[coondogger]

I'm a fan of Randall knives. The knife has a rich history. Bo Randall was once approached by an Army officer who said he loved the knives, owned several and offered his services as a sales representative. The officer handed Bo Randall his card. It read Captain Ronald W. Reagan. I use a Model 5 for hunting, and a Bowie model for defense. Any other Randall fans?

[bikerdoc]

Good Knives.

[Robert]

I always wanted a Model 14 for camp and just cause. What is their wait time these days?

[coondogger]

According to AG Russell, the wait for a knife directly from Randall is five years. Fortunately, there are plenty of online sources for new stock and immediate delivery (although the price tends to be a bit higher due to mark-up). AG Russell is one. Nordic Knives is another.

[rcmodel]

This FAQ says they are currently scheduling delivery for Sept. 2016.

http://www.randallknives.com/faq.php#1

rc

[Gordon]

I carried and used an 8" #1 with the then new GE Micarta handle in 1968-69 in da Nam. Great knife! I ordered it from Bo in 1967 when I was in Language school and picked it from him in Florida about 60 days after I phoned in an order as I told him I was going to the Nam ! I got a #14 7 1/4" in 1970 before I shipped over again, same deal ! I gave away, one to my best friend who was a little too young for Nam and allways envied me for it, he got the #1 in 1992. My other #14 Attack was given to my CHP son in 2002 when he discovered his need for a knife like that!
Now I have a 1979 Raymond Thorpe 13" Bowie and a 12" Smithsonian Bowie a matching pair with French Walnut handles which are safe queens and made when Bo was still "in charge" , the finish really does show it! Lastly a well used 8" Bear Bowie that is from the late 60s I bought used from somebody returning from a couple years in the Alaska outback. All my Randalls have been carbon steel. Only the not owned by me at first Bear Bowie has seen any corrosion to speak of, all though they do discolor a bit!

[lobo9er]

no chance I am waiting 5 years for a knife while there are plenty of equal quality avail as I type this. Just me. Its hard to believe production would be that slow. Is Bo Randall the only Knife maker there? To each his own though.

[scramasax]

carried a Randall #12 in SA, still have it. Indigs would wave thier Machete Gande and I would just pull it out and hold it by my side. It always got respect. One of the worst balanced knives I have ever owned. Over the years I have used and accumulated many custom knives. Had to start thinning them out last year due to health bills. This week I'm going through the Randalls to thin the pack. It'll be a hard choice.

Cheers,

ts

[rcmodel]

Is Bo Randall the only Knife maker there?Bo Randall died in 1989.

IMO: If they increased production to meet demand and shipped in a reasonable length of time?

The present company would have a whole passel of wild eyed Randall Knife collectors/investers/eBay resellers with years old standing orders invade Orland FL and burn down the factroy.

Were it not for that, they could easily train some more semi-skilled help and increase producting to meet demand.
Like most any other semi-custom knife maker would do.

rc

[Gordon]

Actually the Randall is a semi production knife since Bo's son took over who was his main employee before that. It was a 3 man operation when I last went there in later 70s. Now it looks like it might be double the size but still the backlog due to name recognition and the ability to kite the price as ordered.
The newer Randalls I've carefully examined aren't GENERALLY what the 70s and earlier ones were. Quality is very high but all the edges are not lovingly caressed ect. in the ones I've seen made in last 20 years. There ARE exceptions and I saw a couple very nicely turned out ones last year.

[lobo9er]

oh... shows how much I know about Randalls knives. Seem like a good way to inflate prices, 5 year wait time that is.

[Gordon]

"If there's such a demand, why don't you expand, so that orders don't take so long to fill?
Our philosophy has always been to make the best knives we can make, rather than the most knives we can make. We occasionally do add people to our family of craftsmen, but frankly, it is difficult to find experienced individuals who are willing to devote the care to their work that we expect. We simply won't do anything to sacrifice the quality of our knives, and we're convinced that this commitment is what makes our knives so popular. We regret the delay, and we appreciate your understanding."

[hso]

High demand shops and makers have longer waiting times the more desirable they get. If they raised their prices to reduce wait times to just a year far fewer people could afford them. These aren't mass production shops, afterall, that you just buy more machines and unskilled labor to run. When real craftsmen are required to make something using their hands, skill and talent to create you don't just scale up production.

[Ghost Tracker]

I don't know ANYone who isn't a fan of Randall Knives. Even folks who squawk about the price & the wait. Even folks who call you/me "knife snobs". NOBODY can squawk about the quality or earned reputation of a Randall. Congratulations!

[sgtstryker]

Randalls are great knives, sort of the standard, IMO, of a soldiers' knife. I carried a #1 my time in the Marine Corps. It was as tough as a K-Bar, only cooler lookin'. I have a #14 now and another #1 due in 2013. Yep, a five year wait. To get one in a hurry you have to pay a premium, I'll wait, hoping to be around when it comes. I've bought some and sold some, I don't collect them, just treat them as a fine tool.

[BCCL]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY5MOUO464Q

Somebody had to........ :) :) :)

[rcmodel]

Heres my old #1 that keeps hanging around.
Should be worth a chunk of change from what I see on EvilBay now.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j219/rcmodel/Randell11.jpg

rc

[hso]

Wellll, Randall prices have been "adjusting" to the economy and I saw a couple of $550 knives that were $700 a couple of years ago.

[rcmodel]

Yea.

But it's gotta be worth more then the $50 bucks or something I paid for it in 1970 or somrthing.

rc

[cid71]

Bo Randall died in 1989.

No wonder the wait is so long! :evil:

I don't have one, but I love Randall. For some reason I am particularly intrigued by the Model 18, one of the original (and quality) hollow-handled knives.

[Owen Sparks]

The supply is kept low on purpose to keep the price high. This is the same reason Harley Davidson and many famous artists do not increase production. Prices would plummet.

Randall has something money can't buy, name recognition and the harder a genuine Randall is to get the more people will pay for it. This also allows them to focus on quality rather than quantity. Are they really better than other knives? Possibly, is the price proportionate? Absolutely not. You will pay twice as much for a knife that might hold an edge 5%-10% longer . Sure Randall makes a great knife, possibly even the BEST knife but not so much better as to be worth the difference in price UNLESS you buy it for investment purposes.

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

RC's knife look's like my BlackJack knife.:D

[lobo9er]

yeah so are black jacks 1 decent knives?
and 2 are they randall copy cats or off shoots?

[hso]

lobo9er,

BJ knives are better than "decent".

Read - http://blackjack.0catch.com/pages/early_years_fyi.htm

[cyclopsshooter]

Oh yes! Fine fine knives-
http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/pp233/wrc376/IMG_1387.jpg

[Piraticalbob]

I read somewhere that Current Blackjack Knives offerings are contracted out to Bark River Knives, which is Mike Stewart's current company. Bark River has a fine reputation for quality work and is a US company. The Randall copies that they produce are of very high quality indeed, on a par and sometimes surpassing current Randall quality (I have a model 12 Smithsonian Bowie from Randall that is just covered with grinder marks that weren't polished out). Since, quality-wise, there isn't that much difference between a Blackjack and a Randall, you'd pick a Randall simply for the history of the name.

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

Just to be honest I, don't know much about all the different companies, and quality of said companies. Though I, have learned that the Randall's are top shelf. Yes when I, bought it the salesman explained that it was a Randall copy, at that time I, did not even know what he was talking about. Though he did show me the same model in his Randall book. As far as BlackJack goes they are nice, well made, and no longer in business.

[Ghost Tracker]

BJ knives are better than "decent" That all depends on who owned the Blackjack brand, at what time, from which facility. The Effingham, illinois production-quality was all over the map. The Randall, however, is ALWAYS a Randall.

[hso]

As far as BlackJack goes they are nice, well made, and no longer in business.

Blackjack was purchased by Blueridge Knives from Ken Warner who had it after Mike Stewart's leadership. The knives are still being made.

Let's respect the OPs original focus on Randalls and open a separate BJK thread if we want to discuss the history and quality of Black Jack Knives, please.

[alaskanativeson]

...I carried a #1 my time in the Marine Corps. It was as tough as a K-Bar, only cooler lookin'....
To a Randall afficionado, that could be seen as blasphemy. It would be the equivalent of saying

"I drove a Rolls Royce for a while. It was a nice as a Toyota."

I ordered a model 15 in the late 80s. I called the shop one day in '88 to ask what they might have in stock available for immediate sale (I got an unexpected bonus from work.) The phone was answered "Randall Knives, Gary Randall speaking." I asked about what they had, which wasn't anything on my list. What really got my attention, though, was at the beginning of my call I identified myself. Mr. Randall actually recognized my name. I was really surprised when he said my model 15 was ready to ship. I asked if he actually followed every knife, which he laughed at. He said he recognized my name because he had finished the final polish on my knife that day. Good stuff.

My first Randall is a 5 inch model 2 with a black micarta handle. I traded a .380 Auto Bernardelli for it straight across at a gun show. One of my best deals ever. I've had several since, some I still have, others I've given to friends. I just got a 6 inch model 25 which is a real beauty. I was only disappointed because it didn't come in before elk season last Fall. I have a model 12 Big Bear Bowie due here in May, and an 8 inch model 2 with an Ivorite handle and scalloped collar and butt cap due in September. Yeah, they were ordered 5 years ago while I was living in Alaska and had a lot more money to throw around then.

I'd say their overall quality is very high, equal to more so than on many knives made these days, and more consistant in quality. There are other makers who I believe equal them in quality, two names coming to mind are Chris Reeve and Jerry Busse. I wouldn't be too surprised if Busse knives are even a little more stout than Randalls are, but Randall has them beat from an artistic and polish stance. If I had to rely on my knife to work to survive (a more real prospect in Alaska than down here in civilization) I would feel more than prepared with a Randall.

[mic214]

I am a Randall knife fan.....I got my first one (Model 14) back in the early 80's and have picked up a couple more over the years....

Model 14:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/mic214/Knives/DSCN0234_edited.jpg

I use my Model 16 when I am out on the kayak:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/mic214/Knives/DSCN0222_edited.jpg

My Model 10 is always in my Maxpedition bag:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/mic214/Knives/DSCN0236_edited.jpg

This Model 12-9 was a retirement gift to myself:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/mic214/Knives/DSCN0268_edited.jpg

This is my Model 5.....It is my main carry blade when I am in the "Outback":

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/mic214/Knives/DSC_0297.jpg

[22-rimfire]

I like Randall's. I have a few of them (#15, #16, and Jack Crider Special) when I first started buying better knives.

[Lone Star]

If you need a knife now and don't want to pay a premium to get a Randall from a dealer, try Fallkniven. Their NL series even looks Randallesque, but uses a VG-10 blade core.

Their basic knives, like the Models A-1 and S-1 are perhaps the most practical and stylish ever. And the handle material endures well in all climates. (The Northern Lights line has leather handles.)

I've owned several Randalls, and QC is indeed "iffy" on many modern ones. I'd prefer my Fallkniven NL-2 to a Randall Model 12 Sportsman's Bowie. I like the balance and size better, and the workmanship is more consistent, in my experience. And they are available for immediate delivery. (They do have US dealers.)


www.fallkniven.com

And if you need high value for dollar spent, the Buck traditional line, like the Model 105 and 119 are very good knives. I gather that WalMart has the fine Model 119 in a synthetic sheath for about $40.00. That has to be one of the best knife buys today. Their phenolic resin handles are tough, not affected like Randall's leather ones, by bad weather and mold, etc. Randall charges extra for Micarta. I think it's worth it, on a "using" knife. They also charge more for stainless steel! The knives I've mentioned come standard with stainless blades and synthetic handles.

[JShirley]

I don't know ANYone who isn't a fan of Randall Knives

I'm certain Randalls are high quality knives, but I'm not a fan of knives with sharp spines. It limits versatility, even in a so-called fighting knife.

John

[JohnBiltz]

I bought a stainless 7 inch Model 1 with a micarta handle back in 83 when I was a young paratrooper. I carried it until I retired back in 99. That knife went to a lot of countries with me and did what ever I asked of it and did it well. Its probably the one thing I could never sell. It was well worth the money.

[Owen Sparks]

People will pay a disproportionate amount for whatever they perceive to be the very best. I have noticed this phenomena with many other things besides knives. Wine, cigars, sports cars, motorcycles you name it. People will pay multiple times as much for “the best” even though it may only be slightly better than second best. What they are really buying is the prestige that goes along with the name. No doubt Randalls are great knives but the price is kept artificially high because of a limited supply and very high demand. You see this technique used all the time in the art world with limited edition of signed and numbered prints by famous name artists.

[JohnBiltz]

If you are in the military and a long way away from being able to buy a replacement knife that you need to use multiple times a day that difference may not be imaginary. I've broken a K-Bar in the field after that I wanted something better.

[Zeke/PA]

The Randall Knives are a legend and I really would like to see them STAY a legend.

[SlamFire1]

I have more than a couple.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v479/SlamFire/knives/Randall1ontop14bottomDSCN2873.jpg


Back in the 60’s, 70’s, when factory knives were limited in design and were being cheapened, year by year, to maximize profit, your choices for a good knife were rather limited.

A three tour Vietnam Special Forces bud of mine said that every Infantry Officer carried a Randall. I really don’t know if every did, and bud carried something else, but it is a comment on how popular Randall’s were with the Armed forces in Vietnam.

Randalls are a very sound design and are made of excellent materials with good sheaths.

The Randall No 1 is one of the most copied designs around. You see the blade shape in many different knives.

I am certain Dan D's Green Beret was influenced by the Randall blade shape
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v479/SlamFire/knives/GreenBeretfulllengthDSCN4877.jpg


Still, today, we live in a world of plenty. Top end factory knives are made of excellent steels, lots of different designs, and if you cannot be happy with a factory knife, go buy a Randall. But you are being really picky.

[xm21]

http://i1161.photobucket.com/albums/q506/hootie11bravo/2012-01-29_152708.jpg

I like Randalls

[Doors]

I am the proud owner of a model 1. Here's my review on Boing Boing (http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/01/20/knife-porn-four-year.html), which I totally forgot about writing.

Here's one photo of my Model 1:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/filesroot/3139975976_9808395855_b-thumb-520x181.jpg

Here's an unsheathed photo of my Randall made knife:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/filesroot/3139977500_c6197a1a8f_b-thumb-520x150.jpg

[alaskanativeson]

mic214, that bottom knife which you call a Model 5 is actually a Model 1, right? The 1 and 5 are essentially the same knife except for the hilt. The model 1 has a double hilt which is desireable in a fighting knife. The model 5 has a single hilt which makes it desireable in a camping/hunting knife. Makes it easier to get your thumb on the back of the blade to apply more downward pressure if needed.

[dprice3844444]

got my 18 stashed in the safe

[mic214]

mic214, that bottom knife which you call a Model 5 is actually a Model 1, right? The 1 and 5 are essentially the same knife except for the hilt. The model 1 has a double hilt which is desireable in a fighting knife. The model 5 has a single hilt which makes it desireable in a camping/hunting knife. Makes it easier to get your thumb on the back of the blade to apply more downward pressure if needed.
It is a Model 5 with a double brass hilt. It is virtually identical to a Model 1, but without the small scalloped area in front of the hilt that the Model 1 has.

I compared them both when I was visiting the Randall shop back in 2006 and I liked the looks of the straight back blade of the Model 5, but I also liked the double brass hilt of the Model 1, so I combined the features of both....

[Zeke/PA]

In all seriousness, I can make a knife that's as good or better BUT it's STILL not a Randall.