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Blackened blades - Vietnam???
- Thread starter widmn
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2001
- Messages
- 18,959
Being that no one here or over at KFC seems to know, I'd suggest that you contact Bob Hunt or Tom Clinton directly, if you haven't already...I'd imagine that one of them would know.
Email for contact info if you need it...
Mel
p.s. Great question btw. Would you come back and post your findings once you have a definitive answer? Thanks...
Email for contact info if you need it...
Mel
p.s. Great question btw. Would you come back and post your findings once you have a definitive answer? Thanks...
Tom C. Said they only blackened their "Rambo knife", but it was common to blacken knives over there and made sense to blacken a knife in combat. Gerber even sold a "bluing kit" for their knives. Several people said they wouldn't remove it and it would probably not affect value either way. thanks
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2000
- Messages
- 374
When you first wrote this post I did not know how to answer and still don't, as I was not in Vietnam. I have recently found out something about Randall parkerizing blades, though.
At the Spokane Gun Show, last weekend, I purchased from a fellow RKS member, A Model 14 and Model 18 with parkerized blades. With these two knives, I received a letter, written by Gary Randall in 1985, stating these two knives were being delivered as the first two production parkerized blades that Randall ever completed.
When I called Gary Randll, he confirmed this letter and said he thought these were probably the only two knives, they ever parkerized.
Best regards,
Rhett Stidham
At the Spokane Gun Show, last weekend, I purchased from a fellow RKS member, A Model 14 and Model 18 with parkerized blades. With these two knives, I received a letter, written by Gary Randall in 1985, stating these two knives were being delivered as the first two production parkerized blades that Randall ever completed.
When I called Gary Randll, he confirmed this letter and said he thought these were probably the only two knives, they ever parkerized.
Best regards,
Rhett Stidham
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2001
- Messages
- 18,959
Rhett, thanks for sharing the pics!
widmn, we had a chance to look these knives over in person at the Eugene, Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) show this weekend...honestly, the pictures don't do the knives justice at all...
They were, and are, absolutely beautiful!
Thanks again for sharing Rhett, and it was nice seeing you and Janie again.
God speed and fair weather on your trip home
Mel
widmn, we had a chance to look these knives over in person at the Eugene, Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) show this weekend...honestly, the pictures don't do the knives justice at all...
They were, and are, absolutely beautiful!
Thanks again for sharing Rhett, and it was nice seeing you and Janie again.
God speed and fair weather on your trip home
Mel
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
- Messages
- 1,501
It was not uncommon to cold blue a knife blade back then to both decrease its reflectivity and somewhat help it's resistance to corrosion. Bluing was about the only steel finish other than paint available for general use.
I cold blued my Model 1 in 1966. The tool steel takes a nice blue black appearance especially if you steel wool between applications.
I liked it so much I continued to blue the knife.
As to factory bluing or parkerizing or aftermarket coloring I have no knowledge.
I cold blued my Model 1 in 1966. The tool steel takes a nice blue black appearance especially if you steel wool between applications.
I liked it so much I continued to blue the knife.
As to factory bluing or parkerizing or aftermarket coloring I have no knowledge.
Answer to your question about blackening blades on Randalls in VN is yes on an individual basis, don't know about this being done at factory. I carried a model 14 (carbon steel blade) on two tours in VN with the 101st and I darkened my blade myself with cold gun bluing. Not for glare or to "hide it" but to help protect the blade as best I could. The heat & humidity was really bad on the steel and I was constantly fighting rust. The bare, polished steel on a Randall did not stay that way for long out in the field. So I finally got hold of some bluing from an armorer and managed to get a blue-grey finish that reduced the rust problem somewhat. But even then I eventually got some small rust pits which are on the blade to this day. I also saw some other Randalls belonging to other people that had darker colored blades but I can't say whether this was intentional or the result of rusting/pitting. Hope this helps.
Gentleman,
My first trip to Afghanistan in 2002, I took a Randall 15 in stainless that I had glass bead blasted by a local knife maker for me here in NC. Why you may ask, well I had beaten up the blade finish quite a bit in field exercises and wanted to try and give it the more "tactical" look of some of the newer blades out there. I think it came out great, pic attached.
My small contribution to this thread.
rgr9707
My first trip to Afghanistan in 2002, I took a Randall 15 in stainless that I had glass bead blasted by a local knife maker for me here in NC. Why you may ask, well I had beaten up the blade finish quite a bit in field exercises and wanted to try and give it the more "tactical" look of some of the newer blades out there. I think it came out great, pic attached.
My small contribution to this thread.
rgr9707
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2001
- Messages
- 18,959
and to the others with RWE, I for one appreciate your posts greatly!
Onto rgr9707's post...while I really like the bead blasted look, I have a question or two...
Short of reducing blade 'shine', and removing unsightly use blemishes (ok, that was a joke), do you find the BB finish does anything to reduce corrosion? The reason I ask, is that I can't see how it would?
But, I like the look, and congratulate you for making a 'user' outta that using knife. Hope it served you well, and welcome home too!'
Mel
Onto rgr9707's post...while I really like the bead blasted look, I have a question or two...
Short of reducing blade 'shine', and removing unsightly use blemishes (ok, that was a joke), do you find the BB finish does anything to reduce corrosion? The reason I ask, is that I can't see how it would?
But, I like the look, and congratulate you for making a 'user' outta that using knife. Hope it served you well, and welcome home too!'
Mel
Gentlemen,
The environment I was in was all dirt, rock, sand, etc. I can't really tell if the bead-blast finish helped with corrosion or not. I certainly did not have to deal with any of the humidity problems some of the earlier posters had in Vietnam, which made it easier on my blades. Weapons maintenance was challenging with all the dust, but that is another topic.
With the blade being Stainless Steel on my knife, and me being farely obsessive when it comes to my blades, I have not noticed any blemishes on the knife.
I carried the blade during some training and exercises prior to bead-blasting it, and the only real wear and tear was that the finish had the typical scuffs and scratches on it.
I tend to agree with you, and for me the bead blast is more for the look than the effectiveness.
Another two cents, up to about four now.
rgr9707
The environment I was in was all dirt, rock, sand, etc. I can't really tell if the bead-blast finish helped with corrosion or not. I certainly did not have to deal with any of the humidity problems some of the earlier posters had in Vietnam, which made it easier on my blades. Weapons maintenance was challenging with all the dust, but that is another topic.
With the blade being Stainless Steel on my knife, and me being farely obsessive when it comes to my blades, I have not noticed any blemishes on the knife.
I carried the blade during some training and exercises prior to bead-blasting it, and the only real wear and tear was that the finish had the typical scuffs and scratches on it.
I tend to agree with you, and for me the bead blast is more for the look than the effectiveness.
Another two cents, up to about four now.
rgr9707
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2000
- Messages
- 5,548
No, just glare reduction. Bead blasting actually increases the propensity for rust, even on stainless blades. In a dry climate, with a SS blade, you may be OK. But more humidity, and or a carbon blade, and it will rust in a heartbeat.
The bead/sand blasting creates more surface area exposed, plus areas for moisture to collect.
Not too sanitary either, as it is harder to get mung out of those micro pits. Lots of places for bacteria to hide.