The Randall Collector

The foundation for the appeal of Randall-made fighting knives begins with the onset of World War II. Although Bo’s fine hand-made knives were introduced a few years earlier, it was the war and the requirements of supply and demand that served to stimulate the rapid development and eventual recognition of these American-style combat knives. During this war, there was little doubt about where the knife was being utilized and by whom. It is also easier to recognize an early 1940s fighter or stiletto, due to the rapid standardization of design . . . to a degree.

The process of designing (and refining original designs) back in the 1940s was a continuing event, with some identifiable stops along the way. These become interesting milestones and serve years later as benchmarks for those whose interest takes them beyond general recognition of a model or type. Collectors have been attempting to accurately date these and other types of fighting knives since their inception with various degrees of success. It’s this issue and its related aspects that I would like to address in this article.

One of the reasons for “dating” manufacture of these fighting knives is the relevance to a specific time or event in our military history: “fighters” are not “hunters”. The influences of war on the population, many of whom served, as well as those whose interest runs to collecting, have driven this pursuit to new limits. Thirst for knowledge leads to study and discovery and ultimately recognition of value.

As a collector I am interested in the earliest knives made in the Randall Shop as they represent very functional designs if not in every instance “perfect form”; but form was never far behind. Both the “fighters” and “fighting stilettos” made during 1943-44 have some identifiable design features such as a “hump” on the blade back, wrist thong attachments, location of logo stamping(s), as well as somewhat standardized blade and handle shapes. (See Randall Fighting Knives in Wartime, by this author.)

By the end of the World War II a few “refinements” had been added. These changes, which were undoubtedly introduced as improvements, impacted on handle configuration(s) and blade grinds. By the end of the war, or perhaps no later than 1946, we see a slightly different knife emerge out of the Model(s) 1 and 2s that were produced in such large numbers right up until the end of hostilities in 1945. In contrast to the early 1940s knives, we can identify with the addition of a hole in the butt cap, in some instances absence of a tang nut and the introduction of a wide center spacer in the front stack at the guard. But most other things remain the same. Therefore, as we close WWII, there is a pretty straightforward design for both fighter and stiletto.

When the War was over Randall shifted his attention to demands for “field knives” and fighter production must have all but stopped. Gaddis points out that those fighting knives that were on hand at the end of hostilities were stored away. They would eventually be brought out and sold when the next conflict began. The build-up to the Korean War was gradual, but its origin can be traced back to as early as 1946. Open hostilities involving our troops began during the late 1940s and this led to a new demand on the shop for knives, thus introducing a not-so-easy period (Korea) of identification for the collector. Complications are three-fold. First, there is the matter of knives produced early in WWII that were still in the hands of servicemen recalled for duty. Next comes the “stored” knives, made in 1945 and not sold until later in the decade; and finally, there is the matter of “evolution” of the fighters during the normal course of refining and improving the knives produced during that mid-late 1940s period onward.

These circumstances cloud the beginning of the Korean War period as far as precise dating is concerned. Why? The basic “fighter” design was no longer in its original state. We sort of slip into the Korean conflict with yesterday’s combat equipment, including Randall knives, and that extends to most of the gear carried during the first year or two of the war. The benchmark knife of this new war would evolve from this post WWII design to a dramatically redesigned blade and handle shape that would be represented in large numbers by 1950-51.

But we are jumping ahead. The late 1940s knives, which still resemble the early fighters, have their own place, albeit short lived. Their identification is somewhat simplified by changes to the handle and blade that we can learn to recognize. The original sheath can be of assistance if it has translucent snaps, for example, placing it between 1946 and perhaps 1949. Rivets at the throat and keeper also indicate sheath production prior to 1950.

Along about 1949-50 a new blade grind evolved from those of the previous decade. It was more streamlined, had lost the “hump” on the top line, and showed more pronounced bevels on the blade. It also featured a deep finger cutout, or “choil” in front of the guard. These design changes to the blade were undoubtedly created to effectively modernize the knife for suitability for another generation of servicemen.

The culmination of this “new” style blade and the subsequent changes to handles spacers and sheaths were to provide us with the “benchmark” that we identify with during the Korean Conflict. Therefore, from roughly 1949 to 1955, a new style emerged that, in my view, produced and standardized the best in function and design features for both the fighter and stiletto. So much so, that it is recognizable through the intervening decades right up to the present time.

The Korean War for Randall military knife collectors then has two distinct styles; one evolving from WWII (frequently confused with it) and the second type (frequently associated with it) recognizable by the changes mentioned above and probably responsive to the demands of another conflict. What is so compelling about this design is that it is new and therefore will also be refined until, by 1955 or so, a “classic style” has emerged that would “stand the test of time.”

The history of the Randall fighting knife has intervening periods when “new” designs were created. This is perhaps the first major change in an earlier design that we can identify and accurately date. The result was a fighter and stiletto that would have an appeal (lasting) to contemporary users. Once these changes were standardized, both models remained largely unchanged for another decade.

The influence of wartime on the ongoing hand crafting of these knives becomes once again visible during the build-up of the Vietnam War. The fighter and stiletto were “beefed-up” by broadening the blade, reducing the “choil” and in some cases extending the ricasso. Handles received similar treatment and became larger and longer to balance the knife and many were made from micarta.

The Vietnam War, however, is usually identified with the introduction of several newly designed models that once again satisfied the requirements of another generation of servicemen. The “Airman,” “Attack” and “Attack-Survival” all incorporated significant changes which met the needs of that period. It is these knives that serve to provide the “benchmark” in that period for military knife collectors today. The early knives reveal all of the functionally driven, handmade innovations of a new design without the modifications that would inevitably follow.

What collector wouldn’t pick the basic design of a full-tang “crutch-tip” over a more streamlined Model #18 of a few years later? The association with the early stages of the war, the suitability of the knives themselves, and their perceived effectiveness in theater (reputation established) forged their place in American fighting knife history.

Within a relatively short period, these hand-crafted knives of multiple models were coincidentally designed and produced with the three major American wars of the last half of the twentieth century. The uniqueness of these knives and their relevance to wartime encourages the collector to tie them up in tidy exacting periods that aren’t always coincidental.

Recognizing the general period that the knife was made, as well as knowing the historical dates of the conflict(s), is essential if we are to accurately link the two as representative of actual (or potential) wartime combat weapons. Add to this the fact that there is an overlap in personal equipment utilized during these three wars, which astonishingly spans the length of just one single military career.

In summation we have identified with a knife design for the historical period of WWII, which is the wrist thong “link” fighter and stiletto and, to a lesser degree, the slightly modified knives with a wrist thong hole in the butt cap that appeared during 1944-45. The latter have a more prominent blade bevel, slightly less hump on the blade and a “necking-down” of the handle at the guard. These are “tricky” to positively identify, and perhaps they can’t always be with any degree of certainty.

The Korean War Period flows from WWII with conflicts in the region and a build-up of hostilities until the declaration of War in 1950. This period will find WWII knives and those produced during the late forties in the field. It’s the late 40s knives that begin the era and the knives retain the overall design of the fighters made at the close of WWII, with some differences in the blade and the handle(s).

The blade modifications that produced a more streamlined design made their appearance about 1950 and this style was developed through the Korean War period and it is this type that we most often identify with. This design gets refined and becomes the standard for both fighters and stilettos right through the end of the decade and beyond, with only slight modifications (spacers included).

The Vietnam era, including the build-up, covered about 20 years and witnessed the introduction of the attack-survival knives of completely new design. The early models were functionally driven and their original style was maintained only long enough to improve performance. Therefore, the Models #14, #15, and #18 retained blade and handle shapes (material) until upgraded through performance-based feedback. It is this period of “original design” that we can use as a “benchmark” for those knives that were to receive significant changes in the future.

In conclusion, although this essay doesn’t change a thing about the knives that we are discussing, it will hopefully help to more accurately link them with the appropriate war or conflict that the military knife collector seeks to do.

For more information on this subject, see Randall Fighting Knives in Wartime: WWII, Korea and Vietnam, by this author. Books may be ordered through an order form on this web site or call 1-800-788-3350 to place an order immediately.

Robert Hunt
Randall Collector

© 2002 by Robert Hunt. All rights reserved.