What do I have - Part II

C

crsides

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Nov 12, 2001
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15
I just type a message and hit post preview. It came up, I reviewed it and now can't find it. It may posts twice.

I bought 2 knives at a local estate auction this weekend. Both are in Randall Made Orlando Fla sheaths with sharpening stone and cream colored snap buttons with Randall logo.

#1 is marked with the Randall Made Orlando Fla logo on the blade in front of the handle, has wood handle dyed black (black has come off in 2 places). From the listings I could see on ebay yesterday, it looks like a model 12 - 9" bowie. There is a metal serrated separator between handle and the hand guard and a matching serrated end cap on the handle butt.

#2 is the same configuration was #1 but it has rosewood handle and it is NOT marked Randall Made. It is not marked anywhere.

Any chance #2 is a Randall. Any chance #1 is not.

Thanks, Charlie
 
Tough Questions Here. Picture's are worth a thousand words! Anything is possible. If number 1 knife is marked with Randall logo, it probably is a Randall. If number 2 is not marked, then it probably is not. There are exceptions to the rule. Randall grinds are duplicatable and many makers style knives after Randall. There is the possibility of someone grinding off the logo etc. A copy knife in a Randall sheath is not unheard of. You did not mention if the sheaths were Randall Marked Brown Button or Heiser Marked Brown Button. I personally don't don't recall Randall Using Rosewood on Heiser Sheathed era knives, but Randall has made knives with Rosewood in later production.
Regards
Ken
 
I have some pics of the two knives in question but it seems I cannot post them.

Is there a way to do this on this forum. Can I email them to someone, etc.

Charlie
 
Charlie that does not work for me! Went to the link and that is the sign up page!

Ken B
 
My best guess is that your one knife does indeed have a Randall 12-9 blade but was either re-handled along the way or started as a kit knife. I don't think the other is a Randall. The blade just doesn't look right, to me.
 
Hi from what I can make out in the pictures the knife with the Randall stamp may be a Britt Brown Custom Bowie. Info and pictures on page 275 Randall Made Knives by Gaddis.
Britt Brown's Bowies
"Among Randall knife buffs, some of the best known of these customer specials are the unusual bowie knives made to the specifications of Britt Brown."
Check out picture on page 275 photo 120
The Randall sheath would be the correct one for knife and by the buttons on it fit the era that Britt Brown had the knives made.
I would send it to Randall to have Gary Randall check it out. May be a very great find. Regards dd2
 
Thanks Wild Bill and dd2 for the info.

Looks like I'm going to need to buy a book.

In the mean time you have raised some questions in my mind. Who was Britt Brown and why would a custom Randall from him be a better find than a full Randal.

The Randall marked knife has a wood (walnut) handle that is stained or painted dull black. This has rubbed off in two places (1/4" square) revealing the wood beneath. The shape of the handle is a bit odd and matches the shape of the other non marked knife (which was finished with a clear varnish).

The Randall marked knife and sheath has seen some use. Would the Britt Brown bowie's have been made in the Vietnam era?

Charlie
 
The Britt Brown knives were custom ordered from RMK between 1959 - 1962 and made by RMK. Britt Brown was president of the Wichita Eagle Newspaper. The handle shape and hilt are shown in the picture on page 275 in Randall Made Knives by Robert L. Gaddis.
RMK would make knives to the customers specs back then. Many Britt Brown knives are one of a kind.
Again Gary Randall would be your best guy to ID the knife.
I think the other knife without the RMK mark with custom sheath is a copy by someone other than RMK.
There is also reference to Britt Brown knives on the Randall CD by Intersquare. It's on page 24-25 in the Randall Made Knives sale catloge by Rhett Stidham.
The fun about Randall Made Knives is in The Collecting and History.
I learned a couple of lessons on RMK's after I had parted with them.
I never was able to buy one back after I found out the whole story.
Regards dd2:)
 
Thanks again, dd2, for the additional info. I collect
old double bbl shotguns and generally have to sell 2
to buy the next one. I know EXACTLY what you mean about
letting it go too soon. Then I later remember why I
bought it in the first place.

Charlie
 
When we first inherited our 'starter' knife collection from my good buddy Keith Brown, deceased, I just 'knew' that all those new, bright and shiny knives in their boxes must be worth 'much more' that all those old used 'beater' knives...right?

Christ! I think I took a whole $20 for that old Marbles 'Air Crew' survival knife, $50 or so for that old Gerber Ffh, and maybe $100 for that old two-part grey stone JRB RMK #5-5... :eek: :eek: :eek:

Soon thereafter, I contacted Bruce Voyles, and not believing him, I contacted Paul Basch....they both told me the same thing..."STOP!, figure out what you've got before you sell anything else!"

Oi vey, it's true....Ignorance is bliss!

What I wouldn't give...or more likely, what I will (have to) give, to get them back, i.e., replace them...
 
The one randall marked knife was a one of four made in late 50's early 60's, according to Pete Hamilton. Sold it to Tom Clinton at the Atl blade show around 2002, 2003. I understand Tom is gone now, so wouldn't mind me saying I got $3k for it. Tom was as happy as I was.


Charlie
 
Charlie, welcome back from the great beyond - at ten years, I think you get the necro-post of the year award. Good to see you're still with us...what ever happened to knife #2?

Shel
 
Well knife #2 was a hand made copy of the Randall bowie. Knife #1 caused quite a stir around Tom Clinton's table, someone asked what was in the bag. I told him it was a randall copy. How much. I figured up what I had in both knives and both sheaths, and told him $200. SOLD !!!

The old posts - I was looking up some other information and googled crsides and this old post came up. Couldn't remember if I ever got back to the board 10 yrs ago.

Tom said Knife #1 was made with (Manilla ???) ebony wood (I thought it was dyed black - He coulda said Phillipino - long time ago). It had an S shaped nickel silver hilt, border patrol handle and skull crusher cap. Gary Randall gave me the first inclination that it was a special production item and Pete Hamilton confirmed this at the Randall meeting in Atl. He then introduced me to Tom. I have looked for a digital image of the knife #1, but I'm having no luck. Lost most of my stuff in a computer crash in 2006.


Charlie
 
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