Two of the questions in the back of my mind when attempting to date this particular diver:

1. When did RMK start manufacturing "choiled" divers? (this particular tenite diver has no choil - the diver in the catalog above seems to have one)

2. Sheath specs. Specifically, when were the over the guard keeper straps introduced on the sheaths? (vs. the earliest pancake types like this one that only had the rawhide lanyards to hold the handle) Also, how early were the sheaths manufactured with drain holes? (this particular sheath has no drain hole)

If 01 vs SS blades on these models are externally identical, perhaps we can look to the choil/no choil construction and sheath specs to more accurately date the package.

ps. let's see some more diver's!!!

Thanks, Tom and Sheldon.
Shel, it sure looks like you're the "keeper of the records" when it comes to RMK.
-Steve

What? Only one pancake? What kind of place are you running here? I'd like to speak to the manager, please.

Ha, you guys are waaay too kind

Seriously though; I'm just an enthusiast like you guys (well, maybe not as much as Steve)...with both feet planted firmly on the ground (Edna would likely say 'in cheek')...

Miles, the #16 BG shows on page 162 of 'Randall Made Knives: The History of the Man and the Blades' is said to have been the fourth Diver (a Tenite) made...it has a choil.

The Tenite diver used on the cover of our 3rd edition Randall Timeline has a choil; all the Tenite's handled Model #16's that I've seen in person or in books or websites have choils; all the catalog photos of Tenite #16's had choils (prolly the same photo, reused)...yours, and Bart's, shown on page 61 of our book are the only two I've seen without choils...

Yet, I'm a firm believer that when 'one Randall knife configuration is seen' there's usually more....when 'two are seen' there's just gotta be more. Not many Tenite diver's out there, and certainly fewer without choils, but there are a few anyway...

At to the keeper strap dealie; I think that was a Maurice Johnson idea in '61-'62...could be wrong of course about that, but the keeper strap 'was' being used by Johnson, by '63 for sure...

I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to post and comment on this week's model.
Kevin

We would like to thank you for opening up the Knife Of The Week thread!

Thanks Kevin.

I guess... "used to" be mine.

Enjoy!

Two Special Fighters and a Diver.



Another Diver and dive buddy.

David,

Thank you for the great pictures. I went to your site and it is beautifully presented.

My compliments. You look like I imagined Dirk Pitt looking.

It that a Sea Dweller or Submariner in the lower picture? The watch band is novel for that watch.

Being the 'always have backup' person when my wife presented me with the Sea Dweller in 1980 I ordered an extra bracelet for it as I ran across a person who had wrecked his watch band on a hard dive & it took Shreve's 2 months to obtain another. It also took them 2 months to get me the backup. I still have it in original case. My original band has survived all my predation.

Best wishes and safe diving.