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The little Trout and Bird Knife, with its 3 3/4- to 4-inch blade length and sharp top cutting edge, was the inspiration of Litch Steinman. The germ for the idea can be traced back to his days in fishing camps in the woods of northern Michigan and Canada, during the mid-1930s, many of which he shared with his good friend Bo Randall. The Randall and Steinman families were longtime friends, and Bo and Litch spent many, many days together fishing small trout streams or hunting grouse with their dogs. It isn't at all surprising that a special knife just for trout and bird cleaning was developed by these two sportsmen.

...[After one such trip in 1946] When the Randall family returned to Orlando late that August, Bo got to work on a knife to answer Litch's design requirements. The 4-inch blade was given a nice curved cutting edge, like the front portion of a Hunter, and the top edge was sharpened more than 2 inches back from the tip. A small version of the Carving Knife hilt was fitted ahead of a stag handle, without butt cap, and the butt was rounded off similar to the Carver. Naturally there was a generous cutout ahead of the hilt for one's index finger or the bail of a tea kettle. This prototype was noted in the journal books on 1 September 1946 as '#8--Super Trout.'

...This little knife turned out so well that Bo decided to make it part of the Randall line. ...The Randall catalog was only a year old and didn't need revising for just this one new knife. Thus the Trout and Bird Knife [as it was now called] was introduced to the nine most important dealers by sending a complimentary knife to a key contact at each store.

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Model 8 "Trout and Bird Knife" -- 4" blade of 3/16" stock. Top cutting edge sharpened approximately 2 inches. 4 3/8" - 5/8" stag handle. Brass hilt. Especially suited for small fish and feathered game. Historical note: Francis G. Powers, U-2 pilot was carrying a Model 8 when he was shot down over Russia in May, 1960.

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My favorite Model 8 that I bought in Colorado about twenty years ago. I was told it was made in 1947.

Regards,

Rhett

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