I like your Model 5 and the high rise sheath, looks super.

Pap

The hiride sheath is from last summer, Danny made it and it really helps when doing tractor time.

I got an interesting knife in the recent Rock Island auction. It was desribed as a #5 with six inch blade. However, the photo showed a "dip" in the blade just in front of the hilt with thumb notches. I thought maybe it was a #1. I got the knife last week and the thumb notches on the blade look odd. There are three photos attached. One shows the knife and sheath, one photo is a comparison of the new knife (on the right) and a correct #5 and the third shows the new knife with "dip" and thumb notches up close. It looks to me like a previous owner might have ground the "dip" and added the thumb notches. What do you think?
- Buckspen

A bit curious, but I wonder:

1. Is the clip sharpened?
2. How is the sheath marked (I think it looks like a Johnson sheath--not to start a long exchange on this, but maybe it is marked with the nominal model number?).

We know you can order a Model 1 with a single hilt.

What we don't know is whether the shop might have installed the Notches into the "dip" on a Model 1?

Larry

Buckspen
To my eyes, it looks like the top of the notch was ground down. They appear flatter on top.

You can order (and I "have") a Model #1, single hilt and thumb notches. You can also order a #5 with the top bevel sharpened. Being as both models have used a "shared sheath", for years, none of this may help determine what this knife was originaly. My gut would lend me to believe it was all shop-made though.
Hope this helps, Capt. Chris

Capt Chris
Could the notch also be requested flattened like the one on the right demonstrates?
Thanks

Thanks for your comments, gents. For whatever it's worth, the clip is not sharpened. The sheath is a Johnson rough back, tight stitched and, in addition to the Randall stamp, is only marked "6" on the back. I guess I'll call it a #5 for now.
By the way, the knife is named to "Bill Redburn". Rick Bowles told me he did this special for Mr. Redburn which is why the scrim is not numbered. He also said he thinks it was done about 1978-79.

- - - - Buckspen

I would guess a model #1, requested no top bevel sharpened...perhaps by local or state restrictions...but who knows? You cannot request the #1 top on a #5. Of course, ordering a #1 with this setup would be the same thing anyway.
Best, Capt. Chris

You might want to see if you can get Rick to give you something in writing on that.
I have only seen 1 other Bowles scrim on a Randall that wasn't numbered & the man who bought it from me had Rick add a number.
Just a thought.