Randall Knives

**Seabee** · 03-31-2010

I carried my Randall no1 for 5 years, off and on.

It used to drive my CO crazy and I had to take it off for a few weeks then sneak it back on... Have done everything possible with it from chopping, splitting, slaughtering goats, cutting... It has been in a drawer for the last 15 years... still a babe..

Once in Central Africa we were given Camillus as X-Mas gifts... All other knives were forbidden, we all had to wear the Camillus... Mine broke at the hilt after a week... Told my Captain they were cr2p... which did not please him at all.

It was one of those moments I will treasure for ever when his broke a week later doing some chopping... a friend gave me his but it to broke at the hilt within a month...

I had the Randall back on my gear a couple of weeks later.....

**GI Zhou** · 03-31-2010

All I ever carried in the outback of Australia (not the outback seen in Survivor was a two-inch folding Buck knife which I carried on my belt and a small Swiss Army knife I carried on a long length of 'hootchie cord' attached to my shirt. The Buck knife was smaller, lighter and still good enough to skin and remove the hind leg of a boar. (Which had been killed by a Fairbairn/Sykes fighting knife to the heart as dogs held it down).

I figured if they ever got close enough to need a knife in combat for personal defence I was in deep ####e and my entrenching tool (old style) was a better bet.

**Seabee** · 04-01-2010

Agreed Zhou,

but a knife is a tool. A big knife can do almost everything a small one can do, but a small one cannot do everything a big one can do.

As stated, i used the Randall for chopping, splitting, skinning, slaughtering, delicate cutting and rough hacking. Romoved thorns with the tip, made splints, cut just about everything except wire.

The only human flesh it ever bit into was my own

but I am certain there are enough stories around of it being a good all round combat knife.

I can type pages about guys in my section with Boot knives, commando daggers etc. etc... who waited years or years for the opportunity to kill a sentry on a dark night with a stilletto to the throat.... the opportunity never came....

All of them spent their time out on the terrain saying "Guys... I need to chop some wood.. build a shelter.. whatever.. can I borrow a knife ? " ;-)

**Van** · 04-01-2010

An unmistakable sign that I was maturing (or at least getting old):

Enthusiastic young warriors ask my opinion about what knife to invest in, and my recommendation has two central points;
-"Good enough to use, cheap enough to lose", that is to say, get a good tool that won't cause heartbreak if stolen or lost.
-"Can you make a sandwich with it?" 'Cause food prep is the most frequent use I have for a "field knife".

Randall is an absolute premium knife, but a little expensive for the first point. Ka-Bar fits the bill this way. Any opinions on the Cold Steel 'homage' to the Randall #1? Identical geometry, first rate materials, and a bit less expensive, but I haven't heard too much field testing.

For the second point, Victorinox Swiss Army, Buck, Opinel, and others do well. Opinel is outstanding for food prep, takes a good edge, and is very easy to sharpen.

The Swiss Army knife scissors or a Leatherman Micra is also a good idea as moleskin is much easier to trim with scissors.

But I ramble...

**GI Zhou** · 04-01-2010

For some reason we weren't allowed to take big knives or bayonets on exercise, probably to stop people playing Rambo - I saw alleged professionals carry two different large knives and an all purpose bayonet and leatherman. That sort of stuff set a bad example to the younger troops.

I rememebr a freind carrying a Gerber boot knife on his pistol rig, he lived in the Outback, as was told get rid of it as it is dangerous. He pointed out his loaded 9mm pistol and six magazines of ammunition mightr be considered dangerous too.

I have always reckoned two hand grenades are more useful than a pistol - same space and weight. I could consistently head shoot a target at 25m and torso shoot at 50m with a service 9mm Browning so 'its lack of accuracy wasn't a concern'. They are a large ditch back up weapon anyway. Any thoughts about the space and weight of a large knife?

**Ken White** · 04-01-2010

Originally Posted by Van

Ka-Bar fits the bill this way...

It does indeed. My second issue Ka-Bar, at age 50 something, has been to its second and third wars with my son. The first one with two wars and an intervention or two was stolen, I'm pretty sure by a 'friend' -- military acquaintance, more like, I guess -- after about 12 years of field use...

. Both opened a lot of cans and made a bunch of sandwiches among other things as they ended up with shorter but still adequate blades due to snapping points while prying things.

**slapout9** · 04-01-2010

In my day the large lockable Buck Knives were just coming out and were a big hit in the 82nd. Outside of the that the K-Bar was fairly common, the sheath had a wide loop and slide over your web belt very easily. A couple of guys did carry the mini K-Bar (i think this was called a USAF survival knife,but not sure). Some Officers carried a Gerber long slender knife that was supposed to have been popular in Ranger school. Too pricey for me.

During some of my experiences with SF I was given the advice to carry a boy scout hatchet. One of the most useful things I ever did, everyone wanted to borrow it in the field, couple of other folks finally bought their own. Nasty close combat weapon

Outside of that I carried the commo rig (cant remember the name) but it had a pair of wire cutters(open many a can of C-rats) and a small pocket knife(like the old cub scout knife) all in a leather sheath. One of the best things the Army ever invented, cant remember the name.....mayeb Ken will.......for some reason I want to say a DL-50 rig but not sure.

Tidbit, I grew up down the street from Randall Knives (South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando,Fl) it's all Topless Bars today

**Ken White** · 04-02-2010

LINK.

One of my dipwad sons scuffed my set...

**Pete** · 04-02-2010

I own one of the Air Force knives Slapout mentioned--the sticker on the back of the sheath of mine says "Knife, Hunting, Sheathed, Survival, Pilot," NSN 7340-00-098-4327. Mine is made by the Ontario Knife Company, mail-ordered from Atlanta Cutlery. It meets the criterion Van mentioned of being cheap enough to lose. As previously mentioned, it's hard to get an edge on this model of knife, but I've never understood why some deer hunters insist on sharpening their knives so much more than an ordinary kitchen knife. It must be a "getting ready for the season" kind of thing.

**Rifleman** · 04-02-2010

I used to have a Randall Model 1 with an 8" blade. I bought it in a shop in Fayetteville, NC in '85 or '86 (can't remember the name of the shop). I carried it on my LCE but never used it much. The blade was about two inches too long to be practical for anything other than a hand to hand fight. Years later, I traded it to a Randall affectionado for three smaller knives - Gerbers and Bucks - that I've used quite a bit.

I think 6" is about the max size for a utility knife. Knives longer than 6" are verging on being a small cutlass/saber and are less than ideal for general use; however, I'm sure the additional length is good if you anticipate preparing to repel boarders, two legged or four.

RJ · 04-02-2010

I carried a K-Bar while a Marine. And picked up a Sykes-Fairbain, pre WWII fighting knife, with a brass handle and blade guard in Hong Kong when my BLT was in port on Liberty. Cost me $50 Hong Kong dollars in 1959. About $5.00 us at the time.

I have a WWII lead handle and steel guard tucked away lo these many years between the seats of several pick up trucks. The WWII modal guard loosend up after about a year and rattled constatly.. Both the Fairbains took poor edges, but the object with that knife was to either stick the opposition or whack him in the head with brass ball on the end of the handle.

The Fairbains had cheap sheaths and I had both fitted with sturdy Mexican leather when I got back to Pendleton..

My cousing married a SEAL and wanted to send him something to keep him safe. She asked me to pick out something that would be appropriate. He was on his 2nd tour in the Delta.

I found a Gerber #1 in a sports shop in Hackensack, NJ. It cost about $50.00 and was better made than the Fairbain's and had an elegant look about it. The blade was wasp waisted near the handle and the grip hade a non-slip finish.

Pete liked it and said it was admired far and wide by his team mates and the local troops. He sold it to an incoming Bosn's mate for $250.00. He said that particular knife made its way thru the Teams for about 15 years.

He retired after 24 years in the Teams.

I still have a 28" blade with a steel guard and a buffalo horn handle shaped in the form of a hoof I traded a case of "C" Rats for in a way back and beyond village on Mindinowa. It was supposedly made from a WWII Jeep spring.

The weight and balance beat any US issued machete in the wild of several southern swamps and later on as the main camo grass gathering tool in many ducky locations in the nor'east and Texas.