Bart: Thanks! Good info.
Shel: Much appreciated! I had a feeling that the general welfare of the Randall community was trump in your book.
OP,
You mentioned that you "ran across" this knife. In the same post you say you tested it to see if it was stainless. I'm curious: Do you own this knife?
Bo made very few knives himself after the early WWII years. IMO the chances that Bo made this knife are pretty slim.
About your stainless question:
Here is an article that goes into detail about stainless markings on Randall knives:
http://www.rmkcollector.com/archive...ping-and-etching-of-stainless-randall-blades/
The guy who wrote this article also clued me in on the same method you that you employed to test for stainless. He has a late 50's 1-7 with no stainless marking, yet liquid bluing has no effect on it. He therefore believes it is stainless. I tried this technique on a 50's Model 3 that I "thought" might be stainless. The bluing "took" to it like stink on you-know-what. I tried it on one of my stainless stamped blades. No effect!
I've seen a number of chrome plated Randalls (Mostly bowies, but some field knives as well). It's hard to tell from your photographs, but chrome "looks" a lot shinier than what I am seeing from you.
We lost a really good Randall guy at the end of July this year by the name of Perry Miller. Perry was the shop's "authenticator" (i.e. you could send Perry a knife and for a fee and he would "authenticate" it with the shop's blessing to include a photograph and certificate. On August 21st there was a public announcement on another forum that Joe Dorsky was appointed the shop's new authenticator. If this 13-6 was mine, I'd send it to Joe and see if he could get Gary to agree it is indeed the 2nd 13-6 ever made. I'd also ask to have it tested for stainless composition (if this is something the shop would do). You can send Joe an e-mail at
dorsalfin@tampabay.rr.com
Best,