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  #1  
Old 02-10-2017, 02:26 PM
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samg samg is offline
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Pre-historic Randall Knife?

I have seen many early Randall knives, and knowing that Bo stylized his early knives after Scagels, but I couldn't help looking at this one. I'm always going thru Google images, looking for that oddball. So I googled "Bo Randall's first knife" and this one popped up.
I wouldn't give it a 2nd look had it not had the Randall red,white,blue spacers.
I'm almost apologetic even posting it here, but what the heck....The hilt has some similarity of shape too. Perhaps one of Randall shop workers did it on the side? Or just someone making a rudimentary knife, and happened to use red,white,blue spacers? What do you think?




Last edited by samg; 02-10-2017 at 02:36 PM.
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Old 02-10-2017, 11:41 PM
jeepster jeepster is offline
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A pre logo knife maybe.
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  #3  
Old 02-11-2017, 06:09 AM
BoBlade BoBlade is offline
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Bo's early knives had 2 pins in the handle, some metal spacers and an oval hilt. Maybe that's why it hasn't been sent in to Joe for authentication.
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Old 05-25-2017, 01:22 AM
RobertDiaz RobertDiaz is offline
 
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Smile Randall Knives

I read in an article that Bo first made the knife it had a different handle, spacers, and hilt. Some time later after some time improving his skills, he reground the blade and re-handled it in the configuration it is in now. Randall forged his first knife out of a leaf spring from an automobile in his garage with a handle of stag and made his first hunting knife.
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Old 05-25-2017, 03:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertDiaz View Post
I read in an article that Bo first made the knife it had a different handle, spacers, and hilt. Some time later after some time improving his skills, he reground the blade and re-handled it in the configuration it is in now. Randall forged his first knife out of a leaf spring from an automobile in his garage with a handle of stag and made his first hunting knife.
Hello Robert, and welcome to the forum.
In Bob Gaddis' book Randall Made Knives: The history of the man and the blades page 38, he illustrates the first knife Bo Randall Made.



Bo was influenced by Bill Scagel and modeled his early knives after Scagel, down to the "fancy" spacers that Scagel used.
Bo didn't begin using red, white and blue spacers until he began making fighters for the war effort. He was a Patriotic guy, and it was reflected in the spacer colors.
Even if he did rehandle the knife, any restoration project probably would have been with the fancy spacers to be period correct.
The subject knife that started this thread is rather crude in comparison to any Randall from any period. I believe he used 2 pins early on too.
I personally don't see any similarities of this knife with any Randalls from any time period.
Again, welcome to the forum Robert.
Regards, Sam
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  #6  
Old 05-27-2017, 08:51 AM
JE6245 JE6245 is offline
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Interesting thread Sam. I believe that blade style is like one of the Scagels in the collection at the RMK museum. So maybe this was Scagel inspired. Odd about the combo of no stamp and later period spacers though.
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Old 05-29-2017, 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted by JE6245 View Post
Interesting thread Sam. I believe that blade style is like one of the Scagels in the collection at the RMK museum. So maybe this was Scagel inspired. Odd about the combo of no stamp and later period spacers though.
JE6245, yes it has hints of Scagel inspired, could have been made​ by an early Randall helper, who knows. There are a thousand possibilities, but without hard evidence, provenance...it's just a knife with similar spacers.
For someone to claim that it was probably one of Bo Randalls first knives without hard evidence is irresponsible and falls into that well tested statement of caution, "Buy the knife, not the story." That's the way I look at it.
It's similar to some who sell knives on eBay or elsewhere and claims a fighter because of it's well used condition "was obviously carried in theater" because of the condition. Without the strong provenance, it's just an opinion.
This knife to me seems to definitely have some age to it, but who knows, it very well may have been made by a random novice who owned, or saw a Randall or Scagel and decided to try and copy it.
Buy the knife, not the here say.
Regards, Sam
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Old 06-05-2017, 11:33 AM
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This knife happened to be at blade this year, in Chris Stanabacks display case.
He had some great knives, as many of the collectors did. It's always a pleasure to see these great old knives!
On the knife that is the subject of this thread, it was displayed with the tag "Early Bo Randall Circa 1937-38".



It looks old to me, but I can't get past the spacers. We know that Bo was inspired by Scagels knife, I think his earliest knives had fancy metal spacers. So to see an early knife with the red white and blue spacers, that's amazing.
The claim is 1937-38, and the knife was on display for the inquiring public to see. So my question is, is there provenance to back up that claim? To narrow down a date like that, as we do in community, doesn't it need to have some sort of evidence to back that claim?
Has the knife been authenticated?
I was just surprised to see the knife with a specific date. It's such an unusual specimen.
I think Chris is a member of our forum? Hopefully he can provide further info on this knife. Being a novice made looking knife, it would certainly make sense that Bo's first attempts would be more like that, but where is the evidence to back the claim?

Regards, Sam
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bee, blade, chris, first knife, forged, handle, hunting, hunting knife, interesting, knife, knives, made, make, making, metal, pins, randall, shop, spacers, stag, white


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