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  #1  
Old 07-01-2016, 05:50 PM
Ta2bill Ta2bill is offline
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Old Randall Collections

I have purchased many knives in recent years that have come out of some serious Randall knife collections of gentlemen that are no longer with us, but who were/are household names in our community. Knives formerly owned by Grady McCotter, Tom Clinton, and Jack Crider just to name a few.

Although I find great satisfaction out of the thrill of finding these treasures, the sad part about making these purchases is the lack of provenance in most cases. Many of the knives are one off items that we do not really know Who had a hand in creating them! We can only speculate on subtle custom knives embellished by Tom Leschorn if they are not signed or marked some how. Just because it has black and white spacers doesn't necessarily make it a Leschorn custom! And many of my knives previously in the care of Tom Clinton have no history behind them either, and in many cases, do not even have the original sheaths with them. I could add many other instances, but I think the point has already been made.

We need documentation with our knives for when the time rolls around that they need to be liquidated by somebody other than ourselves!

The importance of keeping detailed records of our collection for the future is crucial for the next generation of collector to fall back on when there is nobody around to ask anymore. We see knives being verified by people who have no more idea who made it than the guy making my breakfast sandwich! I can speculate on my knives just like the next guy, and it doesn't cost me anything.

So I hope that our present body of enthusiasts has a comprehensive list of ALL of their knives, including the small details that we all may take for granted as obvious. Let's keep this hobby strong be retaining/maintaining it's rich historical significance for another 80 years!
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  #2  
Old 07-02-2016, 12:40 PM
Sligo Sligo is offline
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Terrific post !
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  #3  
Old 07-02-2016, 10:11 PM
dirty water dirty water is offline
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"We see knives being verified by people who have no more idea who made it than the guy making my breakfast sandwich"...

Love the post except for this comment...care to elaborate?
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  #4  
Old 07-03-2016, 07:26 AM
Ta2bill Ta2bill is offline
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Everybody has an opinion about someone else's knives, and it's usually people who want to purchase them. They minimize the values and intricacies of these knives at every show you attend in order to steal them from you to resell themselves. This doesn't only happen in the Randall knife collecting world, but it's the only world that I'm speaking about at the moment.

I wish that I had an idea about who created many of the knives in Rhett Stidham's 1994 "Green" catalog, since I own many of them.

Who was it that installed that Whale tooth handle on this Model 2 or the Model 7? I know that Bo did it throughout the 1980's for a family business near Walloon Lake, Mich., but did he handcraft these knives? Or was it the Scrimshander up there that did it himself? No paperwork or any other type of documentation leave's this an open ended question

A knife that has had it's handle embellished with scrimshaw by somebody other than Master Rick Bowles, and not signed by said artist, is left open to speculation and therefore unfortunately minimalization and even belittlement by others. If we had the documentation as to who the artist was, where would be no door left open for this type of nonsense.

Engraved hilts and buttcaps not signed fall into the same situation. I keep my receipts with my knives to stop this from happening in the future.

I hope this answers your question Scott. I can go on and on, but I shouldn't have to.

Last edited by Ta2bill; 07-03-2016 at 07:29 AM.
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  #5  
Old 07-03-2016, 01:28 PM
dirty water dirty water is offline
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You're right, you shouldn't have to...so stick to the ones who have been "Authorized by the RMK shop" AND have a direct relationship with the ones who may have a better answer AND stay away from those who speculate AND accept the outcome of those authorizations and all should end well...
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  #6  
Old 07-03-2016, 01:55 PM
Ta2bill Ta2bill is offline
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Now THAT is the kind of answer that keeps this hobby alive and growing!

How many questions do YOU answer daily as the elder statesman at RMK? Does a day go by that there isn't questions about an old knife posed to you?

I can only guess that you took some kind of offense to my post as sort of jab at you? IDK how, or why, but it seems to be the way you remark to all of my posts. Why the constant chip on your shoulder? Why not a helping hand instead? Snide comments are not helpful, necessary or appreciated.

Now...... back to my research.......
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  #7  
Old 07-03-2016, 02:04 PM
Ta2bill Ta2bill is offline
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Getting back to my original post about record keeping for the future....

Here are several knives that I personally have had engraved by a Master Engraver. Can anybody name this engraver without provenance?

I have the records and receipts with each knife for valid proof without a doubt for future owners to fall back on when that time comes for my collection to be separated.
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  #8  
Old 07-03-2016, 02:53 PM
dirty water dirty water is offline
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Bill, I took no offense, nor meant any remark as a jab at you...it seemed that you we're the one taking stabs at those authorized by the RMK shop as the ones providing the information..(possibly Joe?)

No chip on my shoulder...I stated that I thought it was a great post, didn't I?

I answer 10+ questions a day, no big deal, more than happy to as long as I know what I'm talking about, but I also refer many to Joe, Captain, Rick Bowles, Gary Clinton, Ron Matthews and many others I consider more knowledgeable (especially about the older ones) than I...

Sorry I offended you Sir...
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  #9  
Old 07-03-2016, 03:05 PM
Ta2bill Ta2bill is offline
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No problem at all Sir. These threads have no personality attached, so they are left to personal interpretation.

But back to the post.

It's misrepresentation (deliberate or mistaken/heresay) and supposition that hurts the hobby more so than helping it. When somebody puts down big dollars on a collectible knife based on what it was represented as and find out different, it turns people away from making the next purchase. I am well aware of the old adage "Buy the knife, not the story", but the story behind the knife can quite possible BE the knife!

I just purchased a knife from a well respected dealer of fine knives, who had doubt placed in his head about the validity of it, and became discouraged and passed it on for less than he may have wanted to. I have bought many knives from him in the past, so he is fine with having me do the legwork instead of himself. I live by the motto "it's only a good deal if BOTH parties are happy" and we both are.
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  #10  
Old 07-03-2016, 03:17 PM
Ta2bill Ta2bill is offline
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Online auction sites (eBay) are prime examples of misrepresented knives. If I had a nickel for every "Viet Nam era" knife listed which isn't, I could buy another "Viet Nam era" knife that is!

These sellers are not listing them as such to intentionally misinform the potential buyer, but have been misinformed themselves. (Possibly by the same guy that makes my breakfast sandwich) lol

I attempt to inform these sellers every chance I get, and most are very grateful. (snowballii excluded). Sometimes it seems that it goes in one ear and out the other. But most do not want the hassle of a ebay claim filed against them and the dreaded negative feedback! lol
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  #11  
Old 07-08-2016, 10:25 AM
Edges Edges is offline
 
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They don't know, so they make it up

Bill--

Reading this thread, I agree with you and with Scott.

As I have said on another forum in the past, people often don't keep records and those who come after them are simply left wondering just what the knife is and where is the sheath!

Family members and friends who come across such knives (and it isn't just RMKs) are left to flounder, not knowing anything about knives, not knowing who to turn to. So they either just put them aside and forget about them. Or they "give them away" for next to nothing. Or they give them to a friend or casual acquaintance. And this is true of knives left behind by people who we might think were rather sophisticated collectors.

The problem collectors have is that keeping solid records involves getting organized and doing the work, and it is too easy to avoid doing these things because (1) getting one knife at a time entices us to just put them aside and think maybe we will get back to them, and (2) other demands on our time and energy distract us from doing this mundane and "unrewarding" task.
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