- Joined
- Jan 14, 2001
- Messages
- 18,959
We received our new Randall Knife Society #4-8 club knife today, and having awaited its pending arrival with great anticipation, we were very excited about its delivery. Very excited indeed!
Once again, Randall Made Knives has given the RKS members a very special knife! First impressions? "Wow, this sucker is huge!" Upon handling it though, the knife wielder realizes that though large, its an incredibly well balanced knife!
But, before I go into too much detail on the knife, and how it compares with similar RMK knife types, Id like to make a few comments about the sheath. Greg Gutcher Sr. and his crew down at Sullivans have really outdone themselves this time! "Nice work Greg, Im truly impressed buddy, the craftsmanship in your work really shines through with this one!"
That being said, on to the knife. Again, its large, but very quick in the hand! To give a comparison for you numbers guys, using my 'high tech $20 postal scale, the RKS #4 knife weighs in at...ah heck, well, it looks like I should've bought a better scale lol
Ok then, using the completely unbiased "Mel scale", Ill compare the new club knife to the following similarly configured 01/brass/stacked leather/duraluminum capped RMKs: Model #12 'Bear Bowie'; Model #1-8 and #1-7 'All purpose Fighting Knife'; Model #12-6 'Little Bear Bowie'; and Model #14 CDT 'Attack' knife.
The RMK knives mentioned above offer the closest 'apples to apples' comparison of any RMKs in our collection, and as such should give a good approximation for the knowledgeable Randall owner/user.
The new #4-8 RKS club knife is about the same length as a model #12 'Bear Bowie', but is lighter in the hand due to the 3/16's steel thickness, vs. 1/4" for the model #12. Also, the down-turned handle on the new RKS knife is a vast improvement over the 'Commando' styled 'Bear Bowie' from an ergonomics standpoint.
The model #12 'Bear Bowie', while a marvel of knife making design in its own right, and more readily available than the new RKS knife, pales in comparison when hefted with intended 'use' in mind.
The comparison with the classic Model #1 Randalls was even more of a shocker than the 'Bear Bowie' comparison. The new RKS knife has the size of the #1-8, the heft of the #1-7, but is slightly quicker in the hand than either...
I am convinced the reduced 'felt weight' of this new RKS knife is directly attributable to the down-turned handle design, which truly must be felt to be understood. "Nice work RMK!"
The only RMK that we have that even comes close to the new RKS knife in feel and balance is the often overlooked RMK Model #14 CDT. The 'quickness' and feel are close, and the CDT would be a fine runner-up should you find the RKS #4 knife unavailable.
The new RKS knife is similar in shape to an extended length #12-6 'Little Bear Bowie', but with the addition of the dramatic up-swept blade design of the classic Model #4...an amazing new take on an older design, well thought out, and a true 'fighter' through and through.
I for one would strongly suggest that RMK be petitioned to make this handle style a regularly produced option for those Randall enthusiasts that desire an 'extension of the arm' type of knife...this is a sweet handle design, and would be a real boost to the existing product line if offered as part of the standard RMK line-up.
A great big "Thank you" to all the people that worked behind the scenes to make this knife available; to Gary and the RMK folks for all their hard work, to Rhett and Janie for following it through to the end, to Greg for the outstanding sheaths, and to my lovely wife Edna for having the common sense to make sure we ordered two of these beauties...
Thanks guys, you just made my day!
p.s. Here's a link to the pic...ours is like the one at the bottom. http://www.randallknifesociety.com/ClubKnives.htm
Once again, Randall Made Knives has given the RKS members a very special knife! First impressions? "Wow, this sucker is huge!" Upon handling it though, the knife wielder realizes that though large, its an incredibly well balanced knife!
But, before I go into too much detail on the knife, and how it compares with similar RMK knife types, Id like to make a few comments about the sheath. Greg Gutcher Sr. and his crew down at Sullivans have really outdone themselves this time! "Nice work Greg, Im truly impressed buddy, the craftsmanship in your work really shines through with this one!"
That being said, on to the knife. Again, its large, but very quick in the hand! To give a comparison for you numbers guys, using my 'high tech $20 postal scale, the RKS #4 knife weighs in at...ah heck, well, it looks like I should've bought a better scale lol
Ok then, using the completely unbiased "Mel scale", Ill compare the new club knife to the following similarly configured 01/brass/stacked leather/duraluminum capped RMKs: Model #12 'Bear Bowie'; Model #1-8 and #1-7 'All purpose Fighting Knife'; Model #12-6 'Little Bear Bowie'; and Model #14 CDT 'Attack' knife.
The RMK knives mentioned above offer the closest 'apples to apples' comparison of any RMKs in our collection, and as such should give a good approximation for the knowledgeable Randall owner/user.
The new #4-8 RKS club knife is about the same length as a model #12 'Bear Bowie', but is lighter in the hand due to the 3/16's steel thickness, vs. 1/4" for the model #12. Also, the down-turned handle on the new RKS knife is a vast improvement over the 'Commando' styled 'Bear Bowie' from an ergonomics standpoint.
The model #12 'Bear Bowie', while a marvel of knife making design in its own right, and more readily available than the new RKS knife, pales in comparison when hefted with intended 'use' in mind.
The comparison with the classic Model #1 Randalls was even more of a shocker than the 'Bear Bowie' comparison. The new RKS knife has the size of the #1-8, the heft of the #1-7, but is slightly quicker in the hand than either...
I am convinced the reduced 'felt weight' of this new RKS knife is directly attributable to the down-turned handle design, which truly must be felt to be understood. "Nice work RMK!"
The only RMK that we have that even comes close to the new RKS knife in feel and balance is the often overlooked RMK Model #14 CDT. The 'quickness' and feel are close, and the CDT would be a fine runner-up should you find the RKS #4 knife unavailable.
The new RKS knife is similar in shape to an extended length #12-6 'Little Bear Bowie', but with the addition of the dramatic up-swept blade design of the classic Model #4...an amazing new take on an older design, well thought out, and a true 'fighter' through and through.
I for one would strongly suggest that RMK be petitioned to make this handle style a regularly produced option for those Randall enthusiasts that desire an 'extension of the arm' type of knife...this is a sweet handle design, and would be a real boost to the existing product line if offered as part of the standard RMK line-up.
A great big "Thank you" to all the people that worked behind the scenes to make this knife available; to Gary and the RMK folks for all their hard work, to Rhett and Janie for following it through to the end, to Greg for the outstanding sheaths, and to my lovely wife Edna for having the common sense to make sure we ordered two of these beauties...
Thanks guys, you just made my day!
p.s. Here's a link to the pic...ours is like the one at the bottom. http://www.randallknifesociety.com/ClubKnives.htm
