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  #1  
Old 11-20-2005, 04:54 PM
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willhunt willhunt is offline
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Look What I Brought Home From Deer Camp

Hey everyone. Great looking Forum you have. I have been lurking around here for awhile, as I did over on the KFC. Don?t post very often, as I don?t have much to contribute. Looks like this is now the place to ask if you have any questions.

Well let me start by saying I did not bring home a big buck this year. Got close to few smaller bucks with my bow, and did take a nice fat doe on the last day of my hunt with a rifle. Got to have some meat for the freezer. As always a great time was had by all.

One evening we were all in my buddies basement shooting the ####, telling stories as all deer hunters are known to do. One of my buddy?s neighbors picks up a Marble?s knife of mine, and as he?s admiring it says he has an old folding style Marble?s knife that he?s had for years. I ask him to describe it in more detail, and I am sure it is Marble?s Safety Knife probably with Stag handles. I inform him that this could be a very collectible and possibly valuable knife. ?Really?? he says. And then very matter of factly asks me if I?d ever heard of a ?Randall? knife. He then said, and I paraphrase, ?Oh yea, me and my Dad used to do some work for Bo over at his place on Walloon Lake.?
After I picked my jaw up off the table, I asked him who exactly he meant by ?Bo? and yes, it was indeed Bo Randall he had worked for. He said they had a real nice place right on ?Randall Point?. He then proceeded to tell me that along with the old Marble?s knife, HE ALSO HAD AN OLD RANDALL.
To say I was excited would be an understatement. I told him we had to get together before I left, because I was very interested in these knives.

He expressed some interest in possibly selling the Randall, and I told him I would not have a clue on its possible value, but if he would trust me with it, I could get the opinions of some of the most knowledgeable Randall people in the world.

So here it is.




I'll leave it up to the experts here, but I hate to say it looks like the knife might have been altered at one time. The upper edge is sharpened. I know I have never seen a Randall with this blade design, but I hope I'm wrong. The sheath is a brown button Heiser with no markings whatsoever on the back. I thought most Randall sheaths were marked with the model # and blade length or other info about the knife.
Here are some other pics.





My guess is the handle is ivory, but again I will leave that up to you guys.
Any info on a date of manufacture, and/or possible range of a value would be much appreciated.
And a few more.




And a few of the sheath.




Sorry to be so long-winded. Any and all comments are appreciated and welcome. Please ask questions if you might have any, and additional pictures can be provided if necessary. Thanks in advance for your help.

willhunt

P.S. I forgot to mention that the knife is engraved with the name FRED H. GILMAN. Don't know if this helps with an ID, but I thought I'd post it. Thanks.


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Old 11-20-2005, 05:35 PM
BoBlade BoBlade is offline
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Hi Will,

Thanks for dropping by. That is the earliest model 8-4 I've ever seen! All original and yes that's ivory with a Sterling silver hilt!. Most likely late 1946 or early '47. The blade grind is almost identical to the first of this model made for Bo's buddy Litch Steinman in September of 1946 (ref pg 116 in Gaddis' book). You can see another early 8-4 in Pete's book on page 83, but your friend's is earlier (note the difference in the clip grinds). As far as value: "Whatever someone is willing to pay for it". I can throw out a ballpark of $2-3K, but on e-bay it's anyone's guess.

Best,

Ron

Last edited by BoBlade; 11-24-2005 at 02:59 PM.
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Old 11-20-2005, 06:59 PM
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willhunt willhunt is offline
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WOW. Thanks for the reply, Bo Blade. I had no idea. And here I thought the blade was re-profiled at one time. This is the precise reason I came here. Thanks again.


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Old 11-20-2005, 08:16 PM
Seussbrother Seussbrother is offline
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Hi Will. Let me add my welcome to Ron's. I was admiring the knife and hoping that he was around here somewhere with the answers for you. All I knew was that it was a pinned ivory handle and that was enough to get me fired up. I love them but don't own any YET! What a beautiful old knife! Thanks for sharing the pictures with us. Really special!

Seussbrother
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  #5  
Old 11-21-2005, 01:54 AM
Rob Kelly Rob Kelly is offline
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Willhunt,

Thanks for posting THAT knife

wow, what a beaut

BoBlade does know his pinned knives

Just my 2 bits

I would say that it is a real keeper

Great story and great knife

BTW

If'n you buy the knife try to get him to write the details down and sign it

it all adds to the provenance

very nice find

Best

Rob
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Old 11-21-2005, 09:22 AM
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Moosehead Moosehead is offline
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Remarkable!

Hi Willhunt!

Firstly, thanks for lurking in the past, and for finally jumping in here. Everyone has something to contribute.

Thanks as well, for sharing your story and photos of this very rare find.

To any RMK buff, this knife and it's particular history is truly incredible. Your friend is quite fortunate that you enlightened him to the treasure that has inherited. That this knife has survived for almost sixty years, and has remained in the possession of the family who originally obtained it from the knife-maker, for whom the father worked up in his Michigan fishing and hunting stomping grounds makes the knife really special.

If I was in your friends shoes I would keep it! However, if he really has no interest in it and wishes to sell, it would be very difficult to place a monetary value upon it.

These kind of situations always attract profit seekers, who only see $$$$$ signs. So often the item in question will travel through the hands of several purveyors before it settles into the hands of someone who truly appreciates its intrinsic value.

Whatever fate now awaits this knife after its discovery, I'm sure it will be well treated in its elder years, being doted on and pampered in ways it has never known.

Thanks again!

David

P.S. Thanks to Ron for enlightening us to the aprroximate age and details of this knife!


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Last edited by Moosehead; 11-21-2005 at 09:24 AM.
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Old 11-21-2005, 10:51 AM
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hammerdownnow hammerdownnow is offline
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I think I peed a little bit.


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Old 11-23-2005, 04:28 PM
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willhunt willhunt is offline
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Thanks to everyone for the nice welcome and informative replies.
It's obvious to me now, that purchasing this knife would not be possible for me. Way out of my league, and price range.
The gentleman who owns the knife had said that he could really use a new deer hunting rifle. I will relay all of this info about his knife, along with the news that if he should choose to sell it, he will be able to buy a very fine rifle indeed.
I will advise him that e-Bay is probably the place to get his best price.
Thanks again, willhunt.

Forgot to mention. To hammerdownnow, after I read BoBlades response, I DID pee a little!!!


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Last edited by willhunt; 11-23-2005 at 04:37 PM.
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