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Old 04-13-2016, 01:35 PM
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Jacknola Jacknola is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: New Orleans
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Long post with some more deep-background thoughts about the Solingen 14. Directionally it is correct. Individual conclusions may be problematic.

Only in the 15th and 16th catalogs (distributed 1962-63 ? see 15th catalog above) did Randall offer to sell just the Solingen Model-14 blade. Though the price of a completed Solingen 14 knife (without sheath) went from $18.50 in the 15th to $20.00 in the 16th catalog, the price of just the Solingen blade remained the same at $8.50.

We can draw a lot of logical conclusions from the above data.

Assuming that the shop margin was 50-percent (note: standard sales methodology of the time used Cost/Price = markup), the total cost of making the Solingen-14 knife could have been no more than about $10-$12 including materials and labor. Remember, the Solingen blades being offered in the catalogs for $8.50 were all probably acquired in 1955, probably for a cost of less than $4.00/blade, and could have been half that. This would leave at least $6-$8 for additional labor and materials to make a finished knife offered for this price? which should have provided a margin for standard profitable manufacture, assuming sale for $18.50.

I believe Randall was offering the Solingen-14 blade in 1962-63 as a discount way to clear out the Solingen inventory which had originally been acquired in 1955. Then in 1963 the shop created another use for the Solingen blades, as Model-18s. Shortly thereafter, the war heated up and the shop suddenly needed more, not fewer, Solingen blades. This would be about the time Randall began ordering additional M-14 Solingens and etching them with the Randall-made/Solingen logo in the shop (Note: RMK shop acquired their own etching machine in 1960-61 or so).

I speculate that the offer of blade-only was removed from catalogs subsequent to the 16th (though the blade-only cost was included in the ?Kit? insert) because of the increased demand for completed knifes.

In the 15th/16th catalog (see above) Randall suggested using tape, rivets, bolts, plastic, wood, etc., to make a handle for the naked Solingen blade. I?ve attached a picture that I believe shows a surviving example of such an attempt in the early 1960s.

Last edited by Jacknola; 07-28-2017 at 12:11 PM.
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