any USE their RANDALLS?????

B

bowler1

Joined
Mar 26, 2000
Messages
130
Just curious, are there any people out there who actually use their Randalls?
It seems that many people collect them and never use or sharpen them.

If you do use your Randalls, how do you rate their performance as user knives? How do their steels perform compared to other custom knives?

I am just curious as I plan on using my Randalls. I just have not found the perfect one yet that I want to keep as my user. I am still searching and will find it eventually.


Matt

 
Matt , I have my 14 Attack hanging on the wall for display right now but it has 11 years of US Army service behind it , 5 years of Light Infantry , Airborne & Special Forces duty & 6 years as a M60 & M1 Tanker (got tired of walking). As a Grunt I found it heavy to carry but VERY STRONG in use , as a tanker it was tough climbing in & out of the tank w/o it snaging on something and the handle got really beat up but never broke or split. I was never able to get a great edge back on it w/ the sheath stone and I have never tried any other type. The knife & sheath have traveled all over the world with me and have never failed me but do show a great amount of abuse. I think if I was going to do it all over again (which I won't) I would look for a knife with the same blade length but a little lighter in weight. A CS Tanto , KaBar , or the like. Hope this helps. Tony
 
Bowler, you should check out the Randall section of this forum.
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I know someone that uses his Randall, and he loves it. He has the Model 18-7 sawback. He uses it for camping, and he also uses the combat companion. That is a small 4" Randall knife.

Good luck, and have a Happy New Year!

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BC... For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know... Semper Fi
 
This is my well used Randall #14. I got it as a gift from my Dad prior to my departure to Saudi Arabia. My Dad(and Bo)would hate to think that it would be stuck up on a wall collecting dust rather than out in the field were it belongs.

View

View




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"Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.
----Abraham Lincoln
 
Hi there,and Happy New Year 2001 btw
I have actually used mine Randall,model 14 "attack", although I admit very little.It's just too heavy for regular use.I have sharpened it too,several times or so.
My Randall 14(standard model) performs very well,I would say,it cuts bread,meat surprisngly good,with ease, for a knife of that kind of thickness.Almost as good as good kitchen knives. I have to say that I think Randall knife bevels are really figured out. Also steel takes egde easily and holds it relatively long time,although I 've discovered the steel is kind of too soft,definetly in low fifties(Rockwell),not 57 Rockwell as they say at Randall's. I don't know for custom maker because I don't own any,however I hardly think they have much better bevels at given blade thickness.
 
I have a model 3 that I've owned since new back around '73. I've used it quite a bit (and it shows), and have been real happy with it. It was my daily carry knife for quite a while.
 
I have several Randalls left and all are users. The Rc is about 56 with the O1 steel. Don't believe everything you hear about the latest steels and that a high Rockwell C scale rating is the be all and end all.

For example ATS34 was just a copy of the old 154CM. Now the folks are talking about the revised 154CM as being like the ATS34. Anyway, I don't like the stuff much at all. It has been my (limited) experience that high rattings of Rc60 or so in ATS34 make brittle knives, especially at temperatures below -30F degrees.
Dan
 
Thanks to all for the replies. Does anyone have experience with their stainless blades?

All the ones I own are stainless, and probably will continue to buy stainless.

I am sure that the O-1 steel is probably better in terms of performance, but I really don't like carrying something that is going to rust.

Any thoughts?????
 
bttt - let's get back on track

judy

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totallyjudy

There is one rule:
Never postpone your life for a man.
 
I bought a #14 stainless about 21 years ago. I take it with me when I travel, hike, camp. I have used it to trim brush arund my house and cut meat and cheese on a campout.

I have never used it in an exteme manner but it has always cut something I wanted cut. My only regret was getting the serrations on the back of the blade. At the time when I ordered the knife I was fresh out of the Marine Corps and I thought they looked "cool" but I later found out that unless you are in an occupation where you may have to cut your way out of a helo, they just get in the way.

Since it is stainless it is very forgiving if you happen to put it away dirty.

mike
 
I have 4:
Pro thrower: Just what it was designed for
Firefighter Special: Utility, skinner, camping & cooking.
Model 14: Hunting, camping, utility
Survival(Can't remember model#, Hollow handled one) : SWAT gear. Cut down trees, sharpen target stakes, etc. Custom shteath with pocket for L/M Supertool.

All are users. No complaints.



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Mark, Isiah 40:31 They that wait on the LORD shall mount up with wings as eagles...
 
I have a model 25 trapper. I dont use it. Not because of any collector value it may or may not have, just that I have other knives I like to use more. The Randall gets handled and cleaned alot though, thats about it.



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I have had a Mdl# 18 since around 1978 when I had just gotten out of the Marines. It is a stainless blade with the sawteeth. I also thought they looked tough. No real need for them in my case either. This knife has been used hard over the years. It has served me well all of that time. Sharpens up easily and holds it's edge ok. I have allot of knives, this is one of my first good knives that I purchased. It will take the abuse without fail!!!
 
The S/S Randall Model 14 CDT in the attached scan was my most often used "cut things in the back yard" knife for several years. It cut tree limbs and other things well and it sharpens up well with a steel or ceramic rod. Last year I tested it against more than a dozen production and custom knives in the 7" to 9" range including Parrish, Cox, Busse, Cold Steel and Greco. The best performing knife that I have used is a 9" Chris Reeve. The second best knife was a 8" Chris Reeve. You asked about Randall so check out the ten or twenty well used Randalls that I have at the Photopoint site and for what it's worth, they all perform well but there are better cutting blades out there. Bubba

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=314358&a=2334127&p=19866762
 
Hey Matt. Funny thing, ya know I have about 20 Randalls but just can never bring myself to use any of them. I have and continue to use more expensive knives but I guess I worry about the condition of my Randalls too much. I consider them to be collectables first and tools second. As such if I purchase them in Mint cond I will keep them that way. Randalls are one of a select group of knives that you will ALWAYS get your Money back so the incentive to take care of them is important. Just my .02

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Marine Sniper Motto:
There's no use Running, you'll only Die Tired!
 
Of course, why else would you buy a wonderful using knife like a Randall?

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
 
I've got a Model 5, 5" carbon steel with micarta handle and duraluminum cap that begged to be used from the first minute I laid eyes on it. I used it hard for two weeks (even carved pumpkins for Halloween) and then sent it to Mike Sastre for a custom concealex sheath. He's been busy, so I haven't seen the knife since. You can bet it'll see many years of service, and if it's still around, I'll pass it down.

Randalls (new ones anyway) seem expensive, but when some other custom fixed-blades run 300-800.00 more, why not buy and use one!

Professor.
 
Having calmed somewhat, I will say that I use my No. 1 rather less than my Sportsman's Bowie, mostly because the double guard makes it more difficult to use for peaceable purposes, but I have used it as a great camp knife, and my Sportsman's Bowie (I don't use a number, as Randall seems to number all of their Bowies No. 12) has been used for just about any non-violent purpose you could name. When I was first married, we used it as a general large kitchen knife/cleaver. You should have seen the job it did on quartering chickens! I've camped with it, hunted with it, skinned deer with it, you name it and I've done it, I think, and the knife just keeps on keeping on. It is a wonderful user and I would not think of insulting it by making it a wall-hanger.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller

[This message has been edited by FullerH (edited 01-12-2001).]
 
Perhaps the post should have been titled "Does anyone use their really expensive custom knives?" There are seemingly large numbers of custom knives being made and sold. I wonder how many are used or used "hard?" I don't think the lack of real use is restricted to Randalls.
 
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