Thanks Tom,....I was out in the woods today for a few hours,....the weather was full sun and 67 degrees, and little wind! After several days of rain and cool weather (low 40's and WINDY!), today was a day just begging to get out.

I cleared a spot for a small fire, opened a can of Bush's baked beans w/onions and placed it on some coals and small flames. Something about a campfire and the wonderful smoke smell that gets the appetite up. Next time a can of beef stew and a beer maybe!

cheers,
Joe T

If you don't practice occasionally you can mess up even a can of beans. My son had a couple of buddies go camping on the Ft Custer Recreation Area. http://www.mappery.com/Fort-Custer-State-Park-Michigan-Site-Map

"Backpack and Beans College Guys" who are some of his flying students.

He goes to see how they are doing and has to loan them his P-38 (as they left the can opener at home). A P-38 is not as nice as the can opener you posted about but it works every time.

Tom V.

I think a lot of input into the early books came from Colonel Whelen. He designed a very nice tent. He also preferred a small knife to a larger one.

https://www.frostriver.com/shop/whelen-lean-to-tent/

Yep,...practice makes perfect,....er,...well,...more like "adequate",.....but always strive for that elusive perfection!

OK,...I decided to post just one more detailed customization of a recently acquired Vietnam era Randall Model 20. I'd been watching it on ebay for over 6 weeks priced at $500.00, but finally decided to buy it when the seller lowered the price to $425.00 shipped Priority Mail. (and even then it took me a few weeks to decide)

I hope folks will view this customization with an open mind. (to a drop point with full length blade edge with the choil removed). For reference I think this is an excellent model to work with,....especially if you can find a rather worn example like this.

This one has seen a lot of carry and use time, and I bought it specifically for a conversion because the finger choil area was now so shallow. I also liked the carbon steel blade, and the ease of sharpening. (not to mention reshaping and hand sanding!)

This is how it arrived to me a few days ago:



As you can see,....the knife's edge has been sharpened extensively, and there wasn't much of the finger choil remaining. (although I suspect some of these older knives just had shallower choils?)

I also like the "Randall Made " stamp being straight on these old knives,......made this conversion easier I think too as the grinds were a bit simpler back then.......




Compared to what a new Model 20 generally looks like,....with a much deeper finger choil and angled stamp....




There were also some nasty digs into the aluminum pommel I would address later.......



Ok, I cut off the lower edge even with the lowest part of the finger choil, and removed the up swept blade tip into a slightly dropped point. I didn't want to lose any more blade length, so didn't drop the point any more. Dropping the point also reduced the large "belly", as it can cause the blade to slip off of wood cuts at the end of a cut. This was a skinner model with the large belly a usually preferred feature for skinning large game. For working wood it has much better suited geometry now.

This is how I marked what was coming off,...simple magic marker:



....and this is what I had to work with,....a hair over 4-1/8 inches:



I also thinned the blade and re-tapered toward the tip as well as added some tapering toward the main edge,....necessary since I had removed the thinnest part of the blade and it was way too thick now.

Thinning the blade width also allowed me to hand sand in a 90 degree totally flat spine edge, which will allow easy bark scraping for making kindling, as well as striking a fire steel.

I also found the sharp edges of the "flat" style hilt a bit uncomfortable when gripping up as far as the finger guard would allow, and I later rounded it off and lowered the height almost flush to the spacers. On a tight grip up against the guard, my hand is "happy" and super comfortable.



Here are some pics with the completed knife, with the hilt rounded and the pommel smoothed up a bit also:



Sort of a saber grind now,.....and I left the upper sections near the spine dead flat to make for a sharp 90 degree spine edge. This works great for scraping tasks like making fine bark tinder, or striking a fire steel.



Lots of hand sanding with 220 grip, then 400, then 1500 gets very near a full mirror finish. This was plenty, as it's a user.



The spine is now tapered more than original, but still left thicker than most bushcraft style knives. I'll work with it awhile before I go any further, as I found it cuts really well considering I put a beefier 25 degree edge on it. 20 degrees is best for flesh cutting, but 25 degree edge should protect the edge better working on wood.



This was the critical area I reworked with a flexible shaft machine to get "close", and then a lot of time hand sanding to get it edge ready. This put back another 5/8 inch or so of useable edge, more than making up for the 1/4" I lost by dropping the point. The area gained in close to the hilt is an important one, with the highest leverage for tough cutting tasks, .....like dropping a good sized sapling!





.....after the rounding:



I smoothed up the worst offending digs into the pommel, and rounded off the sharp outer edge a bit since some of the deeper dings were in that area. I wasn't looking to get it like new, as I will be using it anyway. But much better now:







The old Model 20 sheath was a bit loose even before the work I did, but found the knife, (with the thinner sides much like a Model 26 Pathfinder),......now fits great into one of the Sullivan (Randall marked) "High Ride" sheaths I had made up for several of my Model 26 knives a few months ago:





Anyway,.....after 2 days, maybe 15 hours of mostly hand sanding,.....I'm very pleased the way this worked out. The 01 tool steel carbon blade takes a great edge. And I found the carbon blade was much easier than stainless when it comes to hours of hand sanding. :-)

All initial work was done with a flexible shaft machine (mine is made by "Foredom", a jewelers grade tool),.... using a thin "cut off" disc. Next was shaping the sides and choil area to a thickness that would take a new edge, using 1/2" and 1/4" rubber backed drum sanders. (60 and 120 grit covers used).

Once I got close the really slow hand sanding against a machinists steel block took the most time, starting with 220 grit, then 400, and finally 1500. I usually have some 800 grit on hand but had run out or I would have used that between the 400 and 1500 to save time.

Oh,...the blade length ended up at 3-7/8". The only other thing I may do is add a thong hole, so that I can thread a colorful paracord through. If put down in the woods,....that will make the knife much easier to locate.

Nicely done, Joe. I admire your skill and this one turned out very well.

- - -Buckspen

The knife you purchased was in rough shape and probably would not have sold to any "collector". A kid would not have the money to buy the knife so it would have set on the sellers shelf or in the seller's fishing box/tool box for a few more years.

This way a Randall knife was put into service again (with personal modifications) as a "user" which Bo intended all of his knives to be at one time, I believe.

Great Job, Joe. Every knife you customize, your efforts will get better and better.

Tom V.

Thanks Tom,....but I think I'm done for awhile!

Part of the reason I waited a few weeks after getting a price reduction offer to $425 WAS because I still felt it was a bit high. (I initially offered $365.00 including shipping). As you,....I didn't think collectors would be interested in it in that condition, as it was WELL used. And I thought the blade edge had been brought up quite a bit also so it really wasn't a model 20 anymore either. It arrived "butter knife" dull, by the way.

Anyway,.....I let a month go by and again contacted the owner with a little higher offer of $400.00, put he passed again. Two weeks later I decided that for $25 difference I wouldn't let it go after all.

This is still higher than a NEW one runs ($370.00 as I recall), but it wouldn't have the straight Randall Made stamp, even "if" I requested it.

I'm glad I bought it after all, as it now has some features that are important for my intended use. Someday I'll pass it on to my son, who I hope will appreciate it for the part that "dad" incorporated in it's present state. For sure he will get a funny look when some look it over!

The handle is still tight and solid, but I will give it a little protection with some Brooks "Proofide" that I use on my leather bicycle saddles. I ran out awhile back, but will order some more. It mainly adds some essential oils back to the leather, but dries to the touch. Whatever isn't absorbed is wiped away.


A few more pics,...since only 20 were allowed in the initial post before they converted to "linked" only format. The old sheath is weathered but still serviceable, and shows the knife was once, of course,... very sharp. (unlike how it arrived to me) Check out the slice in the sheath to the right of the dog tag chain. An "oops" quite common when not paying attention while putting a very sharp blade to bed!



These next 3 pictures show the blade's "texture" after "flex-shaft" drum sanding to contour and thin down the sides a little,....but before all the hours of hand sanding to truly flatten the sides. You have to keep light pressure on the hand piece,.....AND keep it constantly moving to avoid putting "dips" into the metal with the small diameter drums (1/2" and 1/4"). Lots of trips of the blade only into water to keep it cool too.

Someday I may even build up a belt sander once I find a good (sealed) grinding motor, (a "Wayne Goddard" model )......which would have saved hours of time, but not had as much of "me" in the project.

I also later removed the small center "hump" and dropped the tip just a hair more than what is shown here. The tip would sometimes catch on the leather welt ("thread saver") section when sheathing the knife before the change.







It takes a LOT of hand sanding on a steel block to get from there to this....





Lots of practice working with the flexible shaft hand piece is all, .....and everyone has that priceless ingredient,...."Elbow Grease" .

Looks great, Joe. Well done!

Geeze,...I can't believe I forgot to mention that this older Model 20 Yukon Skinner was ONLY 3/16" at the widest part in front of the hilt before I started any work. Not sure if behind the hilt and into the handle is thicker?

New Model 20's are listed as coming in 1/4" thick stock, so a conversion like this will be more difficult if that thickness starts in front of the hilt, especially of you want to retain most of the Randall stamp AND get a usable grind to edge transition,.... and remove the lower part of the blade's edge to eliminate the choil.

I suspect mine is 3/16" stock even into the handle though, and a much better choice in my view anyway. ( although I could live with even thinner as you all probably know by now )

If anybody has a later vintage Model 20 and can take a measurement of the thickness in front of the hilt, that might help steer someone wishing to do a similar project in the right direction.

The Randall catalog mentions this model was designed by Ward Gay ("famous Alaskan Bush Pilot"), and I have to assume that 3/16" stock was part of that original design (at least in front of the hilt). Not sure why a "skinning" model was later seen needing an uptick in blade thickness in later years? The blade's too short to stand a chance if called upon to stick a LIVE Grizzly anyway! Ummmm????

Also,...just putting this out there as I have no interest in it personally. There is currently another older Model 20 on ebay, although it seems high priced to me as a buy it now at $675.00 with shipping.

.....but maybe the seller would be open to lower offers in the $425 to $475 range???

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221417685896?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

cheers,
Joe T

Joe,

The shop starts with 1/4" bar stock to begin the forging process. The final thickness will be thinner and will vary depending on the forging.

So maybe even the modern Model 20's start forward of the hilt at about 3/16" thickness then???

Anyone have a newer Model 20 nearby to measure?

The main reason I'm thinking these older Model 20's were 3/16" thick stock is because it looks identical to my newer Model 26 Pathfinders where the blade exits the front of the hilts. No "hint" it started life as 1/4" stock......

Also,....no matter what the thickness, I think the older style "straight" Randall Made stamping is more appealing if you're taking the original grind lines down.