Dating a Randall Bowie

[dax0007]

What a great thread!! Here is my Randall Bowie collection....

First up I was told is a Randall model 9-12 Brassback very rare with a outstanding piece of ivory..

The stone and sheath make it mid 60s in my opinion.... I sprung out the money for this one cause i have never seen a BRassback 9-12 before

[dax0007]

Here was a set i purchased with DELRIN HANDLES and BRASSBACK ON THE BOWIE.. I had to have the BOWIE, but the owner would not give me a deal unless i bought the toothpick so i flexed the my budget and bought both.. got a fair deal.

..
THese 2 Beautys were purchased directly from the original buyer.. He place the ORDER with Randall knives in 1967 or 68 and received the knives in 68/69..


The Randall DELRIN knife topic is interesting topic and there is a great thread on this site in reference to DELRIN...

I never really knew about all the DELRIN mysteries till I ran into Mr.Jacknolas thread.. I thought it was WHITE MICARTA but its did look odd in the pics compared to micarta... I definately appreciate white micarta over DELRIN, but DELRIN has its place in Randall history and it was actually the FIRST ivory replacement.. I have seen some very nice looking DELRIN knives in the Randall Derin thread.. They are beautiful from a Randall vintage stand point...

[dax0007]

Here is a MASTER PIECE I purchased from a avid outdoors man who admires Frank Frazetta art work...
If you never heard of Frank Frazetta I highly recommend you google him.. He was an amazing artist(he has passed on) and I would have to say most popular Fantasy artist in history in the our century..

This knife was commission by the original owner and there were 5 others knives with Frazetta scrimshawed artwork.. The SCRIMSHAW ARTIST did a outstanding job.. His name Saggio ..

His work stands with the best of the best...

I am a big conan fan so I purchased this one.. I wanted the rest, but could not afford it..
The handle material is IVORY, but when compared to 1960 IVORY there is a difference in my eyes.. I see a difference with whateveer coating the used 50 years ago vs no.. Maybe its the polish wearing off.. However i enjoy the looks of both eras..

[jeepster]

Very nice!
Ronnie

[Jacknola]

Don, about Frazetta... check the 5th page of "the Magic Randall ... old wood handle repair.." line on this board. That is the line that discovered the key to the Heiser-Johnson grand unification theory.

http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/sh...t=57968&page=5

[dax0007]

Hey JACK!! WOW! Cool info !! Did u really know Frazetta? Neat story.. I believe it with a magic randall you could do about anything except fly..LOL>. Frazetta had a imagination that woudl not stop for years, then being able to learn to paint with the other handle is just crazy.. what a ICON!

thanks for sharing

[Jacknola]

Don, the story of "The Magic Randall" is an amalgamation of experiences, some my own, some by my twin brother, some by Special Forces friends, and some just research. Supporting the story with pictures was fun. But ... the story was conceived out of frustration. It was supposed to explain the disconnects in dating the Magic Randall sheath and knife... and ironically, this imaginative story ultimately led to the solving of the mystery of the Heiser/Johnson sheath dating... producing the "grand unification theory." Historic fiction has its upsides and when my heirs finally sell that 1-7 ebony-handled knife, I expect them to advertise it as "the Magic Randall!"

No I didn't know Frazetta, though we were contemporaries and I have been a fan of his paintings since the early '70s. There are a number of tongue-in-cheek posts in that line to continue the story of "the Magic Randall," check the huge croc picture. By continuing the discussion with occasional whimsy, new information kept appearing until one of the biggest mysteries was finally solved with the participation and encouragement of Ron Mathews.

I have had some people contact me believing that the events related in the story of "the Magic Randall" were a biography of my own experiences. Well, it is flattering to think that the story is so compelling and realistic, and the facts so accurate, that it all seems real. Truth is, it is all real... just not all are my own experiences.. What the story is is a summation and dramatic chronology of some of the major military encounters of the cold war. Each episode as related in the story is historically accurate except for one small fact.. which can be explained by faulty memory of an old vet.

Glad you liked the story. Regards, Jack

[dax0007]

Well Jack.. i MUST a agree the 1-8 of an era is the magic randall.. Boy thats a good story which brought out the fun for me when i read it.. I can only image the experiences you encountered while serving our country..
I am sure some of the stuff you saw back in the day make the Magic Randall/Croc encounter pretty tame..I am sure Mr.Frazetta could have picked your brain. Shame you did not buy any of his stuff in the 70s... I am sure money was tight back then..
i have learn more here about Randalls than on all other sites combined.. Jack...Thanks for your contribution
Oh I did have to google amalgamation.. )

[dax0007]

Hey guys.. Wondering what year this THORPE BOWIE could be?? The GUARD looks very over build which in my mind would say late 50s...


ANy help??

TH

[dax0007]

Massive Thorpe bowie on ebay.. The guard looks from the 50s.. can anyone confirm??

Thanks

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Rand...item2a4822f519

[Jacknola]

Don, my guess with be late '50s-early '60s. The massive guard with the braized lugs added lasted to about 1958-'59 or so. Heiser took over sheath making for the Bowies about 1955 or so and began stamping their sheaths with the "Randall-made" stamp in about 1959-60. Spacers on Bowies did not follow all the "rules" applicable to smaller knives, but this particuilar stack is something of a marker for the mid-late '50s period.

Given just the knife, I would have guessed about 1957 or so. Add sheath I would say about 1960-'62. It is possible that the sheath was a later replacement, but more likely the knife was made earlier, stored and sheathed when sold. That is my best guess...

[dax0007]

Thanks Jack for the info.. I sent him a email incase he decides to let this one go for a few hundred less.. I am getting the itch for a thicker guard Randall Bowie.. I love the one on Arizonia customs but the blades been sharpen.. I love a knife with character, but i cant pay 1600 for one.. Gladly prefer a older used one for a steal over a mint since i am always selling to fund this horrible addiction!

Thanks again!Don...

[Jacknola]

Since this is a Bowie line, might as well post the original Confederate Bowie "Smithsonian," dug up from the Perryville Ky battlefield.

[dax0007]

What do you guys figure with this Randall Bowie??? Look at the stamp?? The brassback is uneven forsure. and the handle does not look original or the guard.. Was this a kit brassback Randall from the 70s

??

Very interesting piece!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Rand...item48704ba1db

[Moosehead]

Hi dax007!

This is from the seller's description, so it may well be a KIT knife:

"Randall was the knife maker is on this one. The knife looks to be in great condition. This is an older high quality knife.

I have had this knife for several years and hesitated on selling it because I wanted to be absolutely sure it was authentic. I took it with me to Orlando on my last visit a few months ago. I stopped by the Randall shop and let them look at it. The blade was verified as authentic Randall. It was sold by Randall as a kit knife in the early 1970's. I feel confident after my visit that it is a genuine Randall Made blade and someone else put the handle on it. That is how I am selling it.

The knife has a 1/2" or less crack on each side of the handle as seen in the photos. The blade has some scuffs and spots as seen in the photos as well. I have not cleaned it and am selling it just the way I got it. This knife was in a very nice collection of high quality knives that I bought from a gentleman that I have known to be very honest and he was very sure it was the real deal when he sold it to me. This is the only knife from that collection that I have left as I have sold all the others. As I stated earlier, I did not want to sell it without being confident. I have always dealt with Case knives but I honestly did not know that much about Randall.

If anyone that really knows Randall knives sees something wrong with this listing description, please let me know. I am a honest seller and would never sell anything that I can't back up. My reputation is worth more that any price that this knife might bring."


Cheers!

David