Digi-shots,

Purely a guess, but I would say no more that 10% of military models.

The 14, 15 , 18 and model #1 were much more prevalent.

I use those dates because Nov. 1965 was the first major engagement. The peace agreement was signed in Jan. 1973 and 2 months later the last of the U.S. Combat Troops left in March of 1973.

Maybe, but my service file contains a letter from my commandig officer stating, "You have served ... [in] the Vietnam Hostile Fire Zone. The inclusive dates ... were July 1964 to February 1965 and March 1966 to August 1966."
(The letter was the basis for getting combat pay for those periods.)

Thanks for all the replies!

I thought the production numbers might be in line with those of WWIi... 10% or so.

I don't think the no. 2 is as popular as some of the others... others being more of an all purpose or fighting knife.

I recently got a number 2, probably made in the mid to late 1960's (based on my limited knowledge). I'll see if I can't take some pics and get them posted.

If you read Gaddis, he gives some good insight into the quantity of models ordered. In 1967 it was model 14 at 70 per month and models 1,18, and 15 around 35 to 55 each. By 1968 the 14 and 18 were both ordered at a rate of 30 to 60 per month. Models 1, 2 and 15 followed with monthly requests in the 15 to 30 range.

Obviously it varied but I think the point he was making was the shift away from "traditional" models i.e. 1 and 2 to the full tang variety as the war progressed.

Thanks, Crutchtip!

Here's a pic of the knife... Model No. 2 with 7" blade, 5 spacers and a Johnson rough back scabbard.

Here's a couple of close ups.... hopefully, the pics will help narrow down a date of manufacture.

Edit:

From reading some forum postings, it looks like the stamp is what's called "type 3" (O in Orlando is directly beneath the R in Randall; and the F is just midway beneath the M in Made). Likely dated after early 1966.

Crutchtip, can you make a guesstimate as to when my no. 2 might have been made based on stamping, color spacers and stone? All three were purchased together.

thanks!

Joe can verify, but the window is 1966-1971-ish.

One thing you have to consider when using the blade stamp to date a knife. While we can ascertain to a relatively high degree a timeline when the blade was made, there is still the Randall caveat that always has to be taken into consideration when dating RMK's.

Randall often used more that one stamp at a time, so to definitively say a knife was made prior to this date because of this stamp will not necessarily be true 100% of the time. That is a simple fact.

Also, RMK would send a worn stamp out to be re-cut, to again see use in the forge room. That is also a simple fact. So, a stamp that was used on knives we may think from an earlier time frame could also be used on knives from a later time frame.

This can cause problems using the blade stamp as the final word when used solely as the determining factor. That is the reason why it is important to consider several things when attempting to date a knife.