Randall Made Knives

R

rprocter

BANNED
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
6,872
i understand that Randall Made Knives are not sole authorship and not considered true customs by most here. however, as their wait list shows, they do have a faithful following.
some of the current production ones i have looked at on-line cost in the $450-$650 range.
in the "Knife Makers For Sale" forum here, there are numerous makers who sell FBs at or below this price range.
is the main reason for buying a Randall, simply wanting a Randall ? or is the overall quality of the knife equall to or better than that which could be obtained from some of "our" best makers for the same or less money ?
i did a search here; many threads, but could not find this addressed.
thanks, roland
 
Moved to general knife discussion.Randalls are not custom knives.
Randy
 
I think it's mostly the history they have. Much like why many people feel a collection is incomplete without a Kabar.
 
i purposely posted in "customs" because i am asking about comparison to custom knives and that is THE FORUM in which members are thoroughly familiar with custom knives and so can give knowledgeable answers.
i think the moving of this post means the intention of my inquiry was not understood and was more likely a "knee jerk" reaction.
roland
 
I have always regarded Randalls as hand made. He started out that way anyways being influenced by Scagel. What are they considered? Benchmade? I think benchmade is between custom and production.He's doing something right. Alot of custom makers copy his work, or at least they used to in the day.
I think he had a folder in his catalog at one time. I think it was a Schrade contract. Can someone verify that?
I don't blame you for being a bit peeved Roland.The mods thread seemed a bit short to me also.
 
Last edited:
Many people here do not consider Randall's customs. Having visited the shop a couple of times, I do believe they are "hand-made." They are not sole authorship because they do not make their sheaths. Frankly, I think the whole sole authorship thing is a bit overplayed...if some one has all of these skills so much the better but, if they do not, in the interest of providing their customers the best possible knive, they should do their part and sub out the rest. Does this make them less than custom? I think not. I am not sure why people do not consider Randall's customs--perhaps because they make the same the same models over and over again? As to why Randall's are so popular...a lot of it is their history and legend. They have been carried in at least six wars. They have been handed down from fathers to sons for over 60 years. In my opinion, they have classic lines and designs. They are very well made. They stand behind their work. They are expensive but not so much that you can't use them, and they have endured. What other knifemaker has been producing knives this long, with this quality and service, without selling out to a huge corporation or getting so expensive that they graduate to uber safequeen status. I have been addicted to knives for over 45 years. I played with "kits" for a few years and have now been seriously ruining steel for a couple of years. I have a few Randalls. They are a constant source of inspiration. Are they better than some of the customs out there? Yes, but there are also many customs that for many reasons are superior to Randalls. sorry if I rambled. If this does not get action here...maybe in the Randall forum.
Kevin
 
I consider them to be handmade knives. I know the Custom and Handmade Knives forum has basically become a place to discuss custom knives, but I think it should also be a place to discuss handmade knives. Either that, or change the name to Custom Knives.

Dealers and sellers on eBay charge a large premium for Randall knives. The price from Randall is much lower, but you have to wait five years to get your knife.

In my opinion, many knifemakers make better knives than Randall for less money than resellers charge.
 
I have one Randall, a No. 1 with a 7" blade that I got about 15 years ago. I think my waiting period was about nine months. What I liked about it was I got to choose not only the blade length, but the shape and type of handle and guard. I'm very pleased with it. I even had my name stamped on the blade -- something I wouldn't do if I bought another one, but it was my first Randall, so it was sorta special.

A few years ago I was in a local knife shop with a good, but overpriced selection. The guy waiting on me, who was the owners son, was showing me this Radall that had a name stamped on the blade -- he tried to tell me that name was the guy who made the knife. Uh huh. Never bought another knife there -- just didn't trust 'em anymore.
 
You buy a Randall because it's a Randall just like you buy a Harley because it's a Harley. Randall's are hand made and they reflect it in their appearance. I'm not saying this in a derogatory sense. You can tell machine made knives from hand made knives buy the way they look. Randall's are still (with the exception of a few) hand forged to shape. Name one American knife maker that still makes there knives this way...you cant.

Personally I believe they are hand made semi custom knives. Randall's as users are first class knives and as collector investments they are solid. You can find a better tougher knife for less money however, you can not find a knife with more personality or more character than a Randall. In the knife community merely saying the name carries the same respect and appreciation as saying Harley in the motorcycle community.

Randall's are an American Icon Just like Harleys, hot dogs and apple pie.......
 
Thanks KDCK & KM, your 2 posts pretty well answered the question i was posing. (so i guess i can quit grumping about the move).
my collection has no focus other than to show as broad array as i can of well made U.S.A. knives.
so i "need" a Randall for their significant contribution the knife world.
no need to compare it with similarly priced customs. a person buys a Randall because they want a Randall.
i'm in no rush, just want to be "ready" in case an opportunity came up.
i am not "shopping" at present.
on the other topic which is more important, i think at times the "Custom" forum can exhibit a little snobbery. too narrow a focus might result in it's demise or at least getting "stale". i would like to see more range of customs discussed, the more pedantic pieces as well as those of museum quality.
custom collecting in any price range is valid.
and hey, all this from a relative newby(how many years for this "stage" ?), and a friggin Canadian too eh. but every interest group needs to replenish it's ranks.
roland
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top