If Not Randall, Then What?

I was just reading a Randall Knives thread here on the S&W Forum. (I have been hankering for a Randall for several years, but have never taken the plunge, yet).

That inspired me to ask the forum: If you could not have a Randall knife, what would be your second choice? Al Mar? Chris Reeve? Old Puma? Or maybe just an older Buck or Case? (Old Bucks circa pre-1981 have 440C stainless blades, you know).


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So very Politically Incorrect

There's a wonderful old paperbook on knives by Ken Warner that I've had so long that it's coming apart from being read so often over the years.

In it he writes that any knife made today has better steel than the knives the mountain men used to explore the west, so don't worry too much about "the best", just spend enough to get one that's not cheaply put together.

Good advice, but I've spend too much on stuff I didn't need to tell anyone else not to follow their heart.

Having been a knife collector for 60 plus years, I have owned a few Randals. I can't see what the fuss is all about. Never felt the affection and sold all that I had.

Kinda depends on what you're going to do with it.

I bought my 1st Randall knife back about 1971 for $110 IIRC. That was a lot for a new buck Sargent at the time. It served me well in the many locations Uncle Sam sent me to.
Did I need to spend that much $$ for a "knife" when I could'da had a Puma or a K-Bar for less than $50? In retrospect, probably not. But I'd been lusting after one after seeing a well-used specimen that my team Sargent had (and a payment of two months' worth of back jump pay was burning a hole in my pocket!).
I've never really regretted the purchase and over time have bought a couple more. I did eventually buy a K-Bar and a Puma Bowie, but that Randall was always special. I did gift that original Randall to my nephew currently serving with the 5th SFG.
Depending on what you wish to spend, Puma still makes some mighty fine knives and Boker has several that may serve your needs.
Half the fun is in the hunt! So sally forth cause there's a BUNCH of good knives out there!

WYT-P
Skyhunter

The first time a saw a Randall, a model 1-7 in a magazine, I fell in love. It is however a love that will remain unrequited. To me, the knife is a tool, and there are many tools out there that do the job for much less money. I have 2 cheap copies I got off of Amazon and they serve the visual aspect quite well. The thing is, I find that I don't need or want to carry a knife that big. For my uses a smaller knife does just fine and carries better. This is what I carry when a sheath knife is called for.
Boker Arbolito Hunter Fixed Blade Knife Stag (4.75" Satin) 02BA351H - Blade HQ

It serves me well. But I would like to get one of Opaul's creations someday.

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The best I can with what I got

Randall Made Knives are about as good as it gets…but there’s lots of good knives out there. I have Blackjack…SOG…and others. It just depends what use it’s destined for.

Master bladesmith Bill Moran lived around the corner from me…I would love to own a genuine Moran knife but they are way out of price range.

Most people would STROKE OUT iffen you put theirs on a whetstone.....They'd probably need CPR.

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S&W Accumulator

My thinking is if you want to impress nothing will beat a Randall.
If you just want a knife to use any well made knife will work. I've known people that had butcher knives made from crosscut saw blades and if they had a store bought knife it was probably an Old Hickory.
It's just like guns, cars, jewelry, etc. How much do you want to spend. Larry

I have a few Randalls and they're all users. I've given each of my sons a Randall and I have one in ready for a grandson who will be turning 21 soon. They're great knives. No doubt about it and I like them a lot.

That being said, however, I've got to agree with Bullet Bob. The steel in the better quality knives today is much better than the stamped out knives of the mountain man era. Now, I'm not talking about the cheap made-in-Pakistan knives that you used to be able to pick up at the local gas station for a buck. I'm talking about a decently priced knife made of steel such as AUS 8, 440C, S30V, etc.

I'll give you an example. I have a knife that was given out years ago as a "freebie" for contributing to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. It's a Schrade Old Timer 1650T. It's one of the newer ones...not made in the USA, but probably by some little 10-year old kid in a Chinese sweat shop. Bottom line though, it's one heckuva knife. I don't know what kind of steel was used, but this knife is a keeper. It takes and keeps a great edge. Is it a Randall? Nope, but it's a good quality knife and I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon.

Another brand of knife that I've always been impressed with is Buck. As a poor college student, I saved my money and bought a Buck 105 back in 1970. It's still with me and a great knife that has cleaned and skinned its share of deer. This past summer, I carried a little Buck 113 on my belt when I was in the saddle. I bought that knife on a whim and I'm sure glad I did. A great knife.

The thing that really impresses me about Buck knives is that they come razor sharp right out of the box.

Case knives are another brand that turns out some great fixed blade knives as well as folders. When Zippo lighters bought out W.R. Case knives in 1993, they brought back the old quality that Case was known for back in the 50's and 60's.

Anyway, there are a lot of good quality knives out there and at prices that most can afford. As a result, there's really no reason to not carry a decent knife.

Just my two cents worth.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Take a look at Bark River Knives.
They are a US high end production knife maker located up in the Michigan Upper Peninsula.
They make a vast number of different knives using about every steel on the planet.
They start and stop different models which creates collector interest just like Gun Makers!
For example, I would like to have one of their Chute Knives.
It’s based on the Loveless Chute Knife pattern.
Bob Loveless being the most influential knife maker post WWII.
I have several Barkies, here’s my largest, The Bark River Smoke Jumper in the middle.
Randall on the top.
Omega Loveless Pattern Dixon Fighter on the bottom.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Left side - three Bark Rivers.
Snoddy on the bottom.
Right side- Bark River version of the Loveless City Knife.
Then a Bark River Canadian.
Two Blind Horses on the bottom.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Herron, Stapel and Kramer are a few more for the list.
Pic from the early '80s with one of my
1911 flag grips.
Rob at Damascus USA and Chuck Stapel
having fun.
Stapel made lotsa knives for the movie industry etc etc.

Stapel Knives - Quigley Down Under Knife

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

I just saw this.

This looks like a cool knife, but I don't know anything about it. What type of steel? 440A?

(Update: apparently, the steel is 440A)
United Cutlery Honshu Tanto I | B"oker Solingen

Does anybody know anything about this knife?

United Cutlery:

United Cutlery Honshu Tanto Knife And Leather Sheath - Stainless Steel Blade, TPR Handle, Stainless Steel Guard And Pommel


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So very Politically Incorrect

I'll second the recommendation to check out Bark River Knives.

Bark River all day long, best quality at fraction of the cost of Randall. They are user knives and very functional. I collected Bark Rivers and sold off all but 1 and it rides in my bag everywhere.
It is model S-T-S-5, here is a stock photo to show what it looks like...

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Regards
Paul

vongruffknives.com

I was on a forum when he decided to make knives fill time. I bought one as a retirement gift for myself and I prefer to use it over anything else.
On the other hand, I spent 20 years in Missoula and you can't go wrong with Ruana knives.

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Front sight and squeeze

Never bought a Randal as thought the $$ could be used on historic knives. While in Vietnam a buddy and I were given the “ job” of inspecting 300 different wheeled vehicles. They were to be scraped, retrograded, given to MARVN or sent to Okinawa . Checking one M-151 I found an early “ cant blade” Gerber. Made a sheath and wore it in my right boot for the test of my tour. While waiting to DEROS I gave the Gerber to an ARVN Lt. I got to know. Told him,” here, you are going to need this”. Wish I had sent it home. Anyway here are a few of my practile priced knives I’ve picked up over 50+ years.900DCF02-16CB-411A-8C0C-56105568067A.jpg

8E7F3C02-5F78-416C-97DD-77E32CAA6B78.jpg

E79F4C5F-480B-4C4B-ABF9-838E7DEBAE2D.jpg

Arkansas was once known as the Bowie knife state, not to get into that never ending argument about where the original Bowie knife was made.It has been and is home to some notable names in the Knife world.
A. G . Russell (rest in peace Ol Friend) , Jimmy Lile, also gone. Jerry Fisk and Jim Crowell and are just two of the Master Smiths in Arkansas. Bob Dozier, Pat & Wes Crawford are also popular makers.
One article not too long ago pegs Arkansas as home to 10% of the MSs
in the country.
Google Arkansas Knife makers.
.

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LEX ET ORDO

Grayman, I know what you mean about some remorse about giving a trusted knife to a wartime counterpart. When I was about to DROS from Vietnam, having spent a year with the Vietnamese way deep in IV Corps, I had my parents send me an unused Puma White Hunter, bought at a PX just before I was posted to RVN. And a nice pipe for the Vietnamese LTC who was my immediate counterpart. Of course I have no idea what happened to the Puma:, if he later had to surrender to the NVA, I hope he threw it into some rice paddy. It would bother me if some NVA got it and wore in on his own gear. I sometimes felt a little guilty about giving the Puma away; perhaps it saved his life or the like. Perhaps my Vietnamese buddy was wearing it when he died valiantly in battle.

A few years ago I realized the only way to get over my regret about giving. my Puma away, and the secret guilt I felt about a long ago wartime comradeship was to replace the Puma. So I did just that, and I was at Smoky Mountain Knife Works just off I 40, and got another White Hunter. I then gave it to my son, finally getting over the shame I felt about regretting my gift of my first Puma.

I did buy a nice Randall combat knife about 30 years ago, and gave that one also my son, who will pass it down to his son some day.

SF VET

You don't state the purpose of the knife. Hunting, fishing, fire fighter, smoke jumper. Do You want a working knife or a display piece? Skinner type, caping type, or gutting type? A good general hunting type is a Randall model 5 camp and trail. I have carried one for 50+ years along with a Ruana for close to 40 years. Can't go wrong with either one. If You desire a display purtty type then it becomes a matter of dollars. You can invest in a nice custom Randall for 1K to 2K. Or a Ron Lake for 20K, or a RW Loveless for 10K. Good luck with whichever You decide on.

I’m a big fan of L T Wright knives. They are relatively close to me, all handmade out of US materials and really a lot of knife for the money.

There are a couple of makes for which I will go to some time or effort to acquire, and spend more money than I have any business spending on a knife: Carothers Performance Knives, and the Busse family of knives. Both makers’ knives are known for their durability and edge retention in hard use.
I see these knives as exceptions from my ordinarily cheapskate ways: “Mora and Opinel. All else is vanity.” My daily carries are a small Opinel and a Swiss Army knife, which have proven to be way more knife than I need. So why spend three or four hundred dollars on a knife I have no use for? Well, they have this addictive quality.

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Not in jail.

I have fallen to the addiction of Randall knives, however I was impressed with this Dawson knife. Dawson had a table at Tulsa one year and I talked to the builder of this knife. It is a rugged using knife that feels solid in my hand. Dawson makes many styles of knives and swords and seem to be sold out pretty regularly. They are worth a look.

I like knives, too, and have more than I need, for sure. But.... Hey, I like 'em!

Re a new knife, here's what I am doing. One of my favorite knives is the Cattaraugus 225Q. One of the best all around knives ever, in my view. I have one that I inherited from my father that he carried as a Marine in the Pacific. I've posted here about it before.

I see them on eBay, when I look, occasionally, and think of buying another. Then I think I really don't need another... But then a month or two ago, I saw one, all rusted up and with it's pommel broken off — there's a proper technique to removing the pommel — and its blade ground kinda roughly. But, it was pretty cheap...

I bought it.

My idea is to refurbish it, but make it into a slightly different knife. Don't have the skills myself, unfortunately. I hired a guy who repairs and refurbishes knives for a living. (The same guy who I hired a few years ago to refurbish the sheath of my father's Cattaraugus 225Q.)

I've asked him to put on a brass hilt and stag handle with a lanyard hole, and fix up the blade. Sent it off to him and expect it back this summer sometime.

For what I will have in it when it's done, I could've bought a new reproduction or an old one in great condition. But, I like the idea of having a unique knife. (I may also just give it to my youngest son as a Christmas or birthday present — he likes knives, too, or at least more than my two older boys do.)

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If this knife could talk one could write a book on its WWII owner. 82nd Airborne soldier, bought it from his family at a flea market years ago.

Randall knives are sure pretty, but I believe the vast majority of them are used for bragging rights, safe queens. I’ve never seen one in deer camp.

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213th FBINA

Yes. I've got a Microtech. It cost maybe $450.00 (12 years ago). Safe queen. Never have used it. Likely never will.


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So very Politically Incorrect

Randall Knives are lovely machines and very expensive. It seems to me most of the time they are safe queens. I have so many knives that qualify as safe queens I sure don't need more.....and yet.....in the past 6 months I have acquired at least 8. But they're not Randall-class so I'll post them separately.

As for buying a knife that is not a Randall, I would have said Al Mar knives except they do not make them in the Randall style any longer as far as I can tell. Gone are the days of giraffe bone handles, etc.

I'm not sure what I would use a large, Randall-style knife for, but I have a sufficient quantity of high quality fixed blade knives that have a variety of uses IF I needed to use them, which I do not = SAFE QUEENS! Or even dresser drawer queens!!!!

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Come and take it!!

What brand do the vast majority of deer hunters buy for knives they intend to use hard? Buck.

Funny thing, I recently bought my first Randall (that I absolutely plan on using), and my wife bought me a gorgeous Arno Bernard for my Navy retirement (with which I am cleaning my next deer), the knife I have that has cleaned the most game is my Buck 118 (Personal).

I misspoke - or mis-wrote as the case may be. I wasn't thinking about the correct company when I said AL Mar above. I meant Arno bernard and I am shocked to see no fixed blades on their website:

Arno Bernard Knives

© 2024, Arno Bernard Knives

However, their fixed blade knives are available from retail sources and are easily the equivalent of Randall knives and they DO have exotic handles, as I recalled:

Exclusive Dagga Boy Collection: African Sporting Creations

2024 © AFRICAN SPORTING CREATIONS

They are not inexpensive but they're not 4 figures, either, and they are top notch knives. I never replaced the only one I had, lost in the 2018 fire, but there are so many knives floating around here it's okay!

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Come and take it!!

I never got it either. A lot of much cheaper knives will perform just as well, and losing one of them or having it stolen will not give you a heart attack. Nice knives, though.

I've got about 10 or 12 Benchmades. Oldest one I bought in the mid 80s. Well made knives, made in Oregon. Assisted openers, automatics, and a few fixed blades. All are users, but they they have a new one called the Narrows. Titanium frame and magnacut steel but it's $500! I've never lost a knife but I'd be afraid to carry that one..

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

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I used to be disgusted..

A Blackjack 1 -7 may be a possible answer. Kind of copy of the Randall, but very well made.I have one from Effingham,Illinois.

Regards Ray

The original Marbles knives made in Gladstone are great knives! I own 5 or 6 fixed blades and one genuine Stag pocket folder. While not quite a Randal, they will do pretty much the same job. My Marbles knives are all carbon steel and have excellent sharpening and edge holding abilities. As far as general cutting tasks are concerned, I’d put an original Marbles knife up against a Randal but the Randal would win in the looks dept. anytime. The Randal’s are also built a bit more stout and in general came with better sheaths too.

BTW the Marbles knives made today are just Chinese knockoffs of the old company that sold out about 12 or 13 years ago. I believe the original company was called The Marbles Axe Company and they did make excellent knives and axes.

Life's too danged short to settle for second best in a knife ...

Buy yourself a real Randall and enjoy it while you can .

I use two in the kitchen every day and carry one while hunting or fishing . It's just one of life's small pleasures ... Do it while you can !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

I would, but at 70 my camping days are pretty much over. I gave my kids our tent, stove, mess kits, etc. for them to enjoy. At this point I need another knife like I need a hernia! lol!! I've got at least 50 pocket knives and plenty of fixed blades as well. In fact I gave my son a brand new (vintage) Marble's Gladstone sheath knife a few years back. I am still active and in good health but I have lost my desire for camping. I still hunt but again, I've got enough knives for 3 lifetimes.

I would pass on a Randall and definitely pass on Bark River (do a search on Bladeforums.com for a reality check on Barkriver). Randall makes a decent knife but no where near the quality or metallurgy to justify the price or wait times.

If you want a top tier user pick a model from Carothers Performance Knives and be happy. It will take some effort to get one but they are very good knives.

Currently Available – Carothers Performance Knives

If you want an old school looking custom get a Behring made knife.

Behring Made - Custom Handmade Knives, Hunting Knives, Cutlery, Knives

Knife story! Off topic!
I was attending the Jungle Survival School at Clark AB, Philippines.
And we was headed for the Jungle!
We were paired up and I had a partner I had just been introduced to.
We got acquainted as we rode out a number of miles in a truck.
He showed me his new knife that his Girlfriend gave him.
It was a Gerber Bent Hilt.
Finally we were Helo lifted up into the mountains.
Then we moved to our bivouac location and set up camp.
As we built our shelters, he kept coming over to borrow a knife.
I was knifed up with a Buck 110, Buck 119 and a SAK.
Finally I asked him, why don’t you use your Gerber?
He sheepishly admitted, my Gerber don’t seem to be a very good cutter!
That Gerber is a Pig Sticking Dagger.
Pretty much useless as general purpose camp-survival knife.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I have been going down the rabbit hole of knives for the past several months. Reading, researching, etc. - not purchasing. Naturally I came across Randall knives and read all about them. My initial interest waned quickly. I just don’t like their styles and general size. Once I found the Loveless style drop point hunter I fell in love. That has now led to researching knife makers who produce quality work faithful to that design style. Pretty sure I have the maker decided, working on handle material selection currently. I want exhibition grade something, not mycarta or g10. I am hopng a business trip will take me to Texas in the next month so I can visit face to face and make final decisions.

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SWCA #3929, SWHF #1010

as a MACV advisor deep in the delta, I wore a Buck General in a custom sheath on my web gear, and a Buck 110 folder on my belt. I rarely had any need or use for my big Buck, but used my lttle 110 all the time, from cleaning spark plugs on my hootch generator, to cutting duck meat apart when at a ceremonial dinner, and everything in between. Used it daily twenty years later in Desert Storm. I wore the bigger Buck "...just in case" but in reality, it was just too big for any daily use. Here I intentionally stuck it into the ground specifically to have it in the Kodachrome picture. I don't recall even using it to wack open the coconut. Me on the left, the right Major came just before I DROS'd home, taking over my position as a District Senior Advisor. Plus he wore a stupid issue beanie cap, not a proper field cap. I had been on my own for a year, and didn't like working under anyone any more. It was time for me to come home. SF VET
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