RANDALL FIGHTING KNIVES
BY ROBERT E. HUNT
CONTENTS
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 This first ever publication Randall Fighting Knives in Wartime provides the reader with a colorful and interesting guide to Randall knives spanning three major conflicts (WWII - Korean War -Vietnam War) involving American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.
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 Many never-before-published full color photos of rare Randall made knives (many valued into the thousands of dollars).
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 Included is a comprehensive range of militaria, however the real distinction in this work that separates it from other publications is the continuity of presentation of the knives themselves, along with the descriptive narratives accompanying each photo and inclusion of specific “technical data” linking the Randall knife(s) throughout the period represented in the book.
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 Collector’s Value Guide
QUALITY
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 Large, hardbound 8 1/2" by 11", “coffee-table style,” with full color dustjacket.
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 184 pages (including 80 full color) printed on number 1 glossy, acid free paper for longevity and superior quality, archival paper.
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 Smyth-sewn binding for durability.

Order Online Now for only $44.95

Special Collector’s Edition: $79.95
This special edition will be signed by the author, numbered and bound in hand-tooled,
genuine leather with your name embossed in gold on the front cover. Limited supply.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robert Hunt is a former Massachusetts State Police Officer who retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, spanning a career of more than 20 years. A subsequent career as the Director of the Smith & Wesson Academy resulted in expanding that Law Enforcement Training Center into the largest private school of its kind. His 16 year tenure as Director was highlighted by coordinating Field School training for police and security personnel throughout the U.S. and many venues around the world. Parallel commitments included 8 years service as President of the International Associations of Firearms Instructors. Hunt now holds the distinction of being an honorary life member. Interest in defense as well as collecting early American knives led to the formulation of this book. A companion hobby, the study and collecting of U.S.M.C. militaria is brought together with his interest in Randall Made fighting knives in this publication. The author’s 39 year career as a professional Training Director was augmented by a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and graduation from the FBI National Academy. Retired, he now resides in Central Massachusetts with his wife Sara.

RANDALL FIGHTING KNIVES BOOK…
The author’s interest in the Randall knife began in the mid 1950’s when as a young Marine, he acquired a well-used Model #1 and it became a part of his equipment. A few years later, in 1965, Hunt ordered his first new Randall knife, a Model #3-7 with name etching. For years, he has carefully selected the Randall knives that he owns, displaying them frequently while researching and studying their history and evolution as a combat weapon.



 WORLD WAR II WWII was the beginning of a new era in military science and technology. A period of unadorned, strictly functional knives dominated the WWII scene and most of the 1940s. Material shortages and increased demand limited blade innovations and variations. Throughout this section, we depict the Randall Fighter and, to a lesser extent, the Fighting Stiletto. The variations are represented by subtle changes in spacer arrangements, wrist thong attachments, and sheath construction as they occurred during the period. This war witnessed the introduction and evolution of a new combat knife, purchased and not issued, but held in high regard by members of all branches of the Service by war’s end. Thus began a 60-year legacy for the modern American fighting man and for his personally owned “combat companion.”


KOREA World War II had barely ended when the Cold War begin and the build-up of hostilities in Korea immediately followed. Between the wars, military technology had seen less dramatic growth than in the previous four years. The late 1940s and 1950s revealed refinement in blade style and the introduction of optional handle material, which found its way onto many of the knives from the Korean era. Randall Knives received an increase in orders for the Model #2 with 7-inch blades. This period is most identified with that model. The Model #4 also jumped in popularity because of its easy adaptation to multiple field uses. Photographs presented within this section reflect this trend.

VIETNAM Circumstances following the end of the Korean conflict in 1954, and the beginning of declared war in Vietnam were a different matter. The U.S. military had changed and so had the requirements for their weapons of war. Thus began the innovative period that produced several new models for combat use and saw the Model #1 and #2 eventually eclipsed in popularity. It is important to note that during this period, as well as the intervening years after WWII, there was a continuity of use for many of the earlier produced models. A well-circulated photograph showed General Westmoreland in uniform, reviewing U.S. forces, carrying a Randall Model #1 withan ivory handle on his belt. He was not alone. WWII (and Korea) was a period of natural handle materials and classic knife styles. What followed in the Vietnam War was an introduction to modern handle materials, and full-length tangs. When we opened the chapter of warfare in Southeast Asia, the Model #1 was still the most popular Randall-made fighter by a wide margin. What had changed was how it was dressed.


To order online, directly from the publisher, click here.
To order by mail, click here to print out order form.
 If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here to download full-color brochure with order form.

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