Hey guys, I know there are folks here on the forums that do not recieve the newsletter. That said, this is an article from Issue 86, May 2010. - Rob Hi all, I recently ran across some neat Randalls and would like to share them with you!
A little history first, in the fall of 2008 I attended a 1911 Pistolsmith Course here in Omaha, which was instructed by Larry Vickers. Larry is retired Army, and spent his time serving with several Special Forces Groups and eventually with Delta Force as an Operator. Larry now stays busy as firearms consultant, small arms instructor, and does some Pistolsmithing as well. At the time of the 2008 Pistolsmith Course, I was vaguely familiar at best with Larry’s military history, but knew there was a chance that he may have had a couple of Randalls floating around in his kit bag, I asked if he did, and he confirmed that he in fact owned several.
Over the past 18 months Larry and I have chatted several times about his Randalls – when and where he picked them up, where he carried them and so on. This past February, I hosted Larry for another 1911 Pistolsmith Course here in Omaha and asked him if he would bring his Randalls with him, he agreed too. The course kicked off and we dove into our 1911 builds, throughout the week the conversation turned repeatedly to Randalls.
Larry asked if I could help him with documenting his knives correctly. I did a little research, one thing led to another and Rhett asked if I would be willing to write something up for the newsletter about how I met up with Larry and of course him and his Randalls. I agreed that I would love to write something up, but said I’d need to check with Larry and get his approval. Larry agreed and provided the letter below for me to share with all of you.
Recently when teaching a 1911 build class in the Omaha area hosted by Rob Schoening my interest in Randall knives was renewed. Rob is extremely passionate about Randalls and my own personal experience with the knives was of great interest to him. My entire time in US Army Special Operations I carried and used Randalls as my field knife. I have some feelings about the knives and Rob wanted me to share them with RKS readers-so here goes;
The knives I used were a standard catalog model 14 in carbon steel, a stainless blade model 18, and a model 14 stainless blade knife with border patrol handle and forward curved hilt. I also have a catalog model carbon steel model 1 that was the first Randall I purchased but it has remained a safe queen ever since.
Back in the day when I was going through the Special Forces Qualification Course the most desired pieces of kit to be a REAL Green Beret was a Rolex watch and a Randall knife - Hell I took that as a challenge and I had a Randall #1 and a GMT master before I graduated the SFQC in May of 1982 at the tender age of 18!! I shortly thereafter bought my carbon steel #14 and it was my field knife for a long time. It held up extremely well but I had a rude awakening about taking care of the blade in the field - rust. As I am sure most of you know you need to be diligent or you will pull your Randall out of the sheath one day only to be greeted by GI gold on your prized blade. The carbon steel holds an edge great, but for serious field use I prefer a protective finish on the blade or stainless steel.
In 1988 I attended and successfully completed the Delta Force assessment and selection course - out of 88 who tried only 13 finished. My second life began at that point as my 15 years in Delta would not only change me personally but take me places I would never have imagined. I deployed to more than one combat zone including Panama and Desert Storm. The highlight was when I helped rescue Kurt Muse from Modelo Prison during the opening phases of Operation Just Cause. Throughout my career in Delta I used my model 18 at first then my stainless model 14 as my field knives. I also found out about leather sheaths and tropical environments - they don't mix well for long periods of time. All my original sheaths are gone as they eventually gave up the ghost - think of them as tires for your car. In serious use they are expendable and will need replacing eventually.
A while ago I had the first #14 and #18 refinished by the Randall shop and they have been unused since. At Rob's request and to verify them as mine I am getting my initials etched by RMK also. In my 20 plus years in Special Operations I used Randalls as my primary fixed blade knife. They never once let me down or failed in any way.
My personal favorite is the model 14 and when properly set up I would argue it is the finest fixed blade knife for life or death use ever made. You can spend more on a knife and you can buy a fancier blade but when the rubber meets the road Randall knives have proven
themselves in the harshest conditions imaginable. In my opinion this fact plus the legacy of American servicemen using them in conflicts around the globe make them the most famous knives in history. To close I will simply state I have rekindled my personal passion for Randalls and have not only bought a few in recent weeks but even joined the RKS.
I hope everyone enjoyed my story and my own little slice of Randall history.
Regards
Larry Vickers Attached are a couple of pics of Larry and I and his Randalls. Thanks for letting me share these with all of you.
Stay safe –
Rob
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