randall knife fans

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coondogger

coondogger

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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?
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
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
 
Is Bo Randall the only Knife maker there?
Click to expand...
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
 
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.
 
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"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."
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
Heres my old #1 that keeps hanging around.
Should be worth a chunk of change from what I see on EvilBay now.

Randell11.jpg

rc
 
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.
 
Yea.

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

rc
 
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.
 
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