mine is a Dell," or "mine is an Apple," or you might even say it is a "Blackberry" or "Raspberry"
or one of those fruits. No, we are not talking about those type things-- there is more to life than
tweeting, twittering, texting and googling. (and please don't say: blogging, LOL.)
When you get up on a cold frosty late October morning, and the leaves are turning golden, and
the compelling fall-angled-sun is shining, and you finish up three cups of coffee and your plate of biscuits and gravy, put on your red plaid Pendleton wool shirt, grab your binocs and hang them around your neck, and saunter outside for a hiking, fishing, bird-watching, or photographic trip,
what do you carry on your belt? Hope you don't say a flask of-----, or a cell phone.
What we are after here---and you seasoned outdoorsmen are right with me, I know--- is what
kind of cold steel are you wearing? You need a utility, survival, general purpose, defensive-type
knife. Now I'm not too big on that last purpose. Knife-fighting turns me off. I always say "If a .38 won't stop it, I don't want anything to do with it." But, but, if there's no .38,
a knife is better than a fingernail file. Be realistic. What about bears?
So, we arrive at the thrust (!) of this post. What you need is a "Randall," one of the toughest,
finest-crafted, and most beautiful of any knife ever made in the world. Most people, for lack of a better term would call it a "hunting knife." Actually, since the first one was made in 1938, they have been carried for all purposes such as wars, in airplanes, sporting uses, emergencies, and even space.
Average soldiers in WWII and Viet Nam carried them when they could get them. The Model 14
"Attack" had an optional sawtooth treatment on the top side which was said could cut through
the thin aluminum skin of a downed helicopter in Viet Nam. Randalls were so popular that
the GI's/Grunts ordered through the mail by simply addressing letters to the "Knife Man, Orlando."
General James Gavin of the 82nd Airborne carried one in WWII; Captain Ronald Reagan had one, General Westmoreland was seen to carry one, and Frances Gary Powers was wearing a
small Randall "Trout and Bird" model when he was shot down over Russia.
Randall-Made Knives was founded by Walter Duane "Bo" Randall, Jr. The factory and showroom (and a museum of over 7000 knives) is located in Orlando, Florida. (Your Randall
will come to you with a very cool logo etched just below the guard: "Randall-Made Knives.")
"Bo" started his knife-making by deciding that he himself would make a tough knife, and he
made his first from a piece of axle spring. From there word got around and his business grew,
as noted earlier, as WWII caused a giant surge of interest.
Now the company makes 28 models for different applications. Nearly all models are hand forged instead of factory stamped, one of the few manufacturers to do so. Randall uses a 17 step process for making knives, which usually takes over 8 hours to finish.
When you examine one, the steel seems obviously almost indestructible. One of the most
beautiful handles (I call them) is the natural antler. The Micarta, which I believe is a resin/
cloth laminate, is also tough as steel. Other handles are available in various kinds of exotic
hardwoods, and probably even ivory if you could furnish a piece. Who has ivory?
The company worked with the astronaut program and designed a survival knife for astronauts
called "The Astro" Model. When the Liberty Bell 7 Mercury space capsule was recovered from the ocean in 1999, Gus Grissom's Randall "Astro" was recovered inside. Despite 40 years of salt water at 1500 feet, the knife was still serviceable after a good cleaning. Two "Astros"
are in the Smithsonian today.
The price of a "Trout and Bird" Randall in 1965 was about 65.00. Today it would be several hundred. Various sizes and models can run from 450-750 or more. They are available though some sporting goods dealers immediately and if you want to get one a little cheaper, place your
order directly to the company and there is a five year wait.
My recommendation for us rank and file people is to get a decent size, that is, one that can be used for most general purposes and you will feel okay to wear it on Saturday, even while mowing the lawn, so to speak. Don't get carried away and order a Roman Short Sword (28")--
that won't do.
And remember you guys, one of the best side benefits of owning a Randall is that people
will say: "Isn't that tough, rugged guy... CARRYING A RANDALL?!!"
No comments:
Post a Comment