Randall Ques??

[Boriqua]

I posted this Ques to the Knife review Section and someone there said I should Ask it of the moderater of this forum. I would like to hear any and all thoughts Before I drop 300 or more.
Alex

I have been letting go of some of my knives to finish out my must have list. I am looking for a 7 inch or so bowie style knife that can do double duty as a reasonable fighter and survival knife. I am looking hard at the randall 14 attack but Is it really strong enough to put up with some abuse. I have never bought anything but full tang slab handles knives. thier stregth is inherent. This knife will be used. Yes I buy expesive knives and use them. I use my sebenza as a mini chopper at work all the time. I also looked at the black cloud offerings and at the livesay 101 airborne knife but I dont think I can handle the maintance required of the carbon steel. Is there a benefit to the carbon steel that makes the work worth while?? If I bought the randall would you recomend the 01 version??

 

[Ken Cox]

I looked hard at Randall before making my decision.
O-1 has a lot of good qualities as a knife steel, but I think most of those qualities favor the knife maker more than the knife user.
I don't trust a non-stainless knife, in the long run. I worry about deep, long-term corrosion weakening the blade.
I also consider the stainless steel Randall uses a compromise for manufacturing purposes.

For the same amount of money as a top-of-the-line Randall, Gene Osborn has agreed to make a knife of my design, a Randall rip-off for sure, out of BG-42.
Someone may argue O-1 as a tougher steel, but I don't have to worry about it breaking due to hidden corrosion, as has happened to one of another highly-respected maker's knives.

In a really tough situation, you shouldn't have to worry about oiling your knife.
You might not even have any oil.