by R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
This is a typical Randall in fit and finish—outstanding!
Among the legendary blades to come along the past one hundred years or so is the Randall knife. Along with the Ek Commando knife the best known Randall knife is a combat blade developed for use during World War Two.
The business grew by leaps and bounds following the war and today Randall offers many sporting knives. Founder William Bo Randall is a member of the Cutlery Hall of Fame. He began making his knives the time proven way, by hand, and at first made knives for his own use. When working people and hunters and outdoorsmen saw the type of knives Randall made, they wanted one for themselves. Randall grew up managing citrus groves and his first knives were sold in his father’s garment store.
Note perfect lines, angles and finish of the Randall Model 27. The Stag handle is perfectly fit and expertly polished.
His first true combat knife came at the request of a sailor. World War Two began in 1941 and Randall had begun making knives about 1938. The sailor wanted a first class fighting knife and Randall delivered. At the time most knives issued by the Army were rat tail designs with a tang that was fitted into the handle. The Randall is a full tang design: one solid piece of steel from front to back. The sailor’s friends saw the first Randall fighting knife and placed orders and the rest is history. Everyone who saw the knife and its design, it seems, wanted one.
As Randall later related demand was so strong he considered mass production methods but instead took on apprentices. The knives were made one at a time by hand and they still are. Randall made a commitment to top quality and dependability. Today the Randall Knife Company is a third generation family owned company respected as the number one name in handmade knives in the world. There are presently some 40 knife variations with many custom options related to the handle primarily. All are full tang fixed blade knives. The apprenticeship is grueling. Few apply and are willing to undertake the work, which makes the Randall even more interesting and useful.
Note leather washers and seamless fit of the handle materials.
The Model 27 illustrated is supplied with a high quality handmade sheath. It would be a shame to supply a legendary knife with a cheap sheath, Randall sheaths are quality leather well suited to hard use. All Randall knives use stainless steel or carbon tool steel. The steel is specially heat treated multiple times then hammered to the final form and ground into a useful edged tool. Then it is heated and hardened and tempered again. The process is a long one involving more than a dozen steps. The blade, once tempered, is ground and smoothed progressively into shape, sharpness, and final finish. If you order a certain model then you expect the bevels, line and shape to be exactly like every other Number 5 or Number 27; the lines and bevels will be expertly cut and properly ground.
The handle is a very important part of the process. The hilt is of solid brass. It is drilled to fit the full tang and soldered to the tang. The handle is also glued in place and held to the knife tang by precise fit and finally secured to the tang by a threaded nut. The handle receives a great deal of attention with careful polish including a final finish that is practically unrivaled.
Design and execution of the Randall knife are flawless. From the tip of the blade to the perfectly fitted washers, this is a first class knife for hard use.
My Randall is the Model 27 Trailblazer. Bo Randall was quoted as saying he designed his knife for work and hunting use, and I agree. My personal Trailblazer is a failsafe field knife that will do the business like no other. This knife features a 13 spacer section with red Micarta in the handles mated to a beautiful piece of stag horn. This is quite a sporting knife and one that will not fail. The results of the Randall Knife Company’s commitment to hand labor are seen in this knife. The Randall knife is famous for holding its edge and for the ability to make precise cuts. As an example the cutting edge bevel is hand honed to an ideal 20 degrees, an angle that Randall found optimizes the blade for cutting chores. Remember, a knife is a poor crowbar, no matter how good the knife is, but the Randall is a great knife for emergency use when you are far from home and the knife absolutely cannot fail.
The blade is hand cut and properly tempered.
There are many people that collect Randall knives and that is a wonderful thing since they are blades with a sense of art and beauty beyond the utilitarian. But by the same token they were meant to be used and used mine will be.
A word on finding a Randall knife: knife shows and online companies such as AG Russell and the Knife Purveyor are the best routes. At present Randall has a five-year waiting period. Expect to pay a premium for a Randall knife, which may vary depending on the model. It isn’t unusual to see a $125 premium over the Randall list price. When it comes to Vietnam era knives, expect well over a thousand dollars while older knives will bring more depending upon the condition and provenance, if they may be found. Remember- you are purchasing a piece of history and a vial of the maker’s sweat with each knife.
