Anyone here actually USE a Randall Knife?
- Thread starter Kestrel
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#1's are sorta like Garands - a classic fighting tool in their day, and still pretty effective, but mainly a collectable. Seems like most of the ones you see on Ebay have fancy handles, and other decorations that no one would have thought about 60 years ago. I'd wager that less than 1% of the #1's being now made will go to war. It is a historic, classic fighting and miltary knife.
I personally think the #14 is a little cleaner design, as the blade is not reduced in width in front of the guard. It believe it is a newer design, as well. I will likely buy one, when I get sorted out from moving in the next couple months.
That said, there are probably guys here who have used #1's in service of this country, and their opinion is at least as valid as mine.
I personally think the #14 is a little cleaner design, as the blade is not reduced in width in front of the guard. It believe it is a newer design, as well. I will likely buy one, when I get sorted out from moving in the next couple months.
That said, there are probably guys here who have used #1's in service of this country, and their opinion is at least as valid as mine.
brownie0486
Member
Lee F:
Women are decidedly not for collecting.
They usually have a problem with that unless you live in Utah and find a few of them women willing to coexist with one another like sisters.
Knives are for collecting and using, or collecting, or using.
I've got more that I don't use than ones I do use.
If we were relegated to only using the knives we buy, I'd only own two or three in total. Why would I need more unless I was going to carry all of them at the same time.
With todays choices and advancements in steel, why would I want to use a Randall thats 30 years old and collectable when I could buy an SRK and beat the hell out of it, then replace it for 50.00?
Brownie
Women are decidedly not for collecting.
They usually have a problem with that unless you live in Utah and find a few of them women willing to coexist with one another like sisters.
Knives are for collecting and using, or collecting, or using.
I've got more that I don't use than ones I do use.
If we were relegated to only using the knives we buy, I'd only own two or three in total. Why would I need more unless I was going to carry all of them at the same time.
With todays choices and advancements in steel, why would I want to use a Randall thats 30 years old and collectable when I could buy an SRK and beat the hell out of it, then replace it for 50.00?
Brownie
Joe Demko
Member
I've tried collecting women. Knives, even custom knives with exotic handles and precious metal furniture, are cheaper.
And while they may not do what you want them to they never do it out of spite
jthuang
Member
Update: I broke down and ordered a stock Model 3 Hunter (5" blade) from A. G. Russell. They said they had one in stock so I'm expecting it in the mail soon.
Keeping on-topic, I will be using this knife. My vacation plans this summer include one week at Tom Brown's Tracker School and one week camping in Zion National Park, Utah.
A 3-5" fixed blade knife is a requirement of the Standard tracking class ... so it was rather easy to justify the acquisition of the Model 3. The school offers its own flavor of knife but for some reason, that knife just doesn't do it for me:
https://www.trackerschool.com/AboutTrackKnife.htm
I would have preferred (1) stainless steel instead of high carbon steel; and (2) nickel silver hilt on the Model 3 ... but you can't get a RMK from AGR with "custom options" in the same timeframe.
I'll let you all know how it works out!
Keeping on-topic, I will be using this knife. My vacation plans this summer include one week at Tom Brown's Tracker School and one week camping in Zion National Park, Utah.
A 3-5" fixed blade knife is a requirement of the Standard tracking class ... so it was rather easy to justify the acquisition of the Model 3. The school offers its own flavor of knife but for some reason, that knife just doesn't do it for me:
https://www.trackerschool.com/AboutTrackKnife.htm
I would have preferred (1) stainless steel instead of high carbon steel; and (2) nickel silver hilt on the Model 3 ... but you can't get a RMK from AGR with "custom options" in the same timeframe.
I'll let you all know how it works out!
TrapperReady
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jthuang - A stock #3 5" is exactly what I've got. IMO, it's just about the ideal general-purpose knife. I really like the balance, and the ability to grip-up on it (putting a finger in front of the hilt, but behind the cutting edge) for precision-cutting. FWIW, I actually prefer the tool-steel blade over the stainless, although it does require a little more care.
BTW, I looked at the tracker knife in the link you provided. To me, it looks like one of the overly-large "do it all" knives (in some ways like a Khukri). I prefer to use my knife only for cutting, while also carrying a lightweight hatchet for chopping/pounding/digging.
BTW, I looked at the tracker knife in the link you provided. To me, it looks like one of the overly-large "do it all" knives (in some ways like a Khukri). I prefer to use my knife only for cutting, while also carrying a lightweight hatchet for chopping/pounding/digging.
jthuang
Member
I think I'll like the tool steel blade as well ... my only concern is that I may not have the ability to oil up my blade on extended camping trips (e.g. my last trip to Glacier Nat'l Park, which was 10 days). I try to travel as light as possible on camping trips but in that case I may have to carry a small bottle of knife oil to make sure the blade does not rust.
Joe Demko
Member
Instead of carrying a bottle of oil, carry a small oily cloth or a silicone cloth in a ziplock baggie.
Ohen Cepel
Member
I have a 14 that I will carry, just haven't had a need to yet.
Got the letter in the mail last week that my custom ordered #23 is ready.
I ordered it to carry and I will.
If it costs me $50 to be able to use it for 15 or so years I see that as a great bargain!
I just can't see leaving them in the safe unless as mentioned you had one of the bowies.
Got the letter in the mail last week that my custom ordered #23 is ready.
I ordered it to carry and I will.
If it costs me $50 to be able to use it for 15 or so years I see that as a great bargain!
I just can't see leaving them in the safe unless as mentioned you had one of the bowies.
TrapperReady
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Golgo-13 has it nailed. I just have a small swatch of cloth which is saturated with oil. It goes in a tiny zip-lock bag and is used to wipe down anything that might rust.
jthuang
Member
Thanks for the oily rag suggestion, that will save space and weight.
I am eagerly awaiting my Model 3!
I am eagerly awaiting my Model 3!
jthuang
Member
Model 3 received this weekend. It looks like a very sturdy knife. We'll see how it performs after the class (August).
Joe Demko
Member
Congratulations! I'm very sure that you will find the Randall to be a very satisfactory knife.
GW
Member
I carry my #14 when hunting or camping. I have other Randalls that will never be taken afield (#12's, ) but the 14 is too good not to use.
This was a very nice topic to come across...
I got the 'Randall bug' a couple years ago, and bought a number of knives. I REALLY like stag, so nearly all of them were stag models. A number of them I bought, and said- "This is the ONE that I will use and it will accompany me on many camping/hiking/hunting trips. But then I would get it home and.... I just couldn't bring myself to use it. A wise person once said- "a person doesn't own stuff- it ends up owning them" - some truth to that I do believe.
So, just this year I have greatly thinned out my knife collection. It was rather painful at first- but I saw I had given a bit to much meaning and reverence to some of these material items. Once I started selling them and trading them for some other items, it didn't hardly bother me at all.
Having rambled on all that- I still do desire a 'user Randall'. I have settled on the #3-5 in stag and probably brass- simply because I like the way the brass sets the overall knife off. When I find the one I like, I will get it and immediately go "get the new off of it" so that it will be my user.
However, I still have trouble deciding between stainless and carbon steel. Folks opinions seem pretty evenly split on that matter. I do not think I would use the knife enough on any one trip to dull a stainless edge (perhaps I am wrong there!?) and I do like the fact that the stainless will look better over time. Some folks tell me that if you do the minimal to clean the blade on a camping trip, the carbon still won't turn that bad- but all the carbon steel knives I have seen that have been used, do turn and get that grey to blackish colouring on the blade...
anyway- Randall's are beautiful knives and I have a few that I will try and keep- but I do look forward to that day when I have a user that I can take outdoors and attach some nice memories to actually using it...
hell- after all this, I may just have to go home a pull them out and pick one and take it out this weekend ! who knows!
madhatta
I got the 'Randall bug' a couple years ago, and bought a number of knives. I REALLY like stag, so nearly all of them were stag models. A number of them I bought, and said- "This is the ONE that I will use and it will accompany me on many camping/hiking/hunting trips. But then I would get it home and.... I just couldn't bring myself to use it. A wise person once said- "a person doesn't own stuff- it ends up owning them" - some truth to that I do believe.
So, just this year I have greatly thinned out my knife collection. It was rather painful at first- but I saw I had given a bit to much meaning and reverence to some of these material items. Once I started selling them and trading them for some other items, it didn't hardly bother me at all.
Having rambled on all that- I still do desire a 'user Randall'. I have settled on the #3-5 in stag and probably brass- simply because I like the way the brass sets the overall knife off. When I find the one I like, I will get it and immediately go "get the new off of it" so that it will be my user.
However, I still have trouble deciding between stainless and carbon steel. Folks opinions seem pretty evenly split on that matter. I do not think I would use the knife enough on any one trip to dull a stainless edge (perhaps I am wrong there!?) and I do like the fact that the stainless will look better over time. Some folks tell me that if you do the minimal to clean the blade on a camping trip, the carbon still won't turn that bad- but all the carbon steel knives I have seen that have been used, do turn and get that grey to blackish colouring on the blade...
anyway- Randall's are beautiful knives and I have a few that I will try and keep- but I do look forward to that day when I have a user that I can take outdoors and attach some nice memories to actually using it...
hell- after all this, I may just have to go home a pull them out and pick one and take it out this weekend ! who knows!
madhatta
TrapperReady
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OK. Here's my dirty little Randall secret. When I got my Model 3, it wasn't quite shaving sharp. I took a few minutes to refine the edge, which was then very nice.
As I was fondling... um, I mean inspecting... the knife, I found myself thinking "Gee. This sure is nice. Maybe I need to keep this one as is and get another to use."
Quickly, before that thought took hold, I (intentionally) drew the stone across the side of the front of the blade, making a very slight, but noticable line. It would have been easy to buff out in a couple minutes, but I kept it there as a reminder that I got that knife specifically to USE.
As far as "patina" goes. Probably my next favorite knife is a Marbles Fieldcraft my dad bought when he got back from WWII. He took that thing bird hunting, deer hunting and trout fishing all over the US for 30+ years. The blade looks like hell, but still holds an edge and will be passed down to my own kids when the time comes.
As I was fondling... um, I mean inspecting... the knife, I found myself thinking "Gee. This sure is nice. Maybe I need to keep this one as is and get another to use."
Quickly, before that thought took hold, I (intentionally) drew the stone across the side of the front of the blade, making a very slight, but noticable line. It would have been easy to buff out in a couple minutes, but I kept it there as a reminder that I got that knife specifically to USE.
As far as "patina" goes. Probably my next favorite knife is a Marbles Fieldcraft my dad bought when he got back from WWII. He took that thing bird hunting, deer hunting and trout fishing all over the US for 30+ years. The blade looks like hell, but still holds an edge and will be passed down to my own kids when the time comes.
jthuang
Member
Hm, that's the one shown on pages 19-20 of the RMK catalog. That is one bee-yoo-tee-ful knife. Someday I'd like to get a Model 3 like that, only with a nickel silver hilt.
I've always liked stag too but IMHO stag goes on a knife more suited for display. I bought my buddy a Model 1 w/stag handle for his wedding gift and it is NICE. I spent some time just staring at it when I got it in the mail.
Hm, maybe that's the ticket ... buy one for using and another for a desktop ornament.
Re: the patina on the carbon blades ... I find myself liking the darker color of the Model 26 shown on page 11 of the RMK catalog. No other knife displayed in their catalog has this dark blade ... I wonder if it was intentional or not.
I do agree that stag looks great on display- but I like it so much that I think it suits all applications.
For a knife that I would carry, use on game, use camping, always have handy when backpacking- I would like that knife to have stag, simply because of how it looks and the aspect of it being a natural material.
I think the leather stacked handles look a little plain to me. I don't think I would ever buy one of them unless I got a killer deal on one.
I have also heard that the micarta is indestructable, but it tends to get rather slippery if it gets wet.
Mannlicher
Member
I have several, and use them constantly. My #11 Alaskan Skinner is my 'always' hunting blade, and my #1 is what is in my ready bag. I do not collect knives, I use them.
Despite all the talk about the expense of Randalls, I have more of a problem with availability than price.
Back in the late 60's, both my brothers went off to SE Asia. I gave them each a #1 Randall, and a S&W Model 19. Both brothers came back without a scratch. The knives and revolvers were used often. Both brothers still have the Randalls and Smiths. That was the best money I ever spent.
Despite all the talk about the expense of Randalls, I have more of a problem with availability than price.
Back in the late 60's, both my brothers went off to SE Asia. I gave them each a #1 Randall, and a S&W Model 19. Both brothers came back without a scratch. The knives and revolvers were used often. Both brothers still have the Randalls and Smiths. That was the best money I ever spent.
Slydlok
Member
Justin, it was good that you did not go with the Tracker for your tracking school class and went with the Randall. I had chance to look at a Tracker today and must say it's the most stupidest looking and designed knife I have ever seen, of course that's just my opinion.
jthuang
Member
Glad to hear I made the right choice for once.
I haven't seen a Tracker in person but I expect to see some at the class in August.
Joe Demko
Member
I could be wrong, as I've never actually handled one, but the Tracker looks like The Wrong Tool For The Job TM.
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