Bought a Ruana Knife

Always wanted one of these. I called the shop and Mike just happened to be finishing up the 21A model that I was looking for and he could ship in about one week. He even offered to round up some of the old color leather for the sheath since I am not too crazy about the new color. Anyway, the knife and sheath looks exactly like this one and needless to say, I am very happy with it.



Blade is forged from 1095. Handle is extremely comfortable. Great overall experience!

Any other Ruana fans here?

Mike should be making Daddy proud. That's a great looking knife. Two knives you can always spot from a distance are Randalls and Ruanas.

How do they stamp them these days?

Dubie Baxter

I've had ruana's since 1965 when I worked for the US Forest Service in Plains, Montana which is about 60 miles north of Missoula.

The new Ruana stamp just says Ruana, Bonner, Montana. The old stamp and the one that is sought after by collectors, is R.H. Ruana, Bonner, Montana. the older sheaths also have the RH Ruana stamp with an elk head. The older RH Ruana stamp has ages one can determine by the "M" or the small knife stamp. They are a fun knife to collect but certainly aren't the overall quality nor do they have the options and models that does a Randall. The Ruana Bowie's are the most sought after and can command a big number.

I have an older 21A and they do feel nice and are a real workhorse. Congratulations on your choice.

It is my understanding that Ruana's current fit and finish is much better than the older knives. Randall knives and sheaths are noticeably more refined. My Ruana knife is beautifully finished, but it still has a rugged appearance to it.

I love old Ruana's and also like the new ones as well. Not the same as Randalls but great hand crafted knives. I collected them for years before I got into Randalls. You do see a lot of cross over in the people interested in them both. Other than the bigger bowies still relatively inexpensive and you can get them basically from the shop right away. If you haven't tried one check them out. Good hunting knives.

The one thing that I noticed most about my Ruana is how comfortable the handle is and the design of the thumb rest. It grabs your thumb without being too abrasive. I guess after 70 in business, those Ruana guys know what they are doing.

I also discovered that Randall and Ruana both started in 1938. Hmmm, I wonder if Bo and Rudy ever met or were friends?

I bought a used Ruana at an estate auction a few years ago. It is a very fine hunting knife. I find it very easy to sharpen. I have many Randalls and use a 26,a 11, and a 10 3 . All are great knives but the 4 inch old Ruana is a fine knife to carry. You will enjoy yours. John

Here are a few of my Ruana's. Notice the sheath design with the elk head which shows the difference between the "Ruana" sheaths and the "R.H. Ruana" sheath which reflects the difference between the R.H. Ruana stamp, which is older and more desireable, than the newer, Ruana alone stamp. This is not to disparage the newer Ruana knives, as they are every bit as good or better than the older rudy knife for using. I have a few of them as well. It's the collector issue here that is in question and for any potential collector, and for those folks, just remember that the R.H. Ruana and with the "M" stamp or the "small knife" stamp are worth more than the plain "Ruana" stamp.

Very nice collection, Mike. Love that hatchet! I understand what you mean by old vs. new. No offense taken. I bought my new Ruana strictly as a user. I considered an older one, but wanted to start fresh and make my own history with the knife.

I just received my first Ruana knife last week, specifically a 20 B. Here are some snapshots that I took this morning:

Very nice Ruana and great photo's, Ken. Super post-

Pap

My Ruana "5 AD" arrived yesterday:















Size-wise, it is equivalent to a Randall #5-4" knife.

Another good one, and a great "user" with the clip blade.
Pap

Looks good I love Ruana's.

As a new Ruana collector I'm having a Dickens of a time telling one model from another. Is there a reference that spells it out for me? Looking at the pictures hasn't helped much but I must not be seeing something.... I'd appreciate some tips from anyone who isn't in his first rodeo like me..... Dodger