What is your favorite military issued knife

TC said:
SAK certainly was as the "Offiziersmesser" dating back to the late 19th.

Randall? Dunno. But they have a number of military patterns and were popular with fighting men. Do astronauts count? And going through this thread there were quite a few I think that weren't strictly gov't issue.

Just figured I'd see a few of both.
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Anecdote and history tell us that Randall knives were used by American military personnel, but my understanding is that they were private purchase items. I would consider a "military knife" by definition to be only a government contract knife. Just me, perhaps.

Astronauts used to count when they were astronauts. Now, "astronauts" are any rich, old white guy who shoots his ass into space. Spare me, please.
 
Kutmaster fighting knife.jpgKutmaster bayonet fighting knife.jpg


This is an interesting knife which seems to have evolved towards the end of the Second World War. Outwardly, it is a crudely cutdown MK1 Bayonet, however the markings are definitely not military, nor is the pommel (which is solid and lacks a latching slot, nor the bolster which is missing the hole for the bayonet release button.

Kutmaster fighter handle.jpg

Most likely these were made by Utica at the end of the war from surplus, left over parts. Still they are very solid knives and earlier examples have been found in war vintage photos, although those may have been made from modified bayonets.

n2s
 
Mister Coffee said:
Anecdote and history tell us that Randall knives were used by American military personnel, but my understanding is that they were private purchase items. I would consider a "military knife" by definition to be only a government contract knife. Just me, perhaps.

Astronauts used to count when they were astronauts. Now, "astronauts" are any rich, old white guy who shoots his ass into space. Spare me, please.
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Sterile Randalls were made under contract during the Vietnam war per the guy who runs the American Militery Edge Weapos museum in Intercourse PA. He has one.

My favorite is the BM auto Stryker, not issued, but it had a NSN and was approved for military purchase.
 
Mister Coffee said:
Has to be Government Issue, doesn't it? Was Randall ever a government contract issue?
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I was thinking Gov contract knives as well. Technically, I was issued Benchmades, Gerber's, Medford's, sog etc by my unit. But they weren't gov contract built and bought.
 
brownshoe said:
Sterile Randalls were made under contract during the Vietnam war per the guy who runs the American Militery Edge Weapos museum in Intercourse PA. He has one.

My favorite is the BM auto Stryker, not issued, but it had a NSN and was approved for military purchase.
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That certainly is one of the more handy ones.
IMG-20211117-133004856-HDR-3.jpg
 
Jimbo302 said:
Did you replace the spring on yours?
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Yes, but it's been so long ago I don't rember when :) BM did the replacement for free. I took the clip off mine and carry it loose in the pocket. The Elishewitz tanto point can pierce like no other and the ATS34 steel doesn't chip when it hits concrete.
 
A.K.Farrar bowie.jpg

Here is an older military knife from the collection. It is appears to be a civil war Bowie knife once owned by A. K. Farrar, who was the Provost Marshall for Natchez, Mississippi (1862-1863). The Motto on the blade reads "My Home or Your Life" / A. K. Farrar. Despite the general appearance, it is a well made piece, with a tapered tang and a neat thin solder seal around the front of the guard and a fully sharpened back swedge.

A K Farrar motto.jpg

As the Civil War developed into a major conflict there was growing concern among the population of the Confederate States that they could experience a slave rebellion and Natchez Mississippi became a central hotspot for this concern.

3 letters from A K Farrar to the Mississippi Governor can be found here:


n2s
 
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not2sharp said:
View attachment 1692860

Here is an older military knife from the collection. It is appears to be a civil war Bowie knife once owned by A. K. Farrar, who was the Provost Marshall for Natchez, Mississippi (1862-1863). The Motto on the blade reads "My Home or Your Life" / A. K. Farrar. Despite the general appearance, it is a well made piece, with a tapered tang and a neat thin solder seal around the front of the guard and a fully sharpened back swedge.

View attachment 1692954

As the Civil War developed into a major conflict there was growing concern among the population of the Confederate States that they could experience a slave rebellion and Natchez Mississippi became a central hotspot for this concern.

3 letters from A K Farrar to the Mississippi Governor can be found here:


n2s
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Could you educate me on this knife? What about the knife identifies it as Civil War? Who made it and where? Is it unique or have you seen others? Thanks :)
 
brownshoe said:
Could you educate me on this knife? What about the knife identifies it as Civil War? Who made it and where? Is it unique or have you seen others? Thanks :)
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No, not really, I can't prove it to you. It is a unique piece that loosely resembles the 1848 rifleman's knife; but, differs enough not to have been intended as a copy. The constructions has a tapered tang, which adds additional work and was seldom used on later knives. The sharpened swedge and its balance makes for a relatively fast defensive tool. Then there is the unusual moto and the name on the blade, which also was well done and the iron rivets typical of the period. In short it has the lines of an American made Bowie; is a better example than most and the name makes it easy to place. Also, why A K Farrar, clearly there are better known and less obscure names for fakers to lash onto, and certainly more popular mottos to engrave on a blade, and 30 years ago when I acquired this thing, the internet was in its infancy and finding a reference on this guy would have been highly unlikely. Nor, did this come to me as a Civil War relic, IIRC the seller had called it an "small machete" and he had thought that A.K.Farrar may have been the maker.

I believe it is the real thing, and that it is representative of some of the knives used during the mid 19th century. It just doesn't reflect the Hollywood image of the early American made knife.

A K Farrar is mentioned in the case of Washington Ford v. James Surget (Supreme Court of Mississippi)

Supreme Court of Mississippi. Washington Ford v. James Surget on JSTOR

Supreme Court of Mississippi. Washington Ford v. James Surget, The American Law Register (1852-1891), Vol. 20, No. 5, New Series Volume 11 (May, 1872), pp. 301-308
www.jstor.org www.jstor.org


n2s
 
brownshoe said:
Sterile Randalls were made under contract during the Vietnam war per the guy who runs the American Militery Edge Weapos museum in Intercourse PA. He has one.

My favorite is the BM auto Stryker, not issued, but it had a NSN and was approved for military purchase.
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Having met the gentleman who runs that museum and having seen his phenomenal collection therein, I have no reason to doubt what he told you about that piece of Randall history. But it's the first and only mention of a Randall contract that I recall. I'd sure like to see some documentation on it.

Also, Jimbo302 wasn't the only one issued one of those Strykers. I met a Navy guy once who was carrying one he had been issued, only his was the drop-point version.


Jimbo302 said:
That certainly is one of the more handy ones.
IMG-20211117-133004856-HDR-3.jpg
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Thanks for sharing the photos of your knives! I'm curious, did you paint the handles yourself, or is that all that's left of the original factory coatings?


-Steve
 
The Whip said:
Having met the gentleman who runs that museum and having seen his phenomenal collection therein, I have no reason to doubt what he told you about that piece of Randall history. But it's the first and only mention of a Randall contract that I recall. I'd sure like to see some documentation on it. Also, Jimbo302 wasn't the only one issued one of those Strykers. I met a Navy guy once who was carrying one he had been issued, only his was the drop-point version. Thanks for sharing the photos of your knives! I'm curious, did you paint the handles yourself, or is that all that's left of the original factory coatings? -Steve
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The knife is displayed but not attributed to Randall because it was a secret contract and Bo would neither confirm or deny it as Randall-made. Once something is classified it remains classified unless the entity that classified it declassifies it. However both I and the owner agreed it is distinctively a Randall. I don’t remember what group got them. If it was CIA, then some may not think it military, but personally I think some parts of the CIA are functionally military.
 
The Whip said:
Having met the gentleman who runs that museum and having seen his phenomenal collection therein, I have no reason to doubt what he told you about that piece of Randall history. But it's the first and only mention of a Randall contract that I recall. I'd sure like to see some documentation on it.

Also, Jimbo302 wasn't the only one issued one of those Strykers. I met a Navy guy once who was carrying one he had been issued, only his was the drop-point version.




Thanks for sharing the photos of your knives! I'm curious, did you paint the handles yourself, or is that all that's left of the original factory coatings?


-Steve
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I spray painted them, to be able to tell which one was mine. Among several guys with the exact same tools, I've found it to be helpful. The Stryker handle was completely green, it just wore off from use.
 
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