Keith,

I see Jon has already helped you out on Capstick's Randall knife, but if you're a Capstick fan and like knives, he also carried a Damascus USA knife made by Rob Charlton and designed by D'Alton Holder. The knife is extensively shown in his book "Sands of Silence". Capstick's knife had an ivory handle. http://damascususa.us/www/knife_pics/v6.html

I have one of the Charlton Capstick knives and I like it. The damascus adds a little variety to my collection. The handle on mine is polished giraffe bone.

To keep the thread going does anyone know what happened to the King Faisal II set (the knives in the RKS logo)? Be interesting to see what happened to those.

This from a post on this forum from Jan. 26 2006. It shows the LB7 knife as it looked when it was recovered.
http://www.knifetalkforums.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3662#Post3662
I hope I did this right if not don't fuss at me too much.

This "telephone cord" has always fascinated me. It is not shown in the survival kit photo. Any idea what it was attached to or how it was used?

My guess - and this is only a guess - is that the "telephone cord" was placed there to secure the knife in the weightlessness of space and during what NASA thought would be a rough ride.

Grissom had only a 15 minute flight and it was entirely over water. He was up and down like he was on a giant roller coaster ride. Plus, this was only the second manned space flight in U.S. history. NASA still had a lot of learning to do.

undoubtedly .. a 'springy" lanyard!

Can anyone tell me the material used on the handles of the original Nasa randall astros?

Here is a link to one of the oldest to ever come on the market.

Old Astro


I suggest you search these forums for the word "Astro" lots of good info.

Also, a copy of Gaddis boo would be very useful. It's the best history on the Astro.

I don't think the first Astros came with a handle. From the first and second appearances of the Astro in Randall catalogs 16 (1963-64) and 17 (1965-67), the first only offered a handle as an extra cost option; the second had a micarta handle as standard, but increased the price $5.00. (The second catalog showed no increase in the Model 1, and nly a $1.00 increase in the Model 5.)
Randall began selling the Astro Model 17 in 1962. Each astronaut received one, as did the Head of Project Mercury. Two spares were made at the time. Two were donated to the Smithsonian Institute.

catalog 16 (1963-64) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- catalog 17 (1965-67)

Gus Grissom's Model 17 has been put on special display near Liberty Bell 7 at the Kansas Cosmosphere.





When I visited last year, I was given an opportunity to handle the knife. It was very special to hold this piece of history.









Here is a look at the Camillus folder also carried on LB7.



If you have never been to the Kansas Cosmosphere, you should go. The place is a gem. The displays are outstanding, the people are friendly, and you will never have a better opportunity to view some of national treasures displayed in their proper context. I can't wait to go back.