Find out the age of a vintage Randall

[jonnymac44]

Hi,
New to this sub forum, but I had a question for all of the Randall experts out there.

I've been to Randall's site and perused it a bit, and done some searching on the net, but can't find out if there is any real way to date Randalls.

An old friend of mine who is about 80 years old gave me his old Model 12-6 Little Bear Bowie that his wife custom ordered from Randall back in the mid 1960's, at least that's what he remembers! The knife is in great shape with the original sheath and stone. I found it really interesting and was wondering if there is any way to find about more about when it was made.

Thanks!

I'll try and get some pics up in a little bit after I get the kids to bed for the night.

Jonny

 

[Melvin-Purvis]

Hi, and welcome.

Yes. The model was introduced to the public in 1967; the blade grind on first year knives is slightly different than those that came after. The spacers (type & number), the blade grind, grind lines, and the sharpening stone if original to the sheath will help quite a bit - secondary to that, possibly the blade stamp, sheath type, and handle material as well.

Here is a late '60's variant - unusual in that typically a seven spacer stack was only used on non-leather handled RMK, and then only into early 1972...yes, pics of your knife would be quite helpful...

 

[jonnymac44]

Melvin,
Thank you so much for that info!! Here are some quick pics I just took without much setup, but you can get the idea. The spacer stack below the guard is five thick, red-white-black-white-red. The pommel spacers are 3 thick, red-white-black.

I appreciate the help.

Jonny

 

[Melvin-Purvis]

Man, lotta pics...lol

All looks to be original, and that's the standard spacer stack used on leather handled RMK's through most of 1972 - the Norton SP-13 'Bear Brand' stone type was first used in late 1969...so, that's the age range, ~'70-'72, plus or minus a few months, typical for knives configured like yours.

Hope that helps,

Shel

 

[jonnymac44]

Just tryin' to show all the angles!!

Thanks for clarifying things for me, Shel. Now, do I clean it up and try and breath some life into the sheath..........or leave it untouched???

 

[Melvin-Purvis]

That, of course, is your call. It doesn't, as it stands now, have a tremendous collector value. If it were mine, I'd take a used toothbrush, some Q-Tips, and a soft cloth to the sheath just to get the mold and grime off - carefully, and gently as you aren't going to make it 'new', nor would you want too...

The stone can be rinsed off with hot water and mild liquid soap, but any scrubbing will likely take of the ink stamping, which IMO would be a huge mistake.

As to the knife itself, if it were mine I'd use a corrosion lifting product like Flitz or Semi-Chome to lift off any crud - put it, let it sit for a few minutes, and gently wipe off - it's a chemical process, not a mechanical process. Other'n that, wipe it down with a rust preventer when clean and dry...I use Ren wax only because I bought a small can years ago and it's still going strong, but any waxy product will do, from Turtle wax to beeswax...

Hope that helps, looks like you've got a great user there, have fun with it!

 

[bart1]

All good advice. Generally "less is more" on vintage Randalls. Enjoy your vintage piece! Bart RKS#132

 

[Samael]

I didn't jump in until now, because Sheldon is the "pro from Dover" on dating Randalls. I'm pretty well-known around here for saying that, unless the knife has obvious collector value, you should use it, and this one's no exception.

 

[jonnymac44]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the input:thumbup: I really just wanted to hear a few opinions on care. I definitely am not interested in flipping this knife for a profit. Sure I could make a few hundred dollars or more on this one, but it has a lot of sentimental value and I plan on keeping it. The original owner, Nick, is kind of like a grandfather to me and he's now one of those old guys that my kids see around town and such. This Randall never sat in a safe (not that there's anything wrong with that!!). It's skinned deer, cleaned turkeys and ducks, helped start campfires. You name it, Nick used this knife for it. He has entrusted much of his collection to me over the years, and I always cherish them.

Thanks again,
Jonny