My new Model 17. It has a nickel silver hilt with a carbon blade. Riveted Johnson Sheath. Interestingly the original owner not only had their name etched but also had the exact time and date Neil Armstrong first stepped on the Moon. Question, does anyone know when the RMK shop stop using stainless hilts and started using nickel silver on the Astro?
I'm guessing this knife was made around 1975?
Hi,
How come??? I thought that the Randall Astro blade was only available in stainless steel. (Beautiful knife by the way)
Tune, Not sure why it has a nickel silver hilt. I know a magnet will not stick to it but does stick to the exposed tang of the handle. So the hilt can't be steel. Just wondered when the shop offered these in Nickel Silver hilts?
Stratos, I am told RMK made some Carbon Blade Model 17's in the 60's and 70's. Thanks for the kind words, I most like that it has a Model 15 like blade shape. I wondered if Jeoffrey E. Wynne worked for NASA at one time.
There were a few 17's made with NS hilts, but yours is unlikely one of them. The hilt on your knife is too tall for NS and is typical for one made of stainless steel. Some very early 17's had even taller hilts than your knife has., as shown below.
Thanks, Joe, All the Stainless steel I have sticks to a magnet, whatever stainless steel they used on this knife's hilt does not, another first for me. I love learning about these, thanks again.
Stratos, I am told RMK made some Carbon Blade Model 17's in the 60's and 70's. Thanks for the kind words, I most like that it has a Model 15 like blade shape. I wondered if Jeoffrey E. Wynne worked for NASA at one time.
Thanks for the info. Each days I learn something in this forum. I adore
Maybe somebody will chime in and remind us which stainless steel is used for the hilt on the Model 17.
Larry
Not sure which stainless steel is used on the 17 hilt, but 400 series stainless steel is magnetic and 300 series stainless steel is non-magnetic. Many custom knifemakers use 303 stainless for fittings.