Thanks for the reply Joe. I thought it would be helpful to add a few pics and perhaps only on Fireman would I agree more but not the subject of this thread.
Great thoughts from everyone, please keep playing on!

forgot about the fireman.

Joe, I like the double hilt Model 16 as well. Great design for a dive knife, it would make an excellent fighting knife, and probably any other duty called on to perform.

Gonna throw a wrench in this thread. What is the military preference or the most popular model? I suppose the shop could only answer the question. Lets get a different perspective. Just asking in respect and hoping for an answer. Thanks in advance,.

Never want to forget our friendly, neighborhood Fireman.

SHOOT,!!! Feel free to resize my pic.......thanks.

Caveat: it's been nearly two decades since I was in. But I was an infantryman in the 82d, where guys buy lots and lots and lots of knives.

Other than myself and our BN medical NCO, nobody else in my unit had really ever considered buying a Randall. The preference was for far cheaper knives. Back then, USAF survival knives were ubiquitous (jumpmasters routinely carry them) and lots of guys had ka-bars. When I started bringing a model 1 to the field, it got many raised eyebrows.

I look at it like this: cops all carry guns, but a lot of them aren't "gun guys" and couldn't care less about what they've got on their hips. Soldiers are like that with knives too. Most aren't enthusiasts and just want something that works. Inexpensively, if possible.

I do wonder whether things have changed during the more recent wars.

Unique perspective Mark. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for your service to our country.

I completely agree with Chief and Joe on the Model 2 being the best fighter in the Randall line, but it wasn't a choice.

I had a Gerber Mark I stuffed in my boot, left leg, inside. I was in a vehicle a lot (usually the driver), so I wanted something easily reachable from a seated position.

It was Desert Storm, so nothing happened -- "all expense paid vacation to Riyadh".

To translate that to the RMK equivalent, Model 2 or baby 13.

As I stated earlier (& I guess Warren didn't see it) I sold a lot of #16-7", Special #1 Fighters to the desert boys over the past 2-3 decades! More than the other 2 that were doable in short order, i.e.: Model #1 or Model #14. Far..."FAR" more! By such a majority it was overly one-sided.
Hope this helps...(again)
Capt. Chris