The Finest Randall Miniature on the Planet

[Rick Bowles]

Some of you will remember Tom Leschorn's self described master work "The Continents".
This is the last of the eight knife set. This miniature 12-8 Big Bear Bowie represents "Earth" with a woman on the trademark side and a man on the reverse.

[Ta2bill]

Stunning!

[Jacknola]

What a stunning climax to those "continent" knives. I've got pictures of all of those saved and look at them frequently. I've often wonder where the idea to honor each continent came from... the imagination that took... perhaps a bit of late night good Scotch Whisky?

This miniature denouement is equally imaginative... why a miniature? One difference....the continent knives were stainless, this is not. The stainless continent knives contain a secret.

From Gaddis, p. 215:

"An interesting sidelight... was supplied by Gary Randall. .. During the late 1960s.... a steel company sent Randall a sample bar of 440C stainless steel. The company salesman was interested in getting the Randall shop to switch from its standard 440B forging stock to this higher-carbon 440C.

The sample bar was too wide for use on Model 14 blades, yet too narrow and thin for the big Smithsonian Bowie, so they decided to forge Model 12, 8-inch Bear Bowie and Model 12, 9-inch Sportsman Bowie blades from it. Gary remembered Randall getting about 15 Bear and maybe six Sportsman Bowie blades from this sample. These were marked with the usual "S" stamp to denote a stainless blade, just like the regular 440B ones. So there are a few Randall bowies out in customers' hands that are a bit more difficult to sharpen than would normally be expected..."

Guess what. All seven of the "continent" Bear bowies were very likely to have been in that group of Bears with blades of 440C stock. I actually found apparent confirmation some years ago, and forgot where I filed it... it had do with documentation why he chose Bears for this series and when the Bears were acquired . .. which was years before he finished the work. Still, it is a cool footnote to an amazing series of knives. Thanks for sharing this Rick... I had no idea.

[Rick Bowles]

Originally Posted by Jacknola

One difference....the continent knives were stainless, this is not.

Jack,
As you can see by these two examples, some first run miniatures were marked with a "S" as the mini #1 and some were not, as the mini #3. However, it's my understanding that all miniatures were crafted with stainless steel blades. Like the 50th. Anniversary knives, all of which feature stainless blades, only about 10% of the Commemoratives were (erroneously) marked with an "S".

[Jacknola]

Good stuff Rick. Is that someone's house next to the turkey? It looks abandoned ... wonder why it is on the handle of that knife?

The idea of finishing the continent series with a mini is very unusual and imaginative. I wonder if making a mini was partially dictated by what remained of the original 440C sample? I assumed he got the knives and launched the project.. but this mini might indicate that the end product also dictated the making of the knives. I like lore and knowledge even if not in my wheelhouse ... thanks for sharing.