Although I appreciate the wonderful studio shots on this forum, the thing I enjoy most is reading about the historic RMK's. (I especially liked the threads showing the detailed usage in Vietnam that I read through recently) I thought an interesting thread would be one that detailed various RMK on display in different museums or collections that had been used. I realize the shop in Orlando has a bunch, but what about some others?


Here's one:

Virgil "Gus" Grissom was the first NASA astronaut to go into space twice. He was eventually killed in a training accident in 1967. But, during another training in 1961, his Mercury Project "Liberty Bell 7" splashed down in the ocean and sunk. It was recovered in 1999. After almost 40 years on the ocean bottom (around 15,000 feet deep), his Model 17 was pulled out of the Liberty Bell capsule. It is now on display at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana.

Here's a pic (after a throrough cleaning, it is reported):

Very impressive!
Thanks for sharing!

I knew they had recovered Grissom's 17 but had no idea where it went. I wonder how it ended up in Indiana. Was Grissom from Indiana? The sheath is interesting since it was not with the knife when it was recovered. However it does appear to be a vintage Brown Button JRB Sheath with a lift-the-dot fastener on the keeper strap.
Hemingway you remind me of....me over 30 years ago when I was a student in college and first became interested in Randall Knives. It was the history....especially the military history that drove me to em.
Enjoy your new passion...it will be filled with incredible ups (when you find a nice old Randall) and incredible downs (when someone says your knife isn't what it is, or calls you a liar, or calls you stupid) but keep going forward. Let friends and others know your interest in Randalls and someone might tell you...Billy Bob Jones has one of those! Then you can go after it. The excitement of finding an old Randall...hidden away for 30, 40, or more years ago, is very exhilarating. I hope you find many old Randalls along the way.
Good luck

Yes, he's from Mitchell, Indiana.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Grissom


How do you know the sheath wasn't found with the knife? Because the condition is too good for having been in the water that long? Or for some other reason? I'm just curious.

I may remind you of you in college but I'm a bit older than that -I put that phase of my life astern about 16 years ago

Hemingway the college deal refers to the fact that you are new to Randalls. Not so young that you are still in school. I didn't mean that....just I was very in to the history of Randall's when I first learned about them.
As for the sheath I don't believe the knives were delivered to NASA with sheaths. The knives were attached to a survival kit and had their own pocket. The handle had a strap around it that had a snap on it and the snap attached to the pocket of the survival kit securing the knife.

No worries, I wish I was that young again! With the knowledge I've got now, of course.

Interesting info on the survival knives/kit. I've never seen a picture of one of those set-ups.

There may be some posts here that refer to the survival kit and may have some photos. I don't remember but I guess you can do a search and maybe you will find some info.

Ernest,

The last time I was at SMSP and the Grissom Museum was 2008 and the knife was not there. Do you know when it was put on display? I am very familiar with the story and recovery of Grissom's knife, but figured it would go to a larger, more famous museum. That is so cool that it ended up back home in Indiana!!

Although the knife was on the outside of the survival kit we do not know if the sheath could have been packed inside for later use. With the kit being waterproof it could be the original sheath in that good of condition. One of our members here knows a Mercury Astronaut, he might have some information on this. Just my thoughts. oldguy

One of the kits is pictured in Gaddis showing the knives were mounted on the outside. IIRC Gaddis states the Mercury knives were shipped sans sheaths.


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