Al Mar vs Randall

[THE PILGRIM]

Time for a War Story!
There I was at Clark AB, Philippines, attending Jungle Survival School.
After a week or so of classes, time to Hungle in the Jungle.
We were paired up for safety reasons. I didn’t know my Partner that well.
So we got better acquainted while riding out quite a ways maybe 20 miles to the Helo Lift location.
During the truck ride he showed me his new knife given to him by his Girlfriend.
It was a Gerber Mark II, Bent Hilt!
First one I ever actually handled.
Got up in the hills, hiked down to our assigned location, which just happened to be in a Wild Banana Grove.
First order of business was to erect shelters.
I’m building away and he keeps borrowing one of my knives.
I’m carrying a Buck 119, Buck 110 and a SAK.
So I finally ask him why don’t you just use your knife?
He embarrassingly replied that his knife wasn’t that good at cutting.
It’s a Dagger! A Stiletto! A Pig Sticker!
Probably an excellent Combat Knife!
But not that useful as a general purpose camping - outdoor - survival knife.

 

[SmithNut]

Just posted this pic earlier in another thread....

My Al Mar SF10..

One of these days I hope (not) to have to use it....

Will need to take a pic of my Randal knives..... Love them too.

 

[desmobob]

I have a Randall, but for real-world "combat" and survival use, I'd pack my Fallkniven A1 or Busse Skinny ASH. But that's only because I watched the old knife destruction tests by Noss and saw how much abuse they can take, not because I wouldn't have faith in the Randall.

I think there are many great knives that fit the bill and it would be impossible to pick one "best" knife for the job.

 

[Narragansett]

In general, I have a hard time getting by the Ka-Bar USN fighting knife, and I own several. Dollar for dollar, they are great.

I did recently pick up a vintage Cold Steel R1 knife that is a knockoff of the Randall #1. They have long since been out of production, and I know I will never split with the money for a Randall

 

[Shark Bait]

This is one of two Randalls I own. It is a #1 that I got at a gun show a while back. I won't use this one. I have other large knives that I will abuse. My other Randall is a Combat Companion and I will use that one.



The Bark River Bravo 3 made short work of this juniper tree.

 

[WR Moore]

Slightly off topic, but decades ago I read an article by a noted knife maker who'd polled (and listed) other makers on the topic of "fighting knives". The collegial opinion was that if the tip of the K-Bar was altered to lower the point so it was on the thrust axis, you had a good "fighter". As issued/made it's a good utility knife.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

In SEA one of my associates carried one of these Filipino Negrito Bolos.
He had a leather sheath made and carried it in a nylon bag sewn to his G Suit.

 

[Greyman50]

Carried a Gerber MkII in my right boot in RVN, was a cant blade too. Regrettably I gave it to a ARVN Lt. when leaving. Wish had kept it as some NVA has it….

 

[BAM-BAM]

Seems some knives are for using and other just for looking at!

Ka-bar Extreme Duty is good enough for me. Also like their reproduction of the WWII 5" Navy Deck knife for EDC fixed blade.

 

[SmithNut]

Seems some knives are for using and other just for looking at!

Ka-bar Extreme Duty is good enough for me. Also like their reproduction of the WWII 5" Navy Deck knife for EDC fixed blade.

Agreed, since I use mine as models they need to stay pristine....

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

MOST people that own Randalls ...WOULD scream bloody murder if you tried to cut something with their knives.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Might as well post the knife that I actually carried.
It’s the bottom one.
The top one is the original Navy Knife, longer blade.

 

[SmithNut]

Speaking of pristine......

Here's a couple favorites - the SOG Seal knife and the SOG Seal Pup......

Enjoy.............

 

[BlackAgnes]

This Randall accompanied me all over the western hemisphere and was used for all kinds of inappropriate tasks, piercing metal containers, chopping small trees, prying stuff--there is no observable damage at all. In Colombia, the tool-steel blade rusted every day, and I cleaned it with gun oil. Still looks good.
A Marine pal of mine, a Viet Nam vet, said while he liked his Ka-Bar, the riveted pommel came loose and he couldn't keep the handle on.
I think a full-tang knife is preferable for hard use.
Just my limited observation.

Tim

 

[Mule Packer]

Like just about everything, there are both ends of the spectrum when it comes to knives. There are the collectable knives that cost several hundreds of dollars, and then there are the ones that have "Starkist Tuna" stamped on the blade that you can pick up at a gas station for a buck.

When "push comes to shove," however, a knife was originally meant to be a tool. Plain and simple. Oh sure, we'll always have the collectors among us, and that's great, but a knife was meant to cut things. I suppose it started out in its earliest years as a sharpened rock, but as time progressed, more time and effort were put in to making a blade. Thus, the rise in cost.

Things like blade steel, handle material, heat treatment, and the amount of handwork all attributed to the cost of the knife. It all begs the question, does a knife that costs several hundred dollars cut better than a knife that cost a hundred bucks? Probably not. I mean, you can put a razor's edge on just about anything if you work hard enough at it. Oh sure, there are steels that will hold an edge a little longer, but is it worth the extra several hundred dollars? That's the question each of us has to ask.

There are knives that are literally works of art. You probably won't find these in an elk camp. But that's okay. Whatever "floats your boat," so to speak.

Bo Randall always said that his knives were meant to be used. And, they do a good job. For example, you can pretty much bone out an elk with a Randall knife without having to touch up the edge. Not many knives can do that.

A Buck 110 will bone out an elk, too, but you have to touch it up a time or two in the process. Ask me how I know.

Anyway, bottom line is, if the knife works for you and does an acceptable job of meeting your expectations, it doesn't matter if it cost $50 or $500. One of my favorite knives is one that my eldest son made for me and gave me one Christmas years ago. He made it from AUS8 steel, which is an okay steel. It takes a good edge and holds it pretty well. Is it as well-finished as one of my Randall knives? Nope, but I don't care. It works great in the field. I've used it to bone out elk and it does a fairly good job. Sure, I had to touch it up during the process, but it cuts great...and that's what any knife was designed to do. So I'm happy.

 

[SmithNut]

Actually mine is this one. $35 and staying put!

Nice looking Al Mar..... is that an assisted opening model??

 

[Marshwheeling]

On the budget end of the spectrum, nobody has yet mentioned the Cold Steel SRK, a 6” clip point for well under a hundred bucks that gets a lot of its popularity for its seeming suitability as a fighting knife.
For Randall money, I would be more inclined to spend mine on something from Nathan Carothers or Jerry Busse, very high quality knives made with an emphasis on edge retention, cutting performance, and indestructability.

 

[Retired W4]

I spent 2000 through 2007 going to Portland, OR several times a year and got to know Gary Fadden of Al Mar Knives. AMK made in OR or Siki are great blades. The Al Mar SERE II gets truck duty and the little Falcon is EDC. I also recommend Cris Reeve, formerly of South Africa for fighting knives. The old Gerber Mk II, which I carried in my left combat boot for 12 years is more survival than combat. The Al Mar Shiva with quinced Chinese burl is more for show but the edge is wickedly sharp. It's #3 of the run.

 

[hardluk1]

Timb1 Just what is ether of your knife choice really for to you .

I carry a ZT 0350 daily for 15 years now , Good S30V steel for the day and no issues with it But for use when hunting I have a couple D2 steel blades from Knifes Of Alaska going back some 30 years now or a as a Bushcraft type knife I picked up a BPS Adventurer with a 1066 carbon steel 5 3/8" blade , 1/8" thick and 1 3/16" tall . Easy to sharpen , cuts like straight razor when new or touched up and can be found for $39 dollars . Mine tested to a hardness of 59 and its made in Ukraine . BPS knifes have a number of other model knife you may find fits your needs better but I'm pleased with mine . There most costly knife is the Stingray . More of a heavy duty boot knife design made with D2 steel and all of 130 bucks . and all come with a heavy duty leather sheath

LIke others here I see nothing special in randall or al mar today .

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I have one Randall, a carbon steel model 23 Gamemaster. I use it. It's an excellent knife for skinning and quartering game, but i like a fairly small blade for field dressing. I often just use the spey blade on a large 3-blade stockman pattern folder for that work. I just bought a Cold Steel Pendleton mini hunter that I think will be good for that as well. I want to make a sheath that will carry my Cold Steel Master Hunter and the Pendleton mini piggyback.