This RKS newsletter article is from the June 1995 RKS newsletter #27. If you are lucky enough to buy one of these from Wayne Buxton the base price is $472.00 for the year 2009.

BUXTON FIGHTER RANDALL DEALER SPECIAL BY KENT HARRISON

These are the knives which are currently offered as DEALER SPECIALS, except one. You will be quick to notice that not all Randall dealers have a special. This leaves us something to look forward to in the future. As projects are completed at the shop, new designs crop up from time to time. Occasionally one of these new projects will evolve into a new dealer special. A perfect example of this is the Buxton Fighter, the most recently released model from the Randall Shop.

The model #14 Attack has become a mainstay in the Randall lineup. The 7-1/2" full tang knife was designed with military usage in mind from the start. After the design was submitted to the military boards, the Air Force requested the same knife, only with a 5-1/2" blade. Although neither knife was adopted as a military issue knife, they both have become enormously popular styles. In years past, when time allowed, a few of these #14 and #15 blades were made in the 6.5" length. When the time came to provide Wayne Buxton, Texas Randall dealer for 20 years, a special, this is the blade that was suggested.

In 1954 when the Model 14 Attack knife was designed and produced, it contained a novel design feature. The full tang extended through the handle and protruded about 1" past the end of the knife. The end was radiused and drilled with a hole for the wrist thong. This feature was intended to allow a pilot to smash his way through a plexiglass canopy. Or it could be used as a "skull crusher" in hand to hand combat. After several years, this feature was dropped, leaving the tang flush with the end of the handle and the thong hole drilled in the micarta handle. This idea has reappeared on the "Buxton Fighter". Another idea used from the Randall bag of options is a "bowie grind" on the clip point of the blade. The top grind on the end of the blade is deeper, giving it the appearance of a Bowie style blade. The actual measured difference between the standard point and the bowie clip point would be very small, but the eye picks up on these small variances and they directly contribute to the appearance of the knife.

So what we have is a special blade forging of a full tang, 6-1/2" #14 blade with bowie clip point and exposed tang extension. The blades will be stainless steel, the hilts will be nickel silver #1 shaped, and the handles will be black micarta Border Patrol. All blades are serial numbered following the initials BF on the opposite side of the blade from the trademark. Sheaths are the standard c-style initialed under the Randall logo with the letters "BS".



This knife isn't going to be remembered as a graceful or beautiful knife. When you hold it in your hands, it doesn't make you yearn for the mountains or head for your fishing pole. This is a warriors' knife. This knife wants to be tied to combat suspenders! It's looking for its place in a high tech Attack Helicopter. At a time when many in this world shim the fact that wars are fought and won with hand held weapons, here's a knife that says "Take me along, you'll need me"!

The knife marked PROTO #1 was retained by Gary for the shop museum. Wayne reserved PROTO #2 and #1 thin 410 for his children and personal use. The first knives to be sold to the public were delivered during the second week of February 1994.

Hey Rhett,

It is definitely a warrior knife. But a Buxton Fighter is at home on my oldest son's hip, when we are in the Northern bush stalking bears. He pairs his up with a #7 4 1/2 stag. The two make a great combo for the Northern bush.

Cheers,

Alan Grombacher
RKS#5531

Thank you for this topic. Here are pictures of my Buxton 181.

Back Side

Hi
I just received this Buxton Fighter on Friday. I am slowly adding to my collection of dealer specials. I didn't have anything in green micarta previously, so here it is.

Peter

A little over a year ago when I ordered the green tenite colored G-10 and jade G-10 gripped knives Mr. Buxton indicated that he no longer accepted customer grip material (CW). Due to the relationship with a mutual friend he relented (one last time).

A beautiful set of Triplets!
Congrats!
Tony

Those are 4 serious looking blades.

Dubie Baxter

Here are a couple more views of my Buxton Fighter (#735) with Black Micarta handle:

I recently call Mr. Buxton to try to get an ironwood Buxton fighter, but no dice. He mentioned that someone had ordered a NS forward curved hilt, model #14 fingergrip in green micarta wood,(872) but wouldn't return his messages when it came in. His loss, my gain. It has very nice deep finger grooves.
I have also include a photo with my other Buxton Fighter (793)

Peter