"...learned and fanciful..." hummmm. Sir, I suggest that perhaps you review what the term "Occum's Razor" means and how it is applied.

Tell me ... which is the "simplest" of these two arguments:

1. - "Heiser made all the sheaths that look like a known Heiser including those stamped 'Randall;'
- Johnsons made all the sheaths that look like a known 'Johnson;'
- Heiser did not make sheaths that look like Johnson because there are no such documented sheaths or supporting documents and research;
- Johnson did not make sheaths that look like Heiser's because there are no documented sheaths of that type, or supporting documents or research;
- nor are there any such sheaths that fit the historical timing of Mr. Johnson's sheath making...

"...Furthermore this thesis of 'Heiser's are Heiser and Johnson's are Johnson' fits the known history of Mr. Johnson. And, it is backed up by voluminous data including multiple pictures of documented knives, etc."

or

2. -"Heiser made the sheaths that are stamped "Heiser,"
- Johnson made the sheaths that look just like Heiser's but are stamped Randall.
- but at the same time, Johnson also made sheaths that didn't look like Heiser's but did look like later Johnsons.
- it does not matter that believing the reality of this strange set of behaviors requires introducing Johnson-made sheaths years before the historical record says he started making sheaths for Randall...

"...That's ok because the only way to tell if the sheaths that look like Heiser's but were made by Johnson is to ask Joe. Joe says that he is the one who can tell what Johnson made and Johnson made sheaths that looked like Heiser's and had no resemblance to his other sheaths, years before anyone thought he was making sheaths."

Mr. Rigid54 (no name?), you seem to have picked door number two for the application of "Occum's Razor." I wonder.. could you be wrong about what constitutes "Occum's Razor?" Could you be wrong about which of the above arguments satisfies the philosophic requirement to pick the simplest answer?

I look forward to more of your "learned and fanciful" posts about historical Randalls, sheaths, blade stamps, coolie caps, escutcheon plates, Delrin handles, etc., that include extensive documentation, examples, pictures, footnote references to written and personal accounts, and that are matched to historical data records. Then perhaps I could more accurately provide focused commentary.

By the way... in this case identifying the period does make a difference as has been discussed MANY times. Trying to squeeze hundreds of brown button sheaths into the Johnson-made time frame has distorted the historical record and caused a great many knives to be misidentified and mis-dated. And this has further warped identifying the historical records both before and after this period. It is readily seen in virtually any book about Randalls.