up my Elk with tomato sauce dinner with a new carbon blade randall. It was the first tarnish on the blade. It looked like splashes of water and wouldn't come off. Since that day it has aged so well. The darker the blade gets means the more game carved and good meals eaten.

Everyone should own at least one Randall. They are a good entry level knife for the person looking to venture into the world of handforged knives. Like anything else you should choose your knife based upon its primary intended uses and try not to get sucked into the ninja/warrior thing unless that's what you intend for the knife. I've owned close to a dozen or so, all tool steel (01 I believe, or at least they used to be). Relatively easy to sharpen on a fine India stone with kerosene, if you can maintain a consistent blade angle to hone and easy to touch up on a steel or stiff piece of leather. The stainless blades are also relatively easy to sharpen using today's diamond sharpeners that abound on the market. A.G. Russell makes a nifty little diamond V shape sharpener that fits easily into a jacket pocket and will put a wicked edge on any knife, anywhere. There are others as well, of course. Do a search for diamond sharpeners. Unless you plan to open 55 gallon gas barrels or fell Douglas Fir, you will probably be better served with a relatively thin-bladed knife in the 4-5 inch range that will more readily attend to normal camp or hunting chores. Randall makes several like this. Thick bladed knives simply do not lend themselves well to these ends. It has been my experience, and that of many other knowledgeable outdoorsmen, that you will be far better served with the type of knife I've described, coupled with a good quality folding saw, a multi-tool like the Leathermans, and perhaps an axe, if you know how to safely use one. A previous respondent's comments about the extremely high quality using knives currently coming from the American Bladesmith Society, made from some of the better steels such as 52100, will almost always outperform by a substantial margin, any Randall I have ever seen. This does not denegrate the Randall, it simply attests to the current science of knife production coming from this group. I like both tool steel as well as the high-performance stainless like 154cm, ATS 34, or any of the custom steel blends currently on the market. If you want to learn how to sharpen a knife on a good stone, buy tool steel and practice until you "get it." Stainless, because of its hardness and other factors, makes this much more difficult for the beginner. Having said all that, Randalls have a unique appeal to them that I don't think any other brand of knife has yet attained. They're kinda sexy! Good luck with your quest.

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Land of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

my stag-handled 7" Model 1 is my favorite knife

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Thanks very much,
Robert (13.45)
NRA Benefactor Life member

The darker blade is actually more stain resistant than a shiney blade. On a using knife I try to stain the blade early on. I degrease the blade, clean and dry it and use it in the kitchen for a few weeks carefully cleaning and drying it after each use. Cutting avariety of citrus fruits as well as tomatoes, and rare beef and pork loin will nicely color the blade. After the blade on a good carbon steel knife ages to a certain point it seems to stop.

Well worth the wait and well worth the money.
-BILL

I admit I don't own a Randall, I will someday though. That being said, I think for the semi-custom market, Busse is hard to beat.

I have had several Randalls pass through my hands> But I will always hang on to my 15. It's the only one, besides a model 16, that I actually use. I carried the 16 once on a dive trip, but realized it was too long for me to use as a dive knife and I also prefer serrations over the saw back.
JOhn

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"Send lawyers, guns, and money..."

Here is my Randall.
I have several on order through Randall but I bought this one from a collector as I wanted one now for using when hunting and in the woods.

It was made in the 70's from what I understand and I really like the feel of it so far....

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Kentucky Colonel, Tennessee Squire & Combat Leprechaun
"You won't rise to the occasion - you'll default to your level of training." Barrett Tillman

Wow, I had no idea they were up to a 3 year potential wait.

Rob S,
Add a little more to that...58 months is the current wait!!
Rob

I've owned several and have always traded them off. I just received a Model 25 that I had my name put on. Hopefully I'll keep it. They are pretty good knives. However, many available knives and steels are superior in both cutting and edge holding. The O1 steel is well balanced in that it takes an edge, holds an edge, reasonably well and is reasonably easy sharpened. The prices are very, very reasonable - however the wait is not. It's great marketing though. The one I have now I waited about 3 years for. The price of Randall's on the market is mainly to avoid the wait. The last time I visited Randall they had about 30 people, each finishing their portion of a knife. They are not custom they are "shop made". The sheaths are great quality and thats worth a lot. Most people that purchase Randall's do not use them so have no idea if they work well. They do!! The designs are quite good on the hunting models I've used. If you could buy one at Randall's price and avoid the wait they would be a bargain. At todays inflated, price to avoid the wait, they are not so good of a deal. Just my opinion, but it's based on owning several (probably close to twenty or so). I really like the looks of the Model 25, thats why I ordered one. I plan to give it to one of my sons as a personal keepsake.

I use several Randalls for field & kitchen use and daily carry and also have some collectors.

A 10-3 is my daily carry knife, my 11-5 & 19-5 get use in the field & in the kitchen and my 18 is for field use.

They do the trick and then some! It's nice to know you can use a knife and still have it retain almost all of it's value! Great craftsmanship, quality and looks.

Rob

I use a Randall for when out in the field. It also rides with me in the cruiser, truck and is darn handy but a little large. Holds an edge well too. I run a Strider folder for daily use which has supplanted MUCH of the Randall use as of late, either way its still nearby!

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Andy Langlois
ALCRL, Andy Langlois Combat RifleLeather
Rifle Slings, Custom Leatherwork
http://www.shottist.com

they are great for collecting, ok for actual hard use knives.

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www.mattlamey.com

I still have the two that I had made with my name engraved when I was a teenager way back in the 60’s. I remember doing a ton of odd jobs to get the money and then having to wait, I think it was a couple of years for delivery.

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Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Winston Churchill

A law school classmate of mine was a USAF close air support pilot in Vietnam. He kept his Randall knife on his bookshelf next to the picture of his pals and him in their cammies in front of one of their aircraft, armed with their Randalls, S&W M&Ps and Swedish Ks. He had gotten rid of all of the rest of his stuff from his AF days (he was a full bird Colonel who graduated in the first full class at the AF Academy), but kept the photo and the Randall.

I've always wanted a Randall #2. To me, it's the quintessential double edge knife. I've always regretted not buying one back in the mid 80's for something like $180, but back then, I was just another college student with a limited budget.

In my opinion, Randall knives are rock solid. I have owned several and if you take care of them, they will take care of you.

I agree. They will withstand just about anything that normal use can throw at it. They are a great value considering they seem to increase over time. That is rare for most knives.

Chris