I am going on a memory here, but wasn't there a forum member looking for Ruana knives?

If so, or you are that member, send me a PM as there is a local pawn shop that has 5-6 that were lost in pawn.

Randy

I'm interested.
In 1971, my wife and I had just graduated and were broke.
For Christmas, she found the old man himself out at Bonner and visited his shop. She brought home the most incredible knife I've ever held. I have no idea where she found the money.
Fifty years later, that knife still holds a special place in my heart. I loved the old man and the knives he made. and I love the lady who sacrificed to get it for me.
A few years ago, I talked to his son who had taken over the business. I got a new Ruana kitchen knife for my lady. She was more than a little shocked.

This is one of the few possessions I have that my son actually wants.

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A personal comment: while Ruana knives may be very good knives from a metallurgical standpoint, from an aesthetic, appearance standpoint I have a hard time embracing them. I just felt the need to say that...but your mileage may vary...



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mine don't..... and you are more polite than I could have been.

I dunno. Maybe not the prettiest I’ve seen, but not that bad either: Catalog Knives & Hatchet — Ruana Knives

On the other hand, new, at $375 up to close to $1400, per their order form, maybe I’ll stick to Randalls...

Interesting knives, though. I had never heard of them before.

For some reason, I thought that his son-in-law had taken over the business. I probably got them mixed up with someone else.

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Formerly Model520Fan

You may be right model520.

It may be the SIL. The old man was Rudy and he died in 1986. He was a real character and I miss him much. I always enjoyed going out to Bonner, which had maybe a dozen or so houses. There was a famous old bridge there that got used in making the knives.

Rudy was the kind of man that made Montana special for me. His knives were gorgeous hand-made creations. The SIL is really good, but Rudy was great.


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a little update.

The original owner came in and got them back out of pawn. I was happy to hear that.

No man should ever lose something like that to pawn.


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Rudy's SIL, Vic Hangas went to work with Rudy in 1966 and learned from the Master. He took over the business in 1984 upon Rudy's retirement. He now runs the Ruana Knives with His three sons. And actually a 5-6 is a Randall model number

Let's see a picture or three
What's the deal ?
mscook

Five or six knives, I assume.

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This is an example of what I was talking about. Pretty? Uhhh, no. It looks like a drunk teenager made it.




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The original owner has since redeemed them from pawn and they are no longer available.
Thanks for all of the help fellow forum members!!

Randy

Never held one and the handle/scales aren’t my cup of tea, seem dated but, I do like some of the blade shapes and would probably add a few to the collection if the opportunity and price presented itself in a favorable fashion

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BCCI Life Member #2068

I agree -- if I could buy one for $25.00, sure, I'd buy one. But some of them fetch $500.00 or more. No way. (For a Randall, yes).


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Wow, blast from my Hippie-kid past. In 1971 I had a Ruana knife I bought in Jackson Hole - I do not remember the price, $35?. Not long afterward, I hitch hiked to Boulder, CO - big surprise - and it was stolen from my back pack by some dirt bag. My bad, I was a kid and had it proudly strapped on the outside.
I was so psyched to have that knife - even if only for a while.

Well, I agree they ain’t pretty, but they sure look serviceable as all get out. I’d enjoy having one. (At a more reasonable price than they go for typically, as noted by others.)

I have two, a GP hunting knive sharpened halfway back the top, and a larger camp knive that could do almost anything, including halving a large cabbage. The handles are only just large enough, but otherwise fine knifes. Don't remember the price, but they were very reasonable for handmade knifes.

Spelling courtesy of smith-wessonforum convention.

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Formerly Model520Fan

I wouldn't call that ugly at all. Looks like a good, versatile, useful knife. But functionality is what I value.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Ruana knives here in Montana are actually used by the owners and not stored in a vault or safe.

They hold an edge and hold it and hold it.....that is why they are treasured items for sportsmen in Montana. They are a working mans knife and many are used hard because they can take it and then some!

Now the Damascus twist knife that the pawn shop had out for a short time.....that was stunning!!

Randy

All things considered, I'd rather own this knife -- if I'm going to spend north of $300.00, anyway.





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I carried mine working in construction and walking the backcountry for 40 years. It's got a 1000 days of camping time as well.

I wish I could thank Rudy Ruana one more time for all the moments in life he has given me.

Very special.


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Form follows function.

The Randall knife is a fabulous knife in all regards, however, I have never seen one being used in the field dressing out an animal...they are usually in the vault or on display.

Randy

Reminds me of one of my favorite phrases.

For every Jack there is a Jill...

For what it's worth.........re: Randall as strictly showpiece.

20 years ago I talked a Randall collector buddy of mine out of a safe queen model 25,
I had secured a cow elk tag for my 14 yr old in the via caldera youth hunt (New Mexico)
When he knocked his cow down (first Elk) we walked up to her, took a bunch of pictures, then I opened my pack handed him his new Randell and said "OK, you shot her, you field dress her."
He knew what he had in his hand and said "It's too nice to use Dad, let me use your Mora"
I told him "no, knives are to be used, and that one is the best on the planet"
In the 20 years since he has field dressed, skinned, etc. more game than we can both remember.

So as to completely not hijack this thread, my first hunting partner had two Ruana's, he got both of them from the old man.
I thought they were butt ugly......however, he never carried a stone in the field as either one would dress and skin an Elk and still be wonderfully sharp.

Very nice. If it is a 'M' stamp in that condition people are asking $600-1200 for it. Different stamps bring different premiums, and Like S&W condition, condition. PS that is an early sheath and Ruana knives are fast becoming a premium collectors item.

Well, first, the catalog referenced above shows the Ruana knives and they sure look pretty enough to me!

This is what I call a not so pretty knife:



But it is one heckuva great knife even if it looks weird.

These are some pretty ones:







I think the Ruana knives that I just saw on line are at least as nice looking as any of mine.

Actually, we have a number of guys on the forum who use their Randalls. (I’m not one of them. Yet, anyway....) Mulepacker and BearBio come to mind, if memory serves, but I believe there are others as well.

Someone posted a pic of an older Randall a while back that was so well used it looked to my eye that the use and the repeated honing had worn it down some. It was still a beautiful knife, of course.

I have a Randall # 8 and #10 that have been used quite a bit

Showing a pic of a used R.H. Ruana in a worn sheath and compare to a professional photo of a mint Randall...isn't a fair comparison. Mint early vintage R.H. Ruana knives are just as attractive as anything out there. Rudy would say that he made "working knives"... his words, not mine. He went so far as to not selling to people that told him they were collecting them. The Ruana shown is a Model 13 "skinner" looks from 1963 to 1982 and would have an M (medium temper) stamp next to the maker stamp. The sheath however, is a flat back sheath from the late 1940's to mid 50's... the current market value for that knife is in the $375 to $450 range... the sheath is about $125. of that. But if the knife had a little knife stamp (indicating Studebaker spring steel) by the makers mark, made from 1945 to 1962, it would bring $550. to $600. Still other marks, which indicate other types of steel (H for Hudson, P for Plymouth) or tempering (S for Salt Water and T for razor temper) could bump the price to over $2000. I accumulated more than my fair share of U.S. Military, Randalls, Ruana's, Morseths, Marbles & M.S.A. knives over the years... I've got a couple file cabinets and safes full...unfortunately, the market has been in the toilet for the last 12 years, but it's starting to come back a little..sold quite a bit at Tulsa and Denver this past spring. (Update: Found the Ruana pictured on the online auction site... it has the tiny knife stamp next to the maker mark... being offered as a buy it now at over $1000. which is in my opinion, frankly nuts.)

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man’s gotta lotta edge there. Nice stockpile.

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Halfway and one more step