Knife of the Week Crider Special!!!!!
I have written Mr. Crider several times to try to get the story about his special first hand only to find out the he has moved and has a different address. I will find his new Phone number on Monday and hopefully update this thread with the story of how the Crider special came to be directly from Mr. Crider. This is from the Randall dealer knives by Kent Harrison this is from the June 1995 RKS news letter #27. JACK CRIDER SPECIAL
The "Jack Crider Special," sometimes called the "Poor Man's Fighter," has at least one major distinction from the other Dealer Special knives. It is not a special blade forging as are the other specials. The blade starts out as a Model #10 Salt Fisherman knife, which in itself is one of the few Randalls not hammer forged. They are stock removal knives and all are made from stainless steel. The #10 is a full tang blade of 1/8" stock either 5" or 7" in length. The slab handles are available in micarta or wood. In its standard form the #10 is most often called a filet or bait knife. But with just a few simple modifications, it becomes a sleek fighter of sorts. And, as an aside, I think this knife clearly illustrates one of the things I find interesting about knives. Just a little bevel here and a little grind there can completely change the character of a knife! From experience, I know that it is impossible to successfully describe the appearance of a "Crider Special" while the person is looking at the catalog photo of the #10 SALT FISHERMAN knife. The two knives don't even throw the same shadow!
The #10 receives a top grind, which gives it a spear point. When I spoke with Pete Hamilton, shop foreman at Randall Made Knives, he called it a #10 with a #18 grind. Thumb notches are cut top and bottom on the blade, immediately in front of the handles. The slab handles are nicely rounded and receive a finger cutout on top and bottom. There is no guard or hilt of any kind on this design. A wrist thong is standard and a row of small sawteeth along the top edge is optional. The knife comes in a leather sheath constructed much like the older Model C sheaths. Above the Randall logo, stamped into the sheath, is a small banner, which contains the legend "Jack Crider Special".
Jack related that actually the Crider Special has progressed through five generations of development. It first appeared as simply a #10 with a top bevel grind. Later, the knives appeared with top and bottom finger notches on the handles. Thumb notches on the blade and a wrist thong hole appeared next, followed by smoothly rounded handles. Finally, sawteeth were made available as an option. What's next? Who knows? There's still room on this sleek little knife for future developments. As of June, 1995, 600 Crider Specials have been made.
Since being introduced in 1983, these specials are probably the most widely seen due to both the number of years they have been available, and also to the fact that they are priced at the lower end of the range for Randall knives, hence the nickname, "POOR MAN'S FIGHTER". However, many of the Criders I've sold actually get used simply because they are a handy little knife. That is the highest compliment you can heap upon a knife!
Ladies and Gentlemen: can we please see those Crider Specials!
_________________________
Jesse Egnew
RKS# 5614
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