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Old 11-09-2011, 04:52 PM
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Triubte to Janie & Rhett Stidham & the RKS

Hi all!

It's been almost seven months since Rhett Stidham passed away. First and foremost his loss is deeply felt by his devoted wife Janie, but he is also missed by all RMK lovers around the world.

Unfortunately Rhett's death resulted in the demise of the Randall Knife Society, which he founded and administered, aided and abetted by Janie. Thousands of RMK enthusiasts were members over a 21 year span and a wealth of knowledge was created in the quarterly RKS Newsletter that were mailed to members beginning in 1989.

I feel that this is an appropriate time to pay a tribute to Rhett and Janie, as well as the RKS for the wonderful contribution they made to Randall collectors all over the globe.

When I first became interested in RMK back in the fall of 2002, and even before I had ever seen a Randall "in the flesh", I accidently discovered the Randall Knife Society website via Google.

The photos of this amicable looking couple, encouraging folks to join, made the RKS seem like a natural place for collectors to share their passion and learn all about Randalls.

My very first Randall related purchase was a Zippo lighter adorned with the RKS logo on eBay.

After starting my Randall collection with a "Smithsonian" and soon after a "Trailblazer", I finally felt "qualified" to join the RKS, which I did in April 2003.

This was my first contact with Rhett and it was the beginning of my relationship with a man whom I came to respect very much.

I was fortunate to have met Rhett and Janie in Atlanta at the 2005 Blade show, and found them both to be very warm and friendly. I have fond memories of watching Rhett in action, examining knives with avid collectors at the RKS mixer. I also remember Rhett presiding over the annual RKS meeting, where it was obvious that he shared the enthusiasm for RMK that all of the members exuded.

Here are a couple of photos I took of Rhett and Janie at Blade:






I'll tell you more about the first photo later on in this tribute.


I've since enjoyed telephone conversations with Rhett in which his great sense of humour was always apparent.

I will always remember Rhett's down to earth good nature and will always be appreciative of his acceptance of me as just a fellow Randall enthusiast and a human being.



PART I

THE RKS NEWSLETTERS (1989-2010)





Issue #3 July 1989 and #88 December 2010 are the in foreground.



As you can see these newsletters stack up into quite a pile. I'm missing six of the total eighty-eight issues, including the first two and #'s 13, 32, 33 and 38.



The following photos will give you an idea of the extent of the Randall information covered.

by the newsletters:












Continued below in next post:

Last edited by Moosehead; 11-22-2011 at 04:41 PM.
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  #2  
Old 11-09-2011, 04:56 PM
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PART I continued:


















PART II of this tribute will follow on this thread, but in the meantime please feel free to add your thoughts about Rhett, Janie and the RKS.

Cheers!

David


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Last edited by Moosehead; 11-22-2011 at 04:39 PM.
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Old 11-14-2011, 11:47 AM
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Hi folks!

For those of you who may be interested in exploring the vast amount of information contained in the RKS newsletters, a CD was made about a decade ago containing the first 40 issues from 1989 to 1998. Each newsletter appears as a Microsoft Word document when you open it.

The CD also contains photos of all of the Randall Made Knives catalogues during the period 1939 to 1998, including every page. There are a total of 916 photos containg a wealth of information.

Produced by InterSquareProducts, the CD is entitled "The Randall Knife Information Collection" and was fully endorsed by the Randall Knife Society.

After a Google search, I discovered that the CD is apparently still available from InterSquare for US $34.95. See here: InterSquare

It's definitely a great information tool for RMK collectors.

Cheers!

David

P.S. Part II of this trubute will follow in due time.


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Last edited by Moosehead; 11-22-2011 at 04:39 PM.
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Old 11-14-2011, 03:08 PM
BoBlade BoBlade is offline
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David,

I've used that CD more times than I can count. It's been an invaluable resource for Randall knowledge.

Best,

Ron
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Old 11-16-2011, 01:51 PM
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Hi all!

Welcome to Part II (The Club Knives):

Belonging to Rhett and Janie's Randall Knife Society entitled members to more than just the quarterly newsletters.

In December 1990 the RKS had grown to 850 members and Rhett with the full cooperation of Gary Randall was able to offer a specially designed "Club Knife" to members. The first club "Fighter" knife in carbon steel was offered with either stag or black Micarta handles and came with a sheath stamped with the RKS logo on the back.. The grind proved to be very popular and the knife eventually became the "Combat Companion" which is still offered by RMK in their non-catalogue insert. 564 Stag handled and 436 Micarta handled club knives were made for a total of 1,000 knives. As with all the club knives that followed each knife's blade was etched with a serial number, and the member had the choice of having his/her membership number etched as well.

In May of 1994 RKS members were offered another opportunity to order a new club knife, also with a similar choice of handles but with a stainless blade. This time the RKS logo was stamped on the front of the no-hone pocket sheaths. This grind is now the "GTR", named after Gary T. Randall and can still be ordered as a non-catalogue knife. A total of 636 club knives, comprised of 298 stag and 338 Micarta handled were produced.

1997 saw the creation of RKS Club Knife III, inspired by Scagel's knives. The design proved to be very popular and this knife is the forerunner of Randall's "Trailblazer", Model #27. A total of 860 of the RKS III were crafted.

In December of 2000, members had the choice of stag or leather handles for the latest club knife (RKS IV), which was another fighter with a very long 8" blade. 816 stag and 384 leather handled Fighters were made, for a total of 1,200.

In August 2004, the final (sadly) club knife, RKS V was offered to the membership, which by now had grown to over 2,500 active members. It was a full tang miniature which my wife likes as a user. This knife inspired the full sized "Woodsman", Model #28. A total of 1,500 mini RKS Vs were produced.

So thanks to Rhett, not only are there some very neat and collectible knives out there for folks to find and enjoy, but several have served as inspiration for RMK to continue the designs in their regular offerings.


Below, thanks to old photos by Steve Peters (and anonymous RKS member #1209), is a complete collection of the first seven club knives and their sheaths (I'll have take some photos of my mini RKS V and post them on this thread later):


















Part III of this tribute will follow on this thread.

In the meantime your comments and observations would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Cheers!

David


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Last edited by Moosehead; 11-22-2011 at 04:38 PM.
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Old 11-16-2011, 04:57 PM
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Part II continued:

Whoops!

No need to post any photos of my RKS V club knife...

I just discovered I had saved the photos that Rhett posted on his original RKS Forum of the prototype of the RKS V and three possible sheath configurations, none of which were picked. So here they are:











I also found this RKS V is my photo stash! It's a RKS V with a Rick Bowles scrim and the ultimately chosen sheath.







Outstanding scrim n'est pas? Rick take a bow:


Part III of this tribute will follow on this thread.

In the meantime your comments and observations would be most appreciated. Thanks!

Cheers!

David


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Last edited by Moosehead; 11-22-2011 at 04:37 PM.
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Old 12-11-2011, 07:45 PM
CDNWIDE CDNWIDE is offline
 
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Been a while since I've been here..well done David!
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Old 01-13-2012, 11:40 AM
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Hi all!

I would like to thank Rex B., Ken L., Rod B and CDNWIDE, as well as my fellow moderators for their posts, helping to remember a true icon in the world of Randall knife collecting.

It is exactly one year to the day since I spoke to Rhett for the very last time, and I thought it would be appropriate to share our conversation with you.

When I called, Rhett was in very good spirits despite sounding a little weak from the treatments he was undergoing. There was a snowstorm raging outside, and the Meadows of Dan were under a carpet of drifting white powder, so naturally Rhett and Janie were glad to be tucked inside their cozy home. However at one point their dog decided that nature was calling, and Rhett had to interrupt our talk to go out with him into the swirling snow. After the pooch had done his business Rhett called me back and we resumed our conversation...

Rhett was looking forward to being well enough to go to the spring knife shows he and Janie were planning to attend. The Blade Show in Atlanta was to have been the highlight, which included the annual Randall Knife Society meeting. Sadly it was not to be.

He also expressed his hope that the new year would bring more friendly exchanges on his RKS forum, where intolerance had become a problem.
At one point Rhett, who grew up in the rural region of eastern Kentucky, mentioned that his coal miner father had always warned him that there were three groups that you really had to watch out for: "Blacks, Catholics and Jews". Rhett told me that when he was a young man attending university to study chemical engineering, he he was exposed to all three of these "dangerous" types of folks. In no time at all he discovered that despite their obvious differences, these people were just like him!

This recollection really showed me what a great man Rhett truly was!

I will always remember Rhett and I miss his presence on the Randall scene.

Cheers!

David


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Old 01-15-2012, 05:09 AM
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I am new to this forum, I would like to ask a question without appearing rude.

But, I sitting here and trying to figure out whether to ask it, or first get your opinion.

We all know Rhett and others in the forum can never be replaced. Their dedication, their passion, honesty, wiliness to listen to all opinions and yes sometimes obstinacy sets them apart for the rest.

I wish we all could be viewed that way.

Sry about the preaching!

My question was why the RKS could not be continued ?

Jeff
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Old 01-17-2012, 11:26 AM
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Hi Jeff!

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your post!

Your question as to "...why the RKS could not be continued..." is a good one. The society is a Stidham family endeavour and we are therefore unable to answer it. We hope you and other concerned folks will understand.

Sincerely,

David, Rick and Ron
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Old 01-17-2012, 05:06 PM
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Thank You, for both the Welcome and the Response..

I did not realize that RKS was a strictly a family thing, I respect that.

Again, I meant no disrespect, I was just wondering if it was a monetary thing. If that had been the case and not a family matter, maybe we could have helped continue the great work.

Jeff
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Old 04-02-2012, 08:08 AM
NovaTact NovaTact is offline
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Very sorry to hear this. My respects to the family. I was a RKS member and still have most of my newsletters Rhett sent.
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Old 04-03-2012, 05:47 PM
Rick Bowles Rick Bowles is offline
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Well... Rather than rolling over in his grave over what's happened to the RKS and the old forum, today Rhett is doing hand springs! His beloved Kentucky Wildcats won the NCAA championship. He would have been thrilled!
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Old 04-23-2015, 09:48 AM
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Hi all!

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Rhett's passing. Let's all take a moment to remember a man who made an enormous contribution to Randall collectors the world over. Rhett's passion for knives of all kinds was infectious and his Randall Knife Society did plenty to encourage and educate folks about these cool blades. His presence on the RMK scene is still missed! Rest in peace.

For those who have not seen this tribute or are new the the world of Randalls, have a look at this thread.

Cheers!

David


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Old 04-23-2015, 10:19 AM
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Thanks, David. The more time that goes by after Rhett's passing, the more I fully appreciate what he did for everything and everyone "Randall". I don't think those shoes can ever be filled. The good parts are that we had him with us for a long time and his legacy will be with us forever.

RIP Mr. Stidham.........
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