Al Mar vs Randall

[Shark Bait]

If I was looking for a heavy duty working / fighting knife in the $400 to $600 range I would buy a Busse

Unfortunately they don't provide sheathes for their knives. The Bark River knives always come with a high quality leather sheath.

 

[smoothshooter]

Unfortunately they don't provide sheathes for their knives. The Bark River knives always come with a high quality leather sheath.

What fixed blade knife maker doesn’t include a sheath of some sort with their knives????

 

[Flattop5]

Puma knives have a good reputation, the Skinner is sharp on the blade and also the spine. Another popular Puma is the White Hunter. The two mentioned used to be made of carbon steel but the newer models are all made of stainless.

I have a Puma White Hunter (made in 1974, I believe. It has Pumaster Steel). But I don't take it hunting. If I do hunt, I take a "user" knife, such as a Buck, Case, etc. I would not want to lose the Puma. (I did lose a Buck 110 once, while fishing. That was a real bummer. But I bought a new one later).

Here is my Puma (sorry, there is some dust on the knife):

 

[Flattop5]

Furthermore, I have always wanted a Randall, but somehow I never did get one. It's hard to plunk down $600.00 or more all at once for a knife.


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[SmithNut]

Furthermore, I have always wanted a Randall, but somehow I never did get one. It's hard to plunk down $600.00 or more all at once for a knife.
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They don't have to cost that much. I have 4 Randall's, all bought at Pawn Shops over the years, my first was ~20 years back, the other three have been bought over the past 15 months or so (all at different Pawn Shops).

This one was just bought yesterday for the princely sum of $250 out the door.

Pawn shopping is a family adventure, lots of good stuff for reasonable prices can be had. To get those prices you need to show up regularly and ABS (that's not braking nomenclature, it stands for Always buy something), after awhile you get to enjoy some reasonable prices once they know you are prone to spending $$.

 

[SG-688]

My late friend Jay was a SF medic in the 80’s. He had both Randall and Al Mar knives, as well as a Yarborough he bought as a legacy. I don’t have a story, so I’ll tell his story.

Jay said as he was preparing to go to SF training, he hit a surplus store – probably the one named above - to buy a few things. It was a busy day, but finally he got help at the knife counter from a man who thoughtfully helped him pick out a Boy Scout type folder and a fixed blade. When the time came to pay, the man said he’d have to get a store employee to help; he was just visiting. It was Al Mar.

A couple of weeks into training, there was Al Mar as the instructor for a class on knives. Al remembered Jay, asked if Jay had his knives and called him to the front – leaving the rest to wonder ***.

I asked if any SF actually used the Al Mar SERE folding knife; he said many indeed did – including Jay. Jay also said that he kept an Al Mar folder (Orca ?) in the placket of his fatigues modified to be a pocket so that he always had it with him.

Edit to add picture of an Al Mar SERE with a Bruce Nelson pouch just like Jay had. This one belongs to my old IPSC practice partner.

Jay said once when being deployed on short notice, he had called Bruce Nelson for a belt and holster set. Bruce put Jay in the front of the line and then sent it all free.

 

[Flattop5]

They don't have to cost that much. I have 4 Randall's, all bought at Pawn Shops over the years, my first was ~20 years back, the other three have been bought over the past 15 months or so (all at different Pawn Shops).

This one was just bought yesterday for the princely sum of $250 out the door.

Wow! I have never seen a Randall for sale for under $500.00. That's amazing!


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