[Jacknola]

Rick, that is just freaking awesome information. What a footnote to history! The appreciation in value of the unused Randall pistols is probably substantial, depending on what models Gary bought. This is what a chat board should be and deliver ... sharing arcane information with people who are searching. It is just a dang shame that the project you described did not reach fruition.

I wonder when and how the two sets offered in the Green Catalog (and the one mentioned as being in the museum) came to be? I would speculate that Jack Crider heard about the scrapped project and had them made up for him personally.... it is another curiosity. I guess I'm not surprised at the use of the Bear Bowie as a presentation knife to General Randall. It was the model selected for (American astronaut) to give to his counterpart Russian cosmonaut. And it seems to have been the model selected for ceremonial gifts on other occasions too.

But I'm not too sure about the lack of stainless-bear-bowie-before-1984 that you mentioned. I think the seven "continents" knives were stainless and were all acquired from RMK in late '60s early '70s. It seems to me that they were very probably part of the group of 12 (or so...at work, no Gaddis book) made in 1968 (or so) from 440 "C" rather than "B." The production of these were mentioned by Gaddis. However, I would suspect that those 12 (?) were the only stainless bears made for years and years, and until those blades were exhausted, no more would have been made.

Do you have any pictures of the General's knife or pictures of the pistols, etc.? I wonder if there is a way to get an inventory of the pistols Mr. Gary Randall bought? Dang... a mother load of interesting and mysterious goings on at RMK. Love it, thanks.

PS: I didn't realize you could scrim "ivorite" (though god knows what material was being called "ivorite" in early 1980s...) ... cool bit of info.