found a few Randalls

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Gunsil
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found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

I am a fixed blade kind of guy but never went for the more modern customs. Well,I went to an auction of box lots and lo and behold there was a box with three Randalls and a Bohrman and I won the bidding. I think they are 'Nam era with Johnson rough back sheaths and all have the owner's name engraved on the blades and they all have seen some use. One is a model 1-8 with ivory handle, one is a 5" model 2 stainless with ivory handle, and the third is a model 16 7" blade and it looks like the plastic handle has shrunk some. The Bohrman is a 4&1/2" blade and wood handle. If anybody has any helpful ID info, I'd like to hear it and maybe a rough value estimate. Here are the knives:
C17BDBEB-CB7E-4644-AA97-68175FA118F7.jpeg
B8F5D977-68F6-41C1-A060-22FE3B359374.jpeg
8047876D-6266-492F-93B1-D2286CE5ED6F.jpeg
458598C0-2E7C-4A5A-B5AD-58EEE64A4310.jpeg
Gunsil
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

The Randalls also all have nickel silver guards and I haven't cleaned the verdigris off yet. Here's the model 16 with the heavy waxed sheath and the Bohrman. I haven't followed customs much, would also like any info on the Bohrman please. Thanks in advance for any help!
3DE6FCCB-3284-427E-BB9C-598F3460AB58.jpeg
F7191D71-E908-4A4D-BF80-177FC41EF1EA.jpeg
EA87CB07-E57C-48C6-BA65-64DF59D2F78A.jpeg
CA735C7A-99A5-49CD-AB3D-8EFB403D7147.jpeg
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by doglegg »

Gunsil wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:32 pm I am a fixed blade kind of guy but never went for the more modern customs. Well,I went to an auction of box lots and lo and behold there was a box with three Randalls and a Bohrman and I won the bidding. I think they are 'Nam era with Johnson rough back sheaths and all have the owner's name engraved on the blades and they all have seen some use. One is a model 1-8 with ivory handle, one is a 5" model 2 stainless with ivory handle, and the third is a model 16 7" blade and it looks like the plastic handle has shrunk some. The Bohrman is a 4&1/2" blade and wood handle. If anybody has any helpful ID info, I'd like to hear it and maybe a rough value estimate. Here are the knives:

C17BDBEB-CB7E-4644-AA97-68175FA118F7.jpegB8F5D977-68F6-41C1-A060-22FE3B359374.jpeg8047876D-6266-492F-93B1-D2286CE5ED6F.jpeg458598C0-2E7C-4A5A-B5AD-58EEE64A4310.jpeg
Wow you are killing it Gunsil!!!! Randle and ivory!!!! And not one but two!!!! :shock: :shock: ::nod:: ::nod:: ::nod:: ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by jmh58 »

Schweeettt haul !!! Very nice!! 👍💎👍
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by TripleF »

Hooooooooooooooooooooooly Moly. :shock: :shock: Knice haul!!!
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by 1967redrider »

Nice finds! ::tu:: ::tu:: I see Randall's selling between $450 - $800 at auction depending on model. eBay Completed Listings search is your best bet, and condition is everything. ::nod::
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by kennedy knives »

How many Spacers??? and what does the stone look like in the 1-8 sheath ?
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by kennedy knives »

The Model 2 with double S stamp was made from 1963 into early 1964. Also the 16 comes from the same time frame . great find !!!!!! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by eveled »

Nice haul! That model 1 reminds me of the knife General Westmoreland carried in Vietnam.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

kennedy knives wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:55 pm The Model 2 with double S stamp was made from 1963 into early 1964. Also the 16 comes from the same time frame . great find !!!!!! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
Thanks, Gary, the ivory ones seem to each have seven spacers and sadly the stone is missing from the 1-8 sheath. I still haven't taken the mildew off the ivory or sheaths or the verdigis off the guards. The SS on both the 2 and the 16 are identical. I know the 'Nam era knives command a premium over newer Randalls,as does ivory, any idea of market value?

Thanks to all for the compliments. I did get lucky for a change although I spent good money I think they were still a bargain.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by kennedy knives »

Gunsil wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 10:41 pm
kennedy knives wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:55 pm The Model 2 with double S stamp was made from 1963 into early 1964. Also the 16 comes from the same time frame . great find !!!!!! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
Thanks, Gary, the ivory ones seem to each have seven spacers and sadly the stone is missing from the 1-8 sheath. I still haven't taken the mildew off the ivory or sheaths or the verdigis off the guards. The SS on both the 2 and the 16 are identical. I know the 'Nam era knives command a premium over newer Randalls,as does ivory, any idea of market value?

Thanks to all for the compliments. I did get lucky for a change although I spent good money I think they were still a bargain.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

1967redrider wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:43 pm Nice finds! ::tu:: ::tu:: I see Randall's selling between $450 - $800 at auction depending on model. eBay Completed Listings search is your best bet, and condition is everything. ::nod::
I dunno John, from what I see at shows and the couple guys I know who collect these, the 50 or more years old ones bring a lot more than the later ones and mint isn't so important and 'Nam era ones are pretty much in demand. But what do I know? I never really paid a whole lot of attention to them.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

kennedy knives wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 10:47 pm
Gunsil wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 10:41 pm
kennedy knives wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:55 pm The Model 2 with double S stamp was made from 1963 into early 1964. Also the 16 comes from the same time frame . great find !!!!!! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
Thanks, Gary, the ivory ones seem to each have seven spacers and sadly the stone is missing from the 1-8 sheath. I still haven't taken the mildew off the ivory or sheaths or the verdigis off the guards. The SS on both the 2 and the 16 are identical. I know the 'Nam era knives command a premium over newer Randalls,as does ivory, any idea of market value?

Thanks to all for the compliments. I did get lucky for a change although I spent good money I think they were still a bargain.
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Thanks Gary, not here yet, I gotta go get dinner, will check after.

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1967redrider
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by 1967redrider »

Here's Completed Listings search results-

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ra ... dcat=43325

Hopefully some of the 60's era ones will pop up there too.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by kennedy knives »

The Stone for the Model 1 should be a Norton 2 part Gray they used them from 1954 to 1969 and it looks like your Randall's fall in that time period ::handshake::
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

Gary, PM still doesn't show up on my PMs but I got it in e-mail, Thanks! How hard to find the stones? I was hoping it was in the bottom of the box with all the shotgun shells and junk but it wasn't. John if you arrange the sold listings to highest first there are few older ones and no ivory ones. I think these are well over a grand apiece, and I hope so because although they were relatively cheap they still were good money.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by eveled »

I think the 2 with the ivory handles are easily $1000 knives.

The model 16 maybe $450. The handles are Micarta now Micarta doesn’t shrink. . Yours must be an older Tenite? one. From before the switch to Micarta. I don’t know if it’s age adds to the value but the shrinking must take away from the value.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Mumbleypeg »

Nice score! I don’t know anything about them so can’t do anything but admire them.

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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Sweetpieces4you »

Nice knives, especially for a box lot ::tu:: I collect Randall’s, own a few. Not saying I know all about them, except for my own. Randall’s can and do command money, anywhere from a few hundred to more than just a few thousand dollars. Age,condition,detail are everything to me as with any knife as a collectible. I looked closely at your knives and you do have the age. But unfortunately the condition with the cracked handles, used blades and at least one of the former owners names etched on the blades devalues them a lot. I’m not putting down your knives !! I personally have never seen Randalls in a box lot. And they are very nice old knives. Some may not agree, but Since they are already in a used condition,I might consider getting those blades cleaned up.Won’t hurt the values and actually could increase the values a bit. My Opinion. Values ??? You never know how much a person is willing to pay for any knife. I’m not going to try and value your knives. They are a Very Nice Find !!!
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by btrwtr »

Awesome Gene!
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

eveled wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:49 am I think the 2 with the ivory handles are easily $1000 knives.

The model 16 maybe $450. The handles are Micarta now Micarta doesn’t shrink. Yours must be an older Tenite? one. From before the switch to Micarta. I don’t know if it’s age adds to the value but the shrinking must take away from the value.
Thanks Ed. The model 16 is early-mid 1960s and definitely tenite. I believe Randall switched to micarta from tenite because the shrinkage problem showed up early on. Though I have never collected or really studied Randalls I have seen and handled a lot of them and all the earlier tenite handled ones I have seen show the shrinkage. I'll bring them all to the next Marlborough show, Art Green and a couple others deal a lot in Randalls and will know more about them. Several others have e-mailed me and the 60s ivory knives seem to have real good value even in the used condition, a good bit more than your estimate. Having Art Green examine them in person will definitely help. By the way, next time you come to an NCCA show bring some of your goodies for show and tell, we all like to see other's knives they have collected. I guess I am now officially a Randall collector, at least for a while, they are some fine knives.

Thanks Ken and Wayne! Sort of glad I didn't get into Randalls earlier though, many are quite expensive if they are 'Nam era or earlier. I have seen a bunch of recent Randalls and although fine knives they just don't have the soul of the older lower production number knives.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

Sweetpieces4you wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:19 am Nice knives, especially for a box lot ::tu:: I collect Randall’s, own a few. Not saying I know all about them, except for my own. Randall’s can and do command money, anywhere from a few hundred to more than just a few thousand dollars. Age,condition,detail are everything to me as with any knife as a collectible. I looked closely at your knives and you do have the age. But unfortunately the condition with the cracked handles, used blades and at least one of the former owners names etched on the blades devalues them a lot. I’m not putting down your knives !! I personally have never seen Randalls in a box lot. And they are very nice old knives. Some may not agree, but Since they are already in a used condition,I might consider getting those blades cleaned up.Won’t hurt the values and actually could increase the values a bit. My Opinion. Values ??? You never know how much a person is willing to pay for any knife. I’m not going to try and value your knives. They are a Very Nice Find !!!
Thank you sir for your opinion and appreciation. I am not a stranger to Randalls, just always collected 1850s-1950s factory hunting knives and WW2 US military, been at it for 60 years. Just never really got into custom knives. Randall engraved (not etched) the owner's name on many earlier knives and especially 'Nam era knives and a Randall factory engraved name does not seem to detract value at all. Aftermarket etching or engraving names does for sure. All elephant ivory cracks with time, and although it may hurt value a little it is not a lot, ivory handled knives are sought after. Ditto for earlier used knives, there are no or very few really early Randalls that show no use, yes, if you have a Smithsonian Bowie it should show no use, they were not made for use, the 'Nam era fighting knives are not held to the same standards. Go to some knife shows and look at pre-1975 Randalls if you can find any, even the more common hunters of that era don't need to be mint to command a premium over 1980s and up knives. Lots of collectors prefer the ones made by Bo, the new ones just don't have the same quality after Bo passed on. I have a couple Randall collector friends who collect the new Randalls and they have actually returned a knife or two due to poor quality build and finish, this was not the case when Bo was around, the quality control was much better.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by edge213 »

I've never owned a Randall, but I suspect the older one were meant to be used and were used.
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by steve99f »

Very nice Gene! Congratulations. ::tu::
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Re: found a few Randalls

Post by Gunsil »

edge213 wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 8:43 pm I've never owned a Randall, but I suspect the older one were meant to be used and were used.
I believe you are correct. Antique knife collecting was just getting going in 1970, and most fixed blades weren't so collectible. Loveless was just making and selling wholesale, nobody was collecting his work. When Randall was a smaller operation most of their knives went to users rather than collectors. I remember a friend went to work for his brother landscaping and the owner was in the airborne in the late 1950s and always had a Randall on him. This was late 60s-early 70s. Every guy on his crew, maybe 5-6 just out of high school guys were all required to carry a Randall after they made the crew in a three week trial. The owner would give them a new Randall but deduct the cost from their next couple paychecks. These were more hunting knife models and they got well used cutting rope and brush. He probably had 20 guys over five or six years and they all received and used one. The owner collected old Korea era Randalls but all the new ones were just work knives.
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