old crutch tip mod 18

W

willis

Joined
Apr 14, 2002
Messages
740
Back before I enlisted in the army to become an 11 bang bang I was a power lineman in the US Air Farce.One of the civilians in the shop who was retired military had a real interesting knife,it was the first randall I had ever seen in the flesh,so to speak.His father had given it to him before he left for vietnam,it was a mod 18 that his dad had modified by threading the handle and machining a brass butt cap to replace the crutch tip.His dad was a machinist for the sikorsky helicopter co. and it was a beautiful job.He had also knurled the smooth handle surface to make it grippier(I reckon thats a real word).That was one cool knife and I really liked the riveted sheath.
 
But if it was an original crutch-tip and if it had Vietnam provenance...it'd be worth a ton more than the modified one you speak of.....:)
 
Jim,tony wouldn't have sold that knife for all the oil in texas,the fact that his father,who was long gone,had modified that knife upped it's personal value immensely.The first thing I did with my RMK mod 26 was to lay it flat on a diamond hone and thin the chisel like factory bevel,now it cuts like a laser,but looks like hell.Likewise the mod 14 had a very dull top cutting edge,out came the hones,now it too is sharp,but scratched.My Dad on the other hand is a collecter,not a user,he always has been.Now he gets as much joy from simply holding and shining his knives,swords,and guns,as I do from using mine.Who is right,we both are i guess.
 
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