The Randall Collector

I’m sometimes asked whether I collect anything other than Randalls? Well, they are my preference, although there are many other knives; antique, Bowies, modern American custom makers to name a few that I admire and occasionally acquire. That the Randall knife has a “universal” appeal will not be debated with the readers of this article, and many will recognize the wide range of specialized interest that surrounds the score of models and types that Randall Made knives have innovatively produced over the past 60 years. This holds particularly true for the military knife enthusiast.

It is one of these “specialized” areas of collecting that I would like to comment on in this article. The popularity of the Vietnam Era “Attack-Survival” knives has done anything but diminish during the ensuing 30 years since they began to appear in large numbers. Driven by a new generation of fighting men and a hostile jungle environment, along with “air-mobile” tactics and equipment, a redesigned model #1 with full tang became the knife of choice by those who were inclined to purchase them.

With the build-up of hostilities during the mid 1960’s Randall Knives introduced a blade option for its new fighter models in order to relieve the back-up of standing orders which was reported to be up to one and one-half years. The blades manufactured in Solingen Germany were designed after the various types that would be utilized on the models # 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. The difference was that these imported blades were to be machine forged and preground, thereby greatly accelerating the manufacturing process. It is also interesting to note that there was a prerequisite for this dramatic departure from “Shop” policy, both in the creation of the “Springfield Fighter” during WW II and in Bo Randall’s plan to mass produce his proto-type knives for USMC use, should they have been accepted during the tests in 1954-55.

The introduction of the “Solingen” blade in both tool and stainless steel on the above mentioned models, would greatly expedite production during the Vietnam War years, by substituting a machine made blade, albeit a quality one, for the hand forged blade crafted in the Shop in Orlando. It should be remembered that like its predecessor in Springfield MA., the Solingen blade was created from the design of the original prototype furnished from the existing models and would be made to the same dimensions as the original. The prototype blades it can be assumed resembled the model(s) 14 & 15 then being made at the Randall Shop, which probably hadn’t been altered from the design developed for the USMC tests.

After what must have been a “trial and acceptance” period, the Solingen blade was made available with the apparent understanding that these machine forged and preground blades would only require polishing and touch-up work prior to sale. This did not prove to be the case. Herein lies the interesting distinction(s) that has created favoritism for one blade type or the other.

With the ability to produce numbers that far exceeded Orlando Shop levels, the Solingen blade, although often requiring what must have amounted to “major surgery” before shipping, nonetheless got into the hands of the military in vastly larger numbers and in an abbreviated time frame. Additionally, stainless steel was an option and for the first time was readily available and very suitable to the climate in Southeast Asia. Prior to this it would be safe to say the Bo Randall did not exactly favor stainless steel over his own carbon steel blades.

These circumstances together resulted in a great deal of recognition for Solingen blades, which were easy to get and cost less. Many collectors as well as servicemen who carried and used these models during the conflict relate to this and preferences were developing. As the war progressed and sales increased for these models, the “Shop” found subtle ways to improve the Orlando design(s). These little changes which impacted on blade and handle shapes, took place during the normal course of refinement just as the “All-purpose fighter” had seen gradual improvements during the previous decades.

One of the characteristics of these new Airman-Attack-Survival knives was the “prominent hump” on the blade back. The Orlando blade was to gradually taper into a more or less straight topline; not so with the Solingen. Why we ask? Probably because once the prototype had been satisfactorily made in Germany, and machinery was set to mass-produce these blades, change would be expensive and was undoubtedly considered unnecessary, if considered at all. For the collector (and user) we can introduce another reason for preference; a growing distinction in blade style.

Blade width was another difference, as the hand forged Orlando blades were hammered and ground to current design standards, while Solingen blades were often reground in order to conform to the expected levels of quality that Randall demanded. To further illustrate the point, the full “belly” on the Shop-made Model # 18 often stands in contrast to the somewhat narrower appearing blades of their Solingen counterpart.

As field experience grew in the humid environment, so did the demand for stainless steel. On the Orlando blade, a simple “S”, usually stamped next to the logo,^* identified the steel. On the early Solingen blades the word “stainless” was etched on the ricasso as well as appearing up with the logo and many relate to this. Because of the large numbers (in comparison) of Solingen blades, many made from stainless steel, they are primarily associated with that conflict.

The availability of sawteeth, initially on the Model #18 only, served to further illustrate the design (and visual) differences between the two blade styles. As the Orlando blade “leveled-off” the teeth followed a straighter line, but the Solingen blade continued to feature the “hump” and the “teeth” followed the contour. This can be identified even in the earliest models with sawteeth, as illustrated in Randall Fighting Knives in Wartime, (by this author) and continued throughout the life of the Solingen blade until it was discontinued in the mid-70’s.

These are the common events that have driven collectors to favor one blade style over the other. There are some other issues that should not be overlooked. If you were asked whether you would like to own a Randall Knife with a hand forged and hand ground blade or whether you might settle for a machine made copy, what would be your answer? Is there a difference? When you acquire a new knife for your collection, and can see “dimpling” on the blade from the forging process, or slightly uneven bevels, doesn’t it serve to confirm the fact that you are handling a knife that has the best in both function and design features?

The final point I’ll present here is the matter of relative scarcity. At a year and a half wait as opposed to two months, how many mid-late 1960’s knives are stamped “Orlando Fla”?

* Preceded by the double (ss), Low “s” and the separate “s”.

Robert Hunt
Randall Collector

© 2003 by Robert Hunt. All rights reserved.