Thanks to all who have posted thus far.

From Randall Made Knives: The History of the Man and the Blades by Robert L. Gaddis

In 1954 Bo received a letter from two U.S. Marine Corps officers interested in developing a pilot's survival knife. More detail on this will be forthcoming next week, but from this process the Model 14 was also developed. The original plan was to have the knives mass-produced for the Marine Corp. Because of red tape and changes in personnel assigned to the project, that never happened. "Bo didn't have the time, money, or patience to mount a lobbying effort, so he just added these knives to the Randall line as Models 14 and 15 and kept on making top-quality knives for those who appreciated them." (p. 150)

The Vietnam War vastly increased the demand for Randall knives.

Quote:

---

From February through July 1965, there was a significant, but manageable, increase in the orders. Then, in August, the avalanche started! That month saw many thousands of U.S. military men going to South Vietnam, as it suddenly became an American war. The demand for good knives skyrocketed, and individual orders received at Randall Made Knives more than doubled, compared to those of only the previous February. This wave of new orders was led by good ol' Model 1 All-Purpose Fighting Knife, followed by the Model 14 Attack, while in third place was the newest addition to the line,the Model 18 Attack-Survival.

...During January 1966, the Model 14's popularity overtook that of the Model 1, ushering in an entirely new ranking of model preference with U.S. military men. Throughout the remainder of the Vietnam War, the Model 14 Attack was a runaway leader in individual GI orders, with the Model 18 survival knife in second place.... (p. 206)

---

In the current RMK catalog, the Model 14 comes with either a Black or Green Micarta handle, "This knife was designed to meet the demand for an almost indestructible all-purpose knife, though it is especially suited for combat and survival purposes." I'm sure anyone who has handled a Model 14 with its 7 1/2" blade of 1/4" stock would readily agree.

Lady and gentlemen, may we please see some Model 14s?
Kevin
#5109

Here's a Model 14 that has been posted before. It was this year's Christmas knife. This is an example of a 14 after Silver Knife got his extremely talented hands on it. Once again, well done, Doug.
Kevin

This Model 14 came in last week. It will be one of this year's Christmas knives. It's a beautiful example of Randall craftsmanship. Fantastic carbon blade, nickel silver double hilt, green micarta handle.
Kevin

Here's my #14 Attack, with stainless steel blade, Forward Curved Nickel Silver Double hilt (oblong), and Single Finger Grip handle made of Torquiose/Black Micarta:

...Okay here's my RMK #14, a great example of the quality of the work coming out of the shop.

Vietnam Era,Green Tenite,Johnson Splitback Riveted Sheath.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!

Let's do this again in 2011 when my 14 w/ sawteeth and green micarta border patrol handle arrives from the shop!

Pair of Vietnan Era Solingen's.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!

Pair of Vietnam Era Orlando Blades.One Tool Steel,One Stainless-Sep "S".
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!!

Kevin, Thanks for the kind words. Here's a #14 still in progress for an Army Paratrooper:



Here's one that went to a Naval Aviator:



This was one for an Air Force Maintenance Officer:



This one most everyone will recognize as Tom CLinton's 2nd Series Vietnam Commemorative, mine also commemorates Chuck Mawhinney, U.S.M.C. (ret'd) who autographed the sheath:







and last, but hardly least, is a silver lugged, silver collared, silver butt capped and silver spacered elephant ivory #14 just waiting to be engraved and scrimshawed. What kind of looks like a check or crack at the top of the handle is actually a discloration from where the nerve ran through the tusk.





Regards, Doug

The model #14 has been one of my favorites ever since they became available with a cut down tang in the mid eighties.
This model #14 CDT is (in my opinion) the finest I've ever seen. The ivory is perfect and, like the nickel silver furniture, has been heavily carved in deep relief by Tom Leschorn.

This model #14 CDT is a genuine one-of-a-kind.

This model #14 has ALL the bells and whistles from the mid-sixties as well as provanance from both Vietnam and Afganistan which make it one of the most desireable vintage model #14s I've seen.

Out of my league with the #14's shown above but it was my first Randall Made Knife.

Tom, no, you are not out of your league with your 14. IMO it's one of the nicest 14's I've seen. Just love stag handles, especially with finger grooves.
Dan Snyder #5537

Stag and Stag with finger grips

Tom,
Your 14 has a "classic" look to it...
I Like It!
Tony

More "classic" looking 14s!
Nice Graham!!
Tony

Rather basic but haven't seen one exactly like this posted so far.

-Steve

Dadgum Steve !!!!! You need to be careful with a picture like that...You're liable to give someone a "noreltney".

To save Guido from trying to find that in an Italian/English dictionary, It's Polk County slang for a mental orgasm.

Dubie Baxter

Dubie,you guys have to much going on in polk county lately.your on the news everyday. Bob

...

A matched pair, Model 14 and 15, ironwood.

Chris Walker
RKS #5398

Another view.

Chris Walker
RKS #5398

Model 14, brown micarta, a real handful.

Chris Walker
RKS #5398

Model 14 with a bowie clip, ironwood.

Chris Walker
RKS #5398

Chris,

Beautiful knives! Love that ironwood!

Kent

RKS #109
Life Member NRA

The model 14 may just be my favorite Randall, here's a camp style in elephant ivory...

Rob

flip side...

a few more...

.

last one...

Rob,
Very classy #14's!
A perfect balance of "nothing more to add; nothing more to take away"!

Brown Micarta..

...simpley UNIQUE.



Best
Guido

...just handles...



Best
Guido

Guido, sweet! Is the the 'one-of-a-kind' parkerized Model #14 that we wrote about? Good on ya if so! (hmmm, looks like I'll have to update the book now...lol)

Nice scrim too, very cool

Guido,
...simply EXCELLENT!
Ciao,
Tony

Yes Sheldon,
is that one for real ! Unique together with is brother Mod. 18: both parkerized.
Ok, think about me for the "second printing"....
Thanks Tony I appreciated
Best
Guido

Guido, awesome!

For those of you unsure of what we're talking about; while there are plenty of aftermarket Parkerized RMK's floating around these days, there are exactly two that were made and documented as being sold through the Randall Shop - Rhett cared for them for awhile, now Guido is looking after them...very cool stuff!

Model 14 SS blade, JSB sheath. Burnie

Dear All,
Mod.# 14 dedicated week is ended but this Mod.14 can well complete that beautiful listing of everybody' masterpieces



Mod.#14 sawteeth-no teeth
Best
Guido

Guido,

BELLISIMA!!!!!!!!!!!!

TONY

Here is a #14 with some new brown micarta.




Thanks to a new friend and member here for this one. As much as I hate to say it, thanks too eBay.

New Model 14 CDT. I may have a new camp knife.

Barry
RKS4451

A BIG new camp knife!
Very nice, Barry!
Tony

that a 7 option 14?

For me this was an absolute must have knife from this years Blade Show in Atlanta. Everyone who saw this knife was very impressed with the massive, gnarly stag handle and the engraving. The Gutcher Rattlesnake sheath ain't bad either! Burnie can vouch for me on this one he was there when I bought it from Aggiemike. It is awesome, I just hope the photos do this knife the justice it deserves.

Best,
Warren

Warren,

Awesome Knife, I love seeing the Model #14 CDT decked out. I think the #14 blade is a powerful blade and deserves to be adorned in such a manner.

Your next photo project should be another clock but this time scaled in military time.

Warren,
As you know, Mike ordered this knife from me a few years back. He had sent me some stag and indicated that he wanted me to use it for his orders which were in the loop. I told Mike that he should give the shop stag a chance for a couple of different reasons.
1) What the shop had been providing at that time was pretty good.
2) Some of the stuff he sent, while looking good, wouldn't measure.
3) Randall shop-supplied stag has a lifetime warranty.
Well: Mike listened to me and this knife came out with 100% Randall shop-supplied stag! Unbelieveable. I told Mike it was a good thing he received it without me "peeking" into the butcher paper first. There might have been a "problem" if I had seen that one. No...Not really. Mike was ecstatic when he received this knife. I just can't believe he sold it!! Great knife, Warren. Now hang onto it!!
Best, Capt. Chris

Captain,

I remember the look in your eye when I showed it to you. You said that it was the best stag handle in my collection. No arguments from me. Thanks!

Best,
Warren

Yo Warren, that's about the nicest Randall I have ever seen, really. It's a real beauty, congrats on a super acquisition.

Mike,

I don't know about the nicest Randall; that's a fairly broad statement but it is certainly one of the nicest stag handled knives from the shop in any model. Thanks for your comments.

Best,
Warren

You did exceptionally well at The Blade Show Warren!!!!!!
What a great knife. This one is the whole package. Blade, stag, butt plate, and engraving. The craftsman at RMK did a magnificent job on that butt plate!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Kevin

Warren
Terrific knife, we now know for sure that you get all of the good knives. Congratulations on your find.

Peter

Now that's a 14...very nice Warren.

Rob

Warren,
If a #14 can be called Exquisite then this is the one!
Tony

Kevin, Peter, Rob, Tony,

Thanks guys for your comments, much appreciated.

Best,
Warren

My very first Randall arrived today

Well sort of
I ordered this one from the shop 5 years ago and paid the deposit.
At the time I had no other Randall knives.



I actually got to handle this knife last month at the shop it had not had it's final polish at the time.

Grahm,

"Awsome" is one of those overused adjectives, but it aptly applies to that piece of stag and the whole package.

I particularly like the lugged hilt. As you know from your visit here, I am a sucker for lugged hilts. The brass/black spacers and rounded butt cap really work well with the stag.

NICE KNIFE!!!

Regards,
Doug

Yes, very nice one Mate!!

Pap

Looks like it could do a job or two. Very nice 14.

That is one of the best looking #14s I've ever seen. Great job picking out the options.

Beautiful RMK 14 Graham.
I'm glad that you finally got your first Randall.

Kevin

Looking over these threads, I saw I hadn't posted my 14 here.

Peter

HMMMMMMM ...
a combat companion , and now this ...
Peter ... you've been holding out on us!
A Cool #14!

Tony
I have those knives for a while, I only realized recently that I had never posted them in knife of the week.
I have a couple incoming in the near future, which I will post after they arrive
Thanks for the nice comments

Peter

here's my # 14s ... a model that I love (like all other Randall knives).
I apologize (again) for the poor quality of photos ...
maybe I need a new camera!
Best,

Daniele,
Nice pair!
I like the #1 hilt with the saw teeth blade!
Tony

Guess I didn't post this one in Knife of the Week


Received this one 5 - 6 months ago. Capt. Chris & Scott suggested this configuration. The Model #22 handle is kind-of-like getting 6 options for 5.

SS Blade (1 option)
Brass FCH (1 option)
Black & Brass Spacers (1 option)


This leaves 2 options for Custom Handle Material, Brass Butt Cap and Handle Shape

With the #22 handle you get Shop Micarta and choice of color, Crows Beak Butt Cap and The #22 Handle Shape for your 2 remaining options.

Tom, that is one of the nicest #14's I have ever laid eyes on. Nice choice of options.

Great photo too.

Thanks Dubie,

This Model #14 with this configuration feels great in your hand, it is extremely well balanced with the big chunk of brass on the butt end.

I never thought about it until I was talking to Scott at one of the Orlando Gun & Knife Shows but the SS Blades are noticeably heavier than the Carbon Blades. Depending on the handle type and material a #14 in 01 Steel could be well balanced but a little blade heavy in SS with the same handle, especially in the CDT version. This one is near perfect. The #14 blade is a hefty blade.

WOW Tom!
A really cool and unique looking #14.
Goes to show ya ... there are configurations out there that some of us wouldn't automatically think of,
without the guidance of a knowledgeable expert or two!
Thanks for sharing!
Tony

Here's a #14-7 1/2", "CDT" in ironwood!
Best. Capt. Chris

Stainless, Brass double hilt (#1 style), Brass & black spacers, IW handle and a Brass butt cap. Close-up shows just how nice the figure is in this piece (just not totally in "focus")!!
Best, Capt. Chris

my wife takes attack!

Hey Fabio,
...you better behave yourself!!!!

My beloved #14
Still can't get this to show the pic-- only the attachment to click on! ...... I don't get it
dp

Tom, that's a really nice 14 & a great choice of options. I've been considering ordering one with crows beak & appreciated your insight on the SS weight / balance / butt. Well done.

Hi Fabio. I gave my wife the Mini 14 for bag carry. The fullsize one's handle looked kinda obvious sticking out of her purse.
Like Tony said, you had better be a good boy and keep her happy.
Ciao

I thought I'd better show this one off here finally.
Purchased originally from a dealer in this NFG style in the early 70s by the original owner.
The dealer was in Virginia.
I have a couple of 14s with NFGs and have it from the shop that this was an option open to dealers though seldom sought as it defeated the purpose of FGs on the 14 - namely superior grip on blooded hand and wasn't encouraged.
The ones I have are dated probably within 6-12 months of each other. 1 with gold cords and 1 with OD, both with SP stones.
The smooth handle is flawless with perfect lines and symmetry.
Hope you enjoy viewing one of my prized ones.

If anyone has recollection of a dealer in Virginia I'd be happy to be enlightened.

Cheers

Kevin,
Here is my Model #14 "Attack"...not the usual 7-1/2" blade but one with a 6-1/2" blade. Here's the story:

"This RKS newsletter article is from the June 1995 RKS newsletter #27. The model #14 Attack has become a mainstay in the Randall lineup. The 7-1/2" full tang knife was designed with military usage in mind from the start. After the design was submitted to the military boards, the Air Force requested the same knife, only with a 5-1/2" blade. Although neither knife was adopted as a military issue knife, they both have become enormously popular styles. In years past, when time allowed, a few of these #14 and #15 blades were made in the 6.5" length."

WOW! Pretty cool, Rex!
I always thought the 5-1/2" blade was a request from the Marines, possibly for use by Marine Aviators.
Did I get it wrong??
Anyway ... a very cool Randall.
Tony

That's a real nice looking 14 Rex. Thanks for sharing.

Rex,

Great looking knife and background. That's the type of Knife Of The Week stories that we need more of.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Kevin

Doug,
Your photo was too large (134kb). I emailed it to myself, reduced it to 93kb, edited the mid-range to lighten it slightly and...Here it is. Hope you don't mind. Nice knife.
Best, Capt. Chris

Very nice knife Doug. Thanks to Chris for posting the knife.

Kevin

Here are my 2 newest #14 that I purchased at the shop sale this year. Model#1 is my favorite butt this model is becomming a close 2nd. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Whoa!
Pretty cool, Jimmy!
I especially like that green micarta SFG handle.
Enjoy!
Tony

That's a great looking pair of knives Jimmy. Thanks for sharing.

Jimmy, Very nice, is the one a G 10 handle? I didn't know that was a shop supplied handle material.

Thanks for the comments and yes the handle is G10 Jade according to the paperwork that was sent with it. I am not sure if this material is from RMK or a customer supplied G10 that they could not end up paying for after being built. Thanks, Jimmy

Jimmy,
Great looking Model #14's. I hope you don't mind, but I resized all 3 from over 100kb to just "under" 100kb. Hopefully everyone will be able to see them now.
Best, Capt. Chris

Thanks for the help Captain Chris.

Those are some great looking knives Jimmy. Thanks for sharing.

Scott

I was in the 5th Special Forces in Vietnam, 1967-end 1968. In early 1967, ordered a type 14 Randall. My knife was delivered after about a 9 month wait just before I left for Vietnam. I think it had a Solingen blade though it may have been carbon (lots of discussion about it at the time... cost was about $65 or so... about 1/2 months pay), and I think I had my name on one side. Why do I “think?”… because leaving Vietnam a hand carry bag with my Randall, 12 rolls of film, many keepsakes including 9mm pistol that was “lost” or stolen.

I can never replace the mementos. But… after the passage of 40 plus years, I decided to buy another Randall… not necessarily as a collector (I collect far too many things now), but more for the memory. So… I bought this one. It looks like a reasonable facsimile to the one I took to Vietnam except without the Solingen blade. (Note: Viet-period Special Forces REQUIRED personal artifacts: Randall knife, Rolex watch, star-saphire ring, engraved Zippo lighter, Montagnard brass bracelet).

I apologize about the pedestrian nature of this knife, compared to some of the beauties displayed in this line. From the picture does a provenance of late-1960s, early-1970s seem reasonable? Thanks for any feedback, and thanks for the beautiful creations displayed.

Jack (?),
Very cool #14. Not pedestrian at all!
Someone more knowledgeable than me will post about the vintage ... I think it could be as late as late 70s - early 80s?
Thanks for posting and welcome to the Forums!
By the way ... Someone I know in my neighborhood was in SF, in Vietnam,
and I only recently asked him if he knew about or owned a Randall Knife.
His eyes lit up and yes, he said ... he still has it! We'll be getting together soon
and I'll write up a little story for the RKS newsletter and the Forums, and get
some photos. Stay tuned.
Tony

Not to imply anything but seems like a lot of folks were SF or seals or something. I didn't run into many and most of them don't talk about it. This is not a flame or to piss anyone off. Just an observation.

Yes, there are a lot of imposters out there. I'm not one however. One reason no one talks about it, except to each other, is because it is just too hard to explain... the jargon, the geography, etc. And the questions that get asked are pretty boring and predictable.

My twin brother served two tours with SF in Vietnam, '66-67, and most of '68. His second tour, '68, was with MACVsog and overlapped my tour. Below is a picture of the two of us taken in 1968 in Kontum, and another exactly 40 years later. I'm looking for pictures of either of us with our Randalls in Vietnam ... by the way, I do not know many SF from that era who did NOT have a Randall.



But about Randalls. Gene still has his Randall model 14. He is taking pictures to send to me to post... but actually it was his second Randall, therein lies a story.

In April '68 his spike team, Delaware, was lifted out of Laos on strings (ropes). Riding his rope, his belt broke and he almost fell... saved himself but his Randall model 14, carbon blade, teethed, fell 3,000 ft into the jungle.

Upon receiving his letter, Randall immediately rushed him a replacement, I think for free... amazing given the wait time for knives then. For the replacement, he got a Solingen blade, model 14 stainless, without teeth. Why? I now remember the intense discussions we had at the time in SF. The carbon blades would rust in a heartbeat in Vietnam. You could not keep them rust free... no way...

Second, the raw leather sheaths would attract mold in about one week. Mold would propigate visciously. Hence just about all the SF used black shoe polish on their sheaths.

I just about soaked mine (the one stolen from me) in neatsfoot oil until you could almost squeeze drops out of the leather, which turned dark dark almost black-brown and still the mold would try to appear. This is one reason you see so many "black" sheaths on Viet era Randalls. I even almost think that a Viet-era Special Forces Randall that has a sheath that is NOT black polished, was not actually a SF knife, or was not actually used in Vietnam.

I will post my brother's second knife, model 14, Solingen blade, circa 1968, survivor of many SOG missions, here when he sends me pictures. Regards.

Never doubted you. Great pictures. My brother was a draft dodger but I still love him. Actually the draft had ended but I wanted him to go in and grow up some. Do you ride a Motorcycle?
VNV MC
Nomad

Oh yes welcome to the site. I forgot being the skeptic that I am.
Hope you stick around, love to see more of your Randalls and the stories behind them.

Welcome Aboard. Great pictures and thanks for sharing your stories with us.

As promised, here is Gene’s second model 14 Randall, acquired after his first was dropped from a harness into the mountains of Vietnam. If I recall, Randall sent this Solingen blade replacement, for free, immediately, in May, 1968 directly to him in Vietnam. As you can see, it has seen 40+ years of rough service.





This Randall has also seen interesting times in Africa on the Congo River, in Pakistan, in Afghanistan, and lots of places in between. I doubt that very many Randall 14s have trekked through five continents and numerous small and large conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan.

He has several intercontinental-overseas “action” and/or "situational" pictures involving this Randall through the years that I might post later if they seem germane to this subject.

Looks great please more pic's.

Close-up of Gene's Model 14 (below).


Below - Picture of twin-bro with Randall model 14, 1966, near A-233 Ban Don. This would have been the teethed Model 14 that he lost when it fell from a Maguire rig in April ’68. Typical of SF, he had a "D" ring attached to bottom of the sheath



I’ve gotten him interested in documenting his Model 14 from Vietnam to Afghanistan, Might add some additional pictures to this post using "edit" if anyone is interested. If you are interested in Gene's MACVsog tour, here is an account... the reference to losing his Randall is in footnote 8... but a Randll was on all of these missions.

http://macvsog.cc/spike_team_delaware.htm#Spike Team Delaware at FOB 4, Kontum, Apr 68-Nov 68

This picture (below)shows me with my Randall attached upside down to my harness ... rumor-control scuttlebutt had this way of carring it to be easier to access. I learned through experience not to do this. Looking for a better picture with clear shot of knife.

I would love to see more pictures, im sure everyone else would too. As well as many stories as you feel like typing!

I love it! More please! This is the sort of thing hat made me love Randalls to start with.

I too carried my RMK upside-down (on my body armor). I used an elastic band to retain the handle in case it unknowingly became unsnapped in the heat-of-whatever. The possibility of losing it is the only downfall I could think of. It did seem easier to get to that way, at least for me. Whats the weapon in your right hand? More pics, please!

More pics and stories would be great. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent stuff!
Thanks for sharing!
Tony

Sorry, long post: Here are a couple of more shots from twin-bro that feature Randall Model 14. Notes are included integral with photo. RVN north of Ban Don


Apr. 1978 - Gene says he had Randall and 9mm under coat in this picture… which was the day the news arrived of the overthrow of Da'ud in Kabul by the Parcham communists in coup in Afghanistan.


Re Wally - questions about previous pictures: Weapon in my right hand is a military issue 7-round 12 gage pump shotgun. Why? Oh… various reasons… short one-day medical patrol into village, possible shoot bird or rabbit on way, good weapon in bunkered village. Here is another example held by my friend, SSGT Lonnie Holmes, SF A-253 '68, later Dr. Lewis Holmes, UCLA, ('cuse me!).


Notice the important non-issue re-hydration ration on hood of jeep.

I also had an M-1 carbine slung on other shoulder… (note: I was not issued an M-16 until I was transferred to Ben Het about half way through my tour. Even then, I still carried the M-1 carbine on a lot of missions because that is what our strikers were armed with.)

Re: Randall attached to BAR sling upside down. This was scuttlebutt good method of carrying knife. But in Vietnam, the usual heavy undergrowth terrain was a defining factor. Anything on the front of your equipment would hang up in the brush and you would find yourself on your back quickly. (I’ll post a picture later if I can create one).

Plus … if you had to suddenly hit the dirt, anything on front of gear inhibited “low” movement. We rarely carried grenades, etc., attached to the front as the troops in WWII and Korea had done. (see below) We did not hack our way through the forest, but tried to move like smoke… flow around the thick stuff.

Below - Lt. Gene H. Williams, 3/508PIR pathfinder stick commander, Normandy. Typical WWII airborne rig.


Another reason… rumor passed around that some guy had hit the dirt and his knife had been jammed upward, penetrating the sheath and wounding him. I don’t know if it was true … wild stuff like that was often BS’d around … but it was just simpler to carry it on the belt thereafter.

Other things about Randalls at the time. As noted, the so-called carbon-tool blades would accumulate rust daily, sometimes by the hour. More than a few SF troops traded or sold their Randall carbon-tool blades to new guys coming in… and then ordered stainless replacements. The Solingen blades were good, but were very difficult to sharpen to a fine edge because of the hardness. You basically had to choose… edge and rust=lots of work, or edge=lots of work and no rust.

In the debates, some questioned the Randall cold-worked, oil-hardened steel composition (O1-grade? less nickel, tugunsten, more carbon?) at the time because of the rust issue ... but truth is that everything not blued rusted in the field there is always a trade off in material selection. It was just part of life in Vietnam … and owning a Randall was one of the cult-requirements of Special Forces in Vietnam.

Finally, unlike twin-bro, on my last couple of long (1-2 week) missions I left the Randall in my bunker. Why? We were operating in a very steep mountainous AO .. the tallest in Vietnam.. up to 8,000 ft.. Climbing Montagnard-style, straight up, straight down, would just about wear your butt to where you didn’t care if you got shot.

Each mission I lightened the load I was carrying until it was an absolute minimum. In the end, sick with dysentery and physically weaker, I decided if I needed a big heavy knife, I could use one of my striker’s homemade items (see below). I have one of those knifes … I’ll post a picture of it later if anyone is interested. I still carried my beloved Randall on the shorter medical patrols, etc.



Sorry for the length of this post. Some more pictures of Randall-in-use may be forthcoming. By the way... on the stamped id on Gene's Soligen blade knife... I haven't seen that composition very much on the net. Was this the common one for these blades? I think my blade lacked the word "stainless", I just can't remember...


Afghanistan about 2007 - Randall not shown, but other pics with it forthcoming

Again great post Jack.

A few questions:

Why were Randalls a must have for SF in vietnam? Did it help show who was a experienced troop vs someone who just arrived in country?

Also didnt the military still issue the parkerized ka-bar knives? Seems those would have been more rust resist albeit much weaker, were they just not to anyones liking?

Don't worry about the length of your posts ... GREAT READING!
Thanks again for sharing.
Tony

Below is a hand-made Montagnard knife… typical… wooden sheath… compared with Randall 14.





Re: Why did Special Forces have such an institutional requirement for Randalls? No particular reason except that it was a SF cult thing… unrelated to length of service in Vietnam. Anywhere in the world, Randalls and SF went together ... like SF and Rolex, or SF and star safire ring, or SF and green beanie (never worn in field except for photo ops), or SF and a WWII BAR belt for field equipment, or Vn SF and boy-scout scarf (but not earrings, bandanas, do-rags, fringe, LRP-type posturing stuff), etc.

You either had a Randall or you wanted one… no one gave a hoot about other knives. Actually the knives themselves were rarely used for much more than opening rations, etc. BUT… a Randall was something you were just supposed to have….



Re: Ka-bar, issue knives, etc. Honestly, I don’t think I ever saw a knife issued by the US Army. I don’t even think they did it… maybe Marines, or somewhere, or maybe the supply boys in the rear got them, but no one I knew was ever “issued” a knife of any kind. The same goes for M-16 bayonets, etc. Never saw one, never wanted one, didn't know anyone who had one.

Photo art… This is just a nice combo of good stuff.



I tried to create a picture in my backyard showing why I quit carrying knife on front of BAR belt...bad picture... oh well. Keep in mind that the change was environmentally caused... the idea seems to be good in principle. Maybe in more open terrain... Regards...

Oh Lord, that young LT at Normandy looks like he's seen some things he'll never be able to forget. My heart goes out to him. May God bless him.

Please continue posting your photos and stories. We love talking Randall knives here, but your stories and photos are putting these 'collectibles' into their proper historical context. It's much appreciated.

And we thank you for your service!

Thank you Jack for taking the time to post on The Knife Of The Week.

And thank you very much for your service to our country.

Kevin

Jack thanks for taking time to answer my questions. Keep posting pics and info, I'm sure I'm not the only one thats checking this thread for new pics/posts from you!

Thanks... check the name of that Lt.

He was KIA on 20 June 1944 during 3/508 PIR (82nd Abn) attack on the town of Pretot. He commanded "chalk 18" pathfinder stick during D-Day jump. Word that he had twin sons born 2 days after D-Day reached his battalion 6 hrs after he was KIA. Ironic... iconic. Quite a few pictures and his story in general are on the net various places. Regards...

This is great stuff. I have a Randall and a Rolex. But I certainly wasn't special forces. So what is the deal with the ring? Thanks for all these photo's and stories.

Twin-bro just sent me a msg. I can't repeat Afghan portion, but here are a couple of story lines:

"-- Second, check out the "sheen" on the back side of my sheath. Any knife, just like a carpet, which has actually been worn in the field will have that sheen."

"-- Third, a story from a mission 30 km north of Ban Don on the Dar Lac Plateau...high and flat and lightly wooded, you walked it in a day. A 'yard asked if he could borrow my Randall. I gave it to him. He cut a rope and looked at me as if he couldn't believe how easy it was.

"Next thing I knew he was hacking up bamboo on a stone for some reason, leaving dents in the edge. I was horrified. We were setting up an ambush on a high speed trail, rain was misting down, and here was my Randall with dents!

"He saw my expression, took the knife and hand ground it on a stone..just an ordinary stone, till the dents were gone...edge was gone too..but who cared in the end after the ambush and firefight that night which brought a spooky over us; claymores going off, 60mm mortars, and the burp and long red fingers of the spooky (puff the magic dragon) reaching down like the hand of god."

Gene Williams, 23 Aug 2010

Thanks for the photos and stories Jack. This is Randall history. And thank you for your service.

No new pictures.. yet. But with the internet I checked on something. We were all amatuer metalurgists 40 years ago and the composition of the steel in model 14 and the affinity to rust, was hotly debated. Here is one source and what I found out... I'll be darned.. all that years ago had a modicum of truth..

http://ajh-knives.com/metals.html

"O-1 and O-2 are the most widely used general purpose oil hardening tool and die steels. They are used where it is desirable to maintain minimum distortion and dimensional change, and at the same time have a good combination of hardness and toughness. Machining characteristics of these grades are very good. O-1 steel is very popoular with forgers as it is easy to work with, and relatively cheap to buy. It takes and holds an edge superbly, and is very tough, but rusts easily. Used by Randall Knives."
Typical Analysis

O-1 Carbon 0.90 Manganese 1.20 Chromium 0.50 Tungsten 0.50 Vanadium 0.20

The question about kit model 14s jogged a memory. I found this sold on e-bay a few years ago. Strange...




"You are bidding on an uncommon kit knife. Randall Models 14 and 15 (Solingen blades only) were available in kit form was Models 16, 17, and 18 were not. Kit knives could be purchased in the 1960s and 1970s but starting in early 1971 kit blades no longer carried the Randall trademark."

See:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pmimages.worthpoint.com/thumbnails2/1/0907/03/1_416b7e8bcd0cc9b2e872593ba1dcee37.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vietnam-era-randall-model-14-kit-knife&usg=__XAOwFKPIhaH_yxaeVdgvMV1vHcI=&h=150&w=150&sz=5&hl=en&start=39&zoom=0&itbs=1&tbnid=K9LelQsYBwX4WM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRandall%2Bmodel%2B14%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1

I borrowed a lot of these pictures from the on-line posting of John Gibson’s collection:

http://www.militaryfightingknives.com/collection.html

But I have a question…. Why is there such a variance in the number of teeth in the saw-tooth model 14s?
They range from 16 teeth to 30 something.

18 teeth

19 teeth

19 teeth

26 teeth

30+ teeth

17 teeth

Tooth size and count varied on the amount of wear on the grinding wheel and the individual doing the grinding.

Hsndmade......

Mitchell is partially correct. At one time, you could order (specify might be more accurate) fine teeth, resulting in a higher number per inch. It seems you find finer teeth predominately in earlier pieces.

As I understand it, the same fella has been grinding teeth now for approximately 35 years or so.

Yes, I heard he was almost an expert at it by now. 5 more years and he will be able to do it in his sleep.

PS please disregard all post made by me today. I haven't taken my meds yet. Oh yea I did take them must not of kicked in yet. Shit I'm going back to the 7th floor at the VA. Lock down crazy people ward.

Pre-Owned but in very great shape and well-cared for.
Needed a Gutcher Sheath since the original Randall didn't come with it.
Wonder how old it is?

A real beauty, and a nice picture and background. I like the hilt ... different and striking combo.

This saw-tooth M14 is my favorite RMK of all. I have one and I carried a solingen facimile in Vietnam. I cannot date yours because I lack experience ... but I think this basic model has been unchanged since the early '70s. Original sheath and stone would have helped date it. Perhaps there are some features that the more expert RMK club memebers can identify.

This is an Orlando stainless blade which raises a question that I've wondered about for 40 years, re: Randall Orlando stainless vs. Randall Solingen stainless.

The Randall Solingen stainless blades of the Viet era were notoriously hard to put an edge on. The soft stone included with the sheath would just not make a mark on the hard stainless steel. We therefore used a variety of local means to sharpen a Solingen stainless blade, usually scratching it up pretty good in the process.

Are the Orlando-stainless blades "softer" and easier to edge? Or are they, too, a hard steel needing special techniques to edge?

Alot of things can make a knife easier to sharpen. Somethings like chromium (needed for rust resistance) and nickel make them harder to sharpen. Randalls stainless is pretty easy to sharpen but not as easy as 01 tool steel. I would guess the german blades were just not of very high quality and had a low carbon content.

I have done a few rust resistance tests on randalls and the current stainless is very rust resistant. Its one of the few steels I cannot get to rust. The 01 however you can watch rust if you put some sweat on the blade.

Kind words appreciated.
I've tried polishing out some earlier scratches, it polishes well, but the scratches remain. I suspect this is a very hard steel that once sharpened, keeps its' edge. I have not tried putting a stone to it yet, and honestly will be very reluctant to do much more edge work to prevent newbie mistakes.
If I were very anal, I'd look into sending it back to be polished, re-edged if Randall offers that service.
But I also know to leave well-enough alone and enjoy its' "personality".

Is that a chip on the rear edge of the blade?

I don't know what is is, I think it's a sharpening error that has resulted in rounding of the blade edge. It's too clean and formed to be a break, imho. Unless it was a chip that someone tried to round out.
I try not to notice it...and like to believe it left the shop like that.
But I know it probably didn't!

New 14! I think I am in love...