Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Is it worth it...?

I've been thinking of getting a nice knife....Something that I can use forever, mostly as a hunting/skinning knife, and pass on to my kids...I've really had my eye on a Randall becuase of the obvious history, but am open to other makers like maybe a Gene Ingram or Charles May, who lives just down the road...What are the pros/cons of the Randall vs the others...is the Randall worth all the cash...? What are the differences in the Randall and the other knives out there....

Thanks in advance for the input...]


Chase

I do not own a Randall, so I cannot speak to them. Gene Ingram, Charles May are both very fine knives, and I own several of each. You can't go wrong with either. Also, check out Dozier knives as well. They are very good knives also.

Good Luck.

Charlie May is your neighbour? Dang but I couldn't afford to live close to the man! I have a few of his knives with two more on order. Very nice knives indeed.

The only others I own are Bucks, KOA's, Gerbers etc. And I'm thinning them out!

It is hard to go wrong with a good custom blade, just choose a reputable maker and follow your instinct. The Randall blades I have seen are more combat/survival oriented.

Not the greatest photo, but Charlie makes a beautiful knife that's razor sharp...

I vote for the Randall, assuming money isn't too tight and you can wait a while for it. It's true that most of their big knives are survival and combat oriented and, IMHO, way inappropriate for hunting. But they do have a few smaller models that make good hunting knives. I have a small model 11 drop point that I've used. It's a good choice. Also the model 26 drop point and maybe the 4 inch model 5. I like a hilt on my hunting knives because it keeps my hand from slipping up onto the blade when the knife is slippery. I prefer the O1 carbon steel because the stainless steel they use (440A) isn't up to current state of the art for stainless. The O1 takes a good edge and sharpens easily but also rusts easily. Take care of it and it's fine. You're in for a long wait if you order from Randall but you can get a knife much quicker (less than a year) if you order from a dealer like Russell or Nordic but you'll pay a significant premium. Still, it'll be a knife that you will pass on to your kids. Sure the expensive custom knives probably won't function any better than the good production knives, but I see nothing more wrong about using a fine knife that you are proud of than using a fine rifle that you are proud of, even if a cheaper, plain rifle may function just as well.

If you intend to buy a premium knife, from a name brand maker, then take your time. Look at the different knife forums, read about the makers online.
Examine if possible, blades made by the different makers you are interested in.

As has been said, steel is steel, handle material is available to all, and even 'style' is hardly proprietary any more. Not saying that they are all alike, but there is really not a lot of difference between makers any more.

Attention to fit, polish, grind and finish is as important at a maker's name recognition. We have some top shelf makers as members here. I would place their work up against any of the well known blade smiths.

Thanks for the input guys...What is different about the way the Charles May knives are made versus the Randall...? I know the Randall knives are forged...are Charlie's knives machined or cut or are they forged too...? Is there any advantage either way...strength wise...

You won't be disappointed with Charlie's kit.



Have a Bird & Trout on the way from him in august/september, and a couple blades from Gene as well. That reminds me, I oughta start squirreling some money away now so the wife isn't as pissed at me when it comes time to send the check.

steel is steel. Making the knife by forging, filing, grinding or with a chisel makes little difference in the performance of the blade.
The way the steel was handled though, annealed, heat treated, tempered, DOES make a huge difference in performace.

I have knives made by great blade smiths. Some forged, some were made by stock reduction. All work fine.

All of the makers you mention make a very good knife. You would not go wrong with any of them.

Also, read over the post on this forum and you will find mention of many other makers who make very good knives.

Usually, a forged knife is made from a different type of steel that a ground (stock removal) knife. Forged knives are made from carbon steels, such as 1095, W2, O1, L6 and a few others.

The D2 and other steels May and Ingram and others use, as far as I know, because of the high chrome content and other elements, cannot be forged.

I think with either a forged or stock removal knife, one is as good as another, except the forged blade will not be stainless.

Some makers can differential temper a forged blade, and those have a reputation for being stronger than other blades. Some will bend a little bit without breaking if you want to pry something with it, which I do not recommend with any knife.

My advice would be to pay a visit to your neighbor. He can show you and tell you much more than any of us here.

There is a knife pictured on a thread close by, by a maker named Romey, or new guy as he calls himself.

It is forged from W2 and has a stag handle. Looking at it is enough to make any knife collector weak in the knees. If I were looking for a fine knife, I would certainly consider calling him.

You are going to love that B&T. I have one, my first May knife, it has a Scandi Grind. Wicked sharp and holds the edge. I have had it for about four years now and have only sharpened it twice but it gets used lots. All the May knives I have are made of S30V with a Scandi Grind. Green micarta for the handle. Mine are nothing fancy, just great working knives.
I should receive a Lil Friend Scandi in July I think. He is also working out a Bobwhite/Slitter style knife for me as my upland knife.

It is as much fun as tying flies or buying fire arms for hunting, this knife addiction! Costs as much too lol.

I was extremely lucky to be born in the 1960's into a serious hunting family who understood the importance of great rigging. Randall knives were a big part of why I love blades today. I used a Model 8 on my first deer and elk at age 9.

If you have an itch for one, scratch it; you won't go wrong...but of the over 300 custom fixed blades I've now owned Randall Made aren't in the top 100 in terms of ergos, edge holding and toughness. They DO deserve a place in every collection for their history and contribution to the art, but in terms of performance have been surpassed by science and engineering.

Go out on the web, find a few styles that grab you, post what you plan to use the knife for, and I'm sure you'll get some great recommendations here.

As to Charlie - the Bobwhite rules (!), followed by the Lil Bladie May and B&T! Simply a killer pattern.

If you are that close to Charlie, you ain't far from Ingram, Winston, or Erwin Roach.

Any of the four will make you something at is CERTAINLY worth it.

Find the one of those four that suits you best, and work with them.

You won't go wrong.

Hi,

I think you should have fun with your decision. There are so many good knives out there. Pretty much what folks have said in other threads.

For a working hunting knife, few are better (IMO) on the bank for buck scale than Krein, Dozier, May, and Ingram. Built to last several lifetimes. These makers work with D2, among other steel types, which is my favorite working steel.

Randall - the smaller models are wonderful workers, but take you into a different price class.

If you are going to be splitting bones or hacking on carcasses, treat yourself to a smaller Gransfors Bruks axe or hatchet.

Good post. IMO Tom is on top of the game right now. His grinds are in a league of their own and he'll use darn near ANY steel a guy desires...

I have a better idea. Buy one of each from your top four or five makers. Try them all and write us a long report on how you like them!

Then sell the ones that you don't favour here on the "Fire!
For each knife you don't care for there will be a line-up for it here.

Chase, you've received excellent advice but I fail to see mention of actually handling a knife. I've purchased a handfull of custom knives and have been disappointed when the knife arrives, exactly as described, and it fails to sit well in my hand.

My primary advice would be to handle many knives prior to your selection. For me, any of the premium steels work but it is the handle design that is most important.