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Originally Posted by crutchtip
Of course the cartoon depiction of Gus Grissom and the Liberty Bell 7 is wholly inaccurate as the knife has been recovered and it has the original brown micarta scales.
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Joe, the cartoon is about Alan Shepard, not Gus Grissom, as Shepard was the first American into space. Shepherd's knife was never recovered.
I'm not debating scales on or scales off, whether Shepard had them removed or not. Despite what Gaddis' said, the catalog insert offering the paperweight and a tie clip are depicted without scales, and the paperweight insert, I am sure with the insert having Bo's approval, the insert indicated that Shepard flew it without scales. That's enough provinance for me, along with the fact that the Astro was first offered without scales, with micarta as an option.
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Originally Posted by crutchtip:497366
One other thing to consider, aside from 3 options for handles, selling an Astro without scales and not hollowing out and shape the micarta handle, was a far less time consuming undertaking, and I believe could possibly lend itself to the catalog offering handles as a chargeable option, perhaps predicting high sales numbers for the "space knife" to collectors.
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That's very possible from a marketing point of view.
Your other viewpoint:. "Very few if any really left the shop without scales. That is a myth that for some reason folks keep talking about. It more that impractical w/o scales. It is barely practical with scales, a very small handle. Anyone can take an early Astro and take the scales off. Wa la, an Astro w/o scales. Much to do about nothing."
You may or may not be right about that, but what's the point? I just took exception with the trivializing of the Astro in general. I respect that is your opinion, but others don't agree.
It would be like someone making light of the World War II fighter with the thong clip. To many that's a very valuable part of Randall history, but it occupies a very small part of it, as a better way of securing the thong was discovered after what, a year? Does that mean that the thong clip is not important? Of course not.
The fighter and the Astro occupy very important moments in the Randall timeline, and I think they should both be treated with the respect they deserve. Not trivialized with suggestions of "impractical, and much to do about nothing"
Just my 2¢ worth.
Sam