Just when you think you have seen it all...... you have not.

This knife is a late 1943, early 1944, 8" fighter. It's in a Southern Saddlery sheath. Check out the label on the stone....cool.

The spacers are dead ringers for Springfields. Bo received Springfield materials as partial royalties payment from Larson, so this is completely possible.

It also has a brass spacer between the butt cap and the fiber spacers.

Here are pictures of my knife, along with a Springfield.













So, here is the story. The seller of my knife had seen a similar knife at the Tulsa Gun Show years ago. He contacted the owner to get the story on the 6" knife he had seen. The man bought the knife at Brown's Mens Store in Orlando prior to shipping out in March 1944. Brown's was operated by Bo's father-in-law and is well documented as selling Randalls. I have written statements from the 1944 buyer.

He removed the butt cap and took the following pictures. It's a near twin to my knife.

















Joe D had seen the old pictures before.... and now mine. That's the only two that have surfaced. The assumption is that Bo was looking for a way to eliminate the nut and washer, since materials were in short supply during the war. The design is flawed... since the oval butt cap could not be tightened when the leather compressed. Bo went back to a similar method after the war with peened tangs. I know wonder if they were threaded, then locked by peening????

Enjoy!

I never saw or heard of a screw on butt cap before. Leave
It to you to find a holy grail. Good find!

Awesome piece Tune! You just keep turning up gems.

I enjoy it when the "old hands" are surprised by some thing that they hadn't seen before. Me, I'm surprised almost every time I sign in. Thanks Tune.

This is a a real interesting piece for sure. I have had conversations about the two knives known to have been made like this with a few collectors many years ago. Mitchell was fortunate to have acquired one of them in his recent buy. Definitely would be a neat piece for discussion at Blade. Although, I wonder if taking the butt on and off will cause problems long term.

I have not removed mine..... and do not plan to do so. The pictures are of the 6" knife. That will have to do as along as I own it.

I wasn't suggesting it!!!!