#1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass

Posted by: Buckspen

#1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 10:30 AM

Eight inch blade, brass double hilt, five thin spacers at hilt and a white faced compass in the butt. Johnson smooth back sheath with salmon color stone, no printing. The walnut handle has some checkering on each side and an inlay on the Randall logo side.
$700 shipped. More photos available on request. Personal checks preferred.
- Buckspen
Posted by: Rich

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 11:05 AM

Is the handle factory done?
Posted by: Buckspen

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 12:23 PM

Rich - I'm pretty sure that the handle work was not done by the Randall shop. I bought this knife from a fellow forum member about two years ago.

- -Buckspen
Posted by: crutchtip

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 01:52 PM

the shop does not and never has done decorative type embellishments such as engraving or scrimshaw. These items are/were subcontracted out to a select few folks i.e. David Perdue and Rick Bowles.

Tom Leschorn was the only person I know of that assembled (spacers, handle material, pinned butts, etc.) and embellished (inlays, engraving, checkering, etc.) Randall knives with the approval of Bo Randall.
Posted by: Buckspen

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 02:16 PM

Thanks for your comments, Joe.

- -Buckspen
Posted by: Captain Chris Stanaback

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 02:49 PM

I used to own this knife, God knows when. The walnut was shop-supplied...and installed. The checkering and inlay were done, after-the-fact and I do not know by who (whom).
Joe is correct about Tom having the approval of Bo to customize RMKs however he liked but there were a couple of others who come to mind also, namely: Gail White & Tommy Bish. This handle was done by none of the 3 mentioned here.
Hope this helps, Capt. Chris
Posted by: tunefink

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 04:13 PM

I think I sold it to Buck. I bought it Blade about 5 or 6 years ago with no sheath. I added a Johnson smooth back to match. They are all just rental units. The checkering and inlay are well executed.
Posted by: Buckspen

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 06:07 PM

Actually, I think Mitch sold it to Gary Howie who sold it to me a couple years later. I like it but I am concentrating on scrimshawed knives these days.

Thanks for your input, guys.

- -Buckspen
Posted by: Tattoo Bill

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 06:46 PM

Originally Posted By: Buckspen
I like it but I am concentrating on scrimshawed knives these days.

Thanks for your input, guys.

- -Buckspen


I have a few more heading to my website this week..
Posted by: crutchtip

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 07:53 PM

Originally Posted By: Captain Chris Stanaback
I used to own this knife, God knows when. The walnut was shop-supplied...and installed. The checkering and inlay were done, after-the-fact and I do not know by who (whom).
Joe is correct about Tom having the approval of Bo to customize RMKs however he liked but there were a couple of others who come to mind also, namely: Gail White & Tommy Bish. This handle was done by none of the 3 mentioned here.
Hope this helps, Capt. Chris


Cap -

I know Bish modified knives, but didn't think he actually assembled them, pinning butts, making handles, etc. I don't think Bish engrave either. Correct me if I am wrong, but most of the Bish stuff I have seen was kinda crude with modified butt caps. hilts, and such and were for his personal liking. In other words, he wasn't an artist like Leschorn

Gail White I am vaguely familiar with.
Posted by: W Polidori

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 08:02 PM

Joe,

I've owned a few Bish knives. These were well documented examples in fact featured in magazine articles. Think of them as a kit blade. Tommy finished them off as far as I know. Nothing to suggest he altered finished knives. They had his personal touch. Just my .02c. GCTom has the ones I had and many more. He can add much more information.
I'll edit to apologize. I didn't realize this is a for sale post. Probably needs to be moved to a new thread.
Posted by: Captain Chris Stanaback

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 08:30 PM

Tommy Bish, at one time or another, did "all-of-the-above! He was granted "blade-only" privileges just like Tom & Gail. "Most" of Tommy's knives were of his creation, whether they started out completed (which many, many did) or not.
Best, Capt. Chris
Gail White "blade-only" shown below...CCS
Posted by: crutchtip

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/02/19 10:12 PM

so GW had the skill and materials to silver solder hilts on? Then final polish and sharpen the blade? She shaped the hilts? Was she simply getting partially finished pieces and putting handles on? That is the way it looks.

IF you remember Tommy C had 2-3 Bish knives at Gator last year I think it was. Kinda crude compared to TL if I remember correctly.
Posted by: tunefink

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 07:14 AM

Here is an article on Bish kit knives.


https://www.randallmadeknife.com/1967-gun-world/
Posted by: crutchtip

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 08:14 AM

Thanks Mitch. So, Bish was supplied kit knives and finished them at a fairly high level on some examples. If you look in part 2, you will see the butt of one knife that is "scalloped" or at least it is his attempt at a decorative finish. That is an example of some I have seen, and to me, it was just ok.

Cap would know better, but I think my statement about TL being the only one that had Bo's approval, i.e. his work was endorsed by the shop. You will note, the work that TL did on RMK's was a bit different on many of his examples compared to Bish or White. It could be highly decorative, and I don't see that from the others. Didn't White do some engraving?
Posted by: GCTom41

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 08:53 AM

Joe,

The engraving on the # 1 Fighter is quite good.

I agree nothing compares to Tom Leschorn, especially his works done during the Seventies through the Eighties! The Continent's Series of knives was a Masterpiece.

His engraving on wood & metal; the checkering on wood & ivory; and the incredible mix of gold inlays he did on his engravings are truly works of art.

However, some of his earliest engravings on metal were where he honed his skills; they could be considered crude in comparison to his later works of art. His amazing ability to carve Ivory inlays of extraordinary detail on small pieces I believe set him apart from everyone.

I now have (4) of Tommy Bish Kit Knives and three of the ones I have I would agree are crude. The 4th one though does have engravings like Mitchell's article show along with Eddie Layton Scrimshaw. No sheath however came with this knife when I bought it and that was always the tell-tale; Tommy Bish signed and dated the back of his sheaths (in the Crudest manner with a magic marker).

I have attached a few photos of the Tommy Bish KIT Knives that I have showing the back of the sheaths.

Tom Flynn
Posted by: crutchtip

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 09:14 AM

Thanks Tom. This is an area I am not too well versed on and is an interesting part of RMK history. I have seen many examples, but never really put much thought into it. I do recall the signing of sheaths as you describe.

The #2, is that an acquisitions from the last couple of years? I seem to have seen that knife before.
Posted by: tunefink

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 09:29 AM

Buckspen,

Perhaps you should re-post your for sale thread since all of us, me included, have hijacked your posting.

My apologies.
Posted by: GCTom41

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 09:37 AM

Joe,

Bought from Captain Chris 3+ years ago. Was shown with a sheath in 1991 Crider Collection Green Catalog.

Tom Flynn
Posted by: Eric

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 09:56 AM

Fine looking 1-8 Bruce. I love the compass on a #1-8, have not seen too many with that option.
Posted by: crutchtip

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 10:18 AM

tom -

that was one of the knives I saw at the Gator show. There were at least two more on the table.
Posted by: Buckspen

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 10:24 AM

What a great discussion! Thanks to everyone for chipping in. New information is good for all of us.

- - Buckspen
Posted by: Dirty_Water

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 07:12 PM

We actually shipped Mr. Whites knives with the hilt already soldered on...
Posted by: Captain Chris Stanaback

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/03/19 07:35 PM

All "3" men, Joe (not 2 men and a woman) had the blessing of the shop. I agree that my good friend,Tom, was the bees knees but Mr. White (for what he did...spacers, handles, etc.) did a great job as well.
Best, Capt. Chris
Posted by: Buckspen

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/05/19 12:37 PM

This knife is still available.

- Buckspen
Posted by: Buckspen

Ended #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/06/19 06:18 PM

off to eBay

- -Buckspen
Posted by: Raindog

Re: #1 Fighter with walnut handle and compass - 01/16/19 03:50 AM

Originally Posted By: Buckspen
Actually, I think Mitch sold it to Gary Howie who sold it to me a couple years later. I like it but I am concentrating on scrimshawed knives these days.
- -Buckspen

That is correct.