Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Randall Knives

Was just looking at knives on eBay, those Randalls command a hell of a cash wad. Are they really that superior, or am I seeing more of a collectable market.

They are still making Randalls and you are seeing a collectible thing going on. They are excellent knives ( Ive used the same one for 42 years...) but frankly since their inception and reputation building a hundred other knife makers have come on the scene turning out a product just as excellent.....
I love Randalls because they work, and are nostalgic, kinda like the 7x57.

If you are looking for a utilitarian knife, there are hundreds of excellent ones out there...

What Ingwe said. Excellent knives but excellent knives can be had for far less. The bulk of the expense is collector's value.

They are just knives like other knives. Nothing magic about knives. All you are paying for in any knife is
Name
Steel
Reputation
Craftsmanship
Experience

I make knives and have sold knives for several hundred dollars. They cut just like a $20 knife from Wal-Mart. All you are paying for is a hand made knife with good steel and warranty that the maker cares about.

Just found their website, are the new knives considered as good as the older ones, minus the collectable value?

They look like a quality knife, but if I were to buy one for use I would probably look for one that shows some ware and a bit cheaper because so. Nice looking knives.

I've got several Randall Customs, but rarely use them. I much prefer my Gene Ingrams over everything, though. Bob Doziers are my second choice! Also, there's a new member here on the Fire that I got a new Custom Knife form earlier this year. He makes ONE Hell of a great knife, and he is Definately one of my new favorites! His campfire handle is jim330 I will definately be ordering another from him soon. He's really fast on turn around, too. http://www.jcoffeecustomknives.com/

Randall's are clubby to me. They remind me of 1960's Weatherby rifles.

Not that they are badly made, not at all, but I can come up with a 1000 better hunting/skinning knife designs.

I have two...and no they are not.

They are awfully nice knives, with a great history going back to the number one models used in WW2. The styling and quality is excellent.

What I do NOT like is the purchases by collectors who rave about untouched condition. I have four, a 1, a 2 and two of the stainless fish knives in different sizes -- and all are users. All have been sharpened. In fact, I roughened up the leather handle on the 1 to get a better grip and darkened the blade with a salt solution. It makes me laugh at how many people have told me that I could restore it to original condition with a little work.

About 15 years ago, I had Mr. Itou, a then-unknown high school principal in [bleep] Prefecture whom I met at the annual Seki knife show and who is now a very famous Japanese maker, do a custom knife based on a Randall design. I wanted the model 24 3" Guardian stiletto, but with a single edge only and the same style of concave handle but in hard wood. Man, did it come out great. Itou-san gets a special "secret formula" steel from Kobe steel and then makes it up as damascus. What an edge. Randalls are fine, but this is one-of-a-kind.

Back on those days, he was so delighted with my asking for a special custom design and buying another on the spot that he threw in a third razor sharp knife for free. I doubt that he does that any more.

Randall's production is fairly limited. The knives are forged & handmade. Same family since WWII, and a lot of famous folks have used & carried them. Production is limited because there just aren't many people who can hand make knives and do it well. The wait for one is almost 5 YEARS

I have owned a couple, a Model 25 (sold it for a profit), and still have a Model 14. I actually use them too. Prefer the tool steel blades, which are O-1.

I think anyone really interested in custom knives should spend a couple evenings having a repeat international champion explain more aspects of handle materiel, blade material, metallurgy, design and heat treating than most of us can imagine or comprehend.

Google Jay Fisher Knife Maker and enter a new world with respect to custom knife knowledge.

Buddy of mines Wife called me about a month ago wanting to know if I knew anything about Randall Knifes. She had just received one in the mail.

My buddy, a Campfire Member, died suddenly of a heart attack 2 years ago. He had ordered the Custom Randall 5 years previous.
He wanted a Randall because he had the one his Father carried as a Fighter Pilot in Nam. His Dad had been shot down twice in Nam & survived. However, his Dad had died about 10 years before him in a Plane crash flying for the Confederate Airforce here in Tx.

His wife asked if I wanted it as a gift. Something got in my eyes, and I just told his wife to put it up in the Gun safe for his son when he gets old enough to hunt.
It will be a great keep sake for his son to pass down to his son someday.

Good choice...good on you.

Yes it was, and lack of avarice says an awful lot about the man and the friendship.

Good investment- you will always get your money back

I do not sell knives, I either gift them or use them up.

Just like u

Got any you want to gift send them to oklahoma

They generally go to those that do not have decent knives...I am doing my bit for acceptance in the community.

I've carried a Randall 14 over a bit of the world... I think it's the best tool I ever had and it's now on a 3rd sheath.


The same Randall is on this young buck sergeant somewhere in central america.

Family treasure, there. RGR.

Thanks for your family's service.