If someone has a knife that is questionable it is quite easy to send it to the Randall shop for authentication. I personally, never give value to "hear-say" provenance.
Also the statement below concerning unmarked Randalls at the time of Bo Randall's death is not true, according to Randall shop foreman, Scott Maynard.
But if you would like to read about "kit" knives and very importantly the part about Randall selling unmarked blades in 1978 and 1979 read below.
The following is from Randall Knife Society newsletter #37, February 1997. I had to do some digging on this one and even called Pete Hamilton and Dave Griffin at home and discussed kit knives with them. Looking at my old catalogs, I found that the Randall yellow foldout catalog, first issued in 1948 and selling for 10 cents, does not mention blades for sale or kits. But the 20 cents issue marked Florida Press, Dec. 1953 does say, "Finished blades available for those who wish to complete their own knife". So it is safe to say, Randall probably started selling finished blades between 1948 and 1953.
The first stapled catalog of the size we know today, 4" by 9", was first published in June, 1954. In this 18 page catalog we see the first mention of "kit" as follows, "MAKE-IT-YOURSELF" KITS but does not mention hilt or handle materials. This catalog sold for 20 cents and was used through 1958.
The first numbered catalog was issued in 1959 and was marked (twelfth printing). In this catalog we see the first mention of materials as follows: "MAKE-IT-YOURSELF KITS: Blades are available in any stage of completion, along with hilt and handle materials, for those who want to make their own knives. Prices sent on request."
Both of these last two catalogs were yellow in color and had a pinned, ivory handle, Model 4 on the cover.
Pete tells me these first blades were sold as rough, heat treated and forged blades and also sold as finished blades, but they were not marked kit. Blades continued to be sold in any stage of completion until about 1971. Therefore, there are many hundreds of kit knives out there that are not marked kit. About 1971 Gary Randall got tired of knives coming back into the shop that were obviously not completed in the Randall shop. He came up with the idea to mark the blades "KIT" at the side of the Randall logo. For a while you had to have your name etched on the back of the blade or "KIT" marked on the front. But this did not last long and then "KIT" was used exclusively on blades leaving the shop.
The "KIT" has always been etched (not stamped) on the blades, therefore it was quite easy to remove the "KIT" etching and still have the Randall logo. And some did. In 1978 and 1979 Randall took the Randall logo off and sold only unmarked blades. So finally, about 1979, Randall stopped selling unassembled blades to the public, altogether.
Pete shared with me, over the phone, his copy of the 1971 "KIT" blade sheet: Model 14 and 15 blades were sold only in the "Solingen" logo at that time. Models 16, 17, 18 and 22 were not available in the kit form. All other knives were available in kit form at that time.
While looking for the before mentioned catalogs I came across a most interesting piece of literature. If any of you have access to the November and December 1967 issues of Gun World Magazine you will find in each an article by Tommy L. Bish on making knives from Randall kits. At that time Tommy was technical editor of Gun World Magazine. Well, the piece of literature I found is a reprint of these two articles that Gary and Bo Randall had made and mailed to people interested in kit knives.
If you suspicion that a knife is a kit knife, but it is not marked "KIT" look at the tang (ricasso) of the blade where it enters the hilt. Most "kit" knives, marked or unmarked, that I see are not welded. A sure sign they were not made by Randall. It could be welded and still not made in the Randall shop though." //// Rhett Stidham
