Hi guys!!! New to the forum here....I need help with getting an idea of what this piece is worth. I recently saw one for sale from a guy in Japan for $9,500.00??? His had a different spacer configuration (thin red, thin white, medium thick blue, thin white, and thin red). Mine has a grey medium center spacer. I did see an article on these in Randall knife collectors publication about these...and it showed one with a grey spacer like mine. I got this piece directly from the ATF agents family so I have his background and connection to the knife....is the knife really worth that kind of money?????

???

If you will find a real fan, maybe, but likely not.

It's "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives"?

ATF Special Agent 017 appears to be a very low number.
The provenance might be valuable if the owner was the 17th Special Agent.

ATF became an independent Bureau on July 1, 1972
In 2002, it was transferred to Homeland Security and became officially known as ATFE.

So, if the Special Agent was actually the 17th one, then he must have been with them in 1972.

Nice bit of history.

There has been an individual in Japan putting Randall knives on e-bay for ridiculous prices. This may be the same individual.

Steve,

To us here, yes ridiculous yet in Japan valuation is different. Yes this guy is overboard but things are different there. Been following a few collectable items here, and prices in Japan are way overpriced.
I have a numbered vintage set of golf irons that are priced 3-4x asking price here.

I went ahead and put it on eBay for $3500...I guess we'll see where it goes. Thanks for the responces!!!

That’s a lot if Yen
Warren I sold a set of Ping Orange dot irons to an Irishman in Ireland
for ridiculous money plus shipping
Woulda traded for their clubs
Sharpi

Shoulda traded for some single malt. At least you wouldn't have remembered a thing.

I would be hard pressed to think that knife brought 9K or anything close to that even in japan.

Considering a relatively small group of people in the USA pay what seem insane prices as far as the average citizen is concerned, for scratched up and pitted old Randall knives, and them much rarer there, and rarity even for a fish in Japan a huge status symbol for the wealthy when they think they are getting exceptional quality and rarity, I have no trouble believing $20,000 in Japan.

Japan (as are most Asian markets) for collectibles can be out of line with what others would expect to pay, as mentioned buyers tend to place a premium on high quality, scarce and exceptionally nice looking pieces to show off. Doesn’t hurt that the seller is likely to be the single person offering the item making them the market maker...and when you only have 1 to sell, you don’t need a whole herd of fools...just a select one.

At 9500, the pricing is well out of line in my opinion. As I said it’s scarce, so certainly helps resale, but scarcity is only one component in pricing. Lots of knives are scarce...you also have to have demand (always there with a Randall) and a few other factors.

There are plenty of eBay/craigslist sellers offering current production Randalls at a multiple of current catalog price...most who will point out the 5 year waitlist in their ad and call them “rare” - doesn’t mean their pricing is accurate...just means they went to the same school as the seller asking 9500.

Definitely a nice piece, and with provenance it would certainly command more than a Randall of similar vintage.

most Irishmen tend to be located in Ireland....I'm just say'n..
also, since folks from Japan can buy stuff on the bay, why then, do they not??
I'm guessing that a person from Japan is just as knowledgeable, as are buyers from other areas....I wouldn't think that anyone would pay more or an item simply because they live in a different area of the world....not today, anyway.
:-)Rocky

In Japan Loveless knives bring money. Japan is what drove the Loveless market.

Randall knives on the other hand are not anywhere near as popular. Not the style most there are interested in.

"Rarity" doesn't always equate to value.

I may be missing something, but is that not just a model #5 with a double hilt?

Yes...You're missing something. Back in the day (Mid 1980's-Late 1980's) Randall made a few "Revenuer's Knives", which was the only name I heard for them around the Randall shop. Most, if not all, were of the same configuration as follows:
* Randall Model #15-5 1/2"
* The Airman Model
* CDT Variant
* Stainless steel blade
* Brass double hilt (#1 style)
* Standard spacers
* Black micarta handle
* Brass butt cap
* Johnson's "A" styled sheath
Some of these "Revenuer's" were etched specifically for ATF agents. These knives were ordered by ATF agents (or agencies) as individual (or group) orders. A few even made their way into certain "Non-Revenuer's" "STASH"!! The later mentioned were not etched and came in either JRB or smoothback sheaths.
Hope this helps, Capt. Chris
PS: I'd value them closer to $950.00 rather than $9500.00 (Same thing: Just different decimal placement...CCS!!

Oh what a difference a decimal point can make!

Thanks Cap, always learning something new on this Forum, all the time.

Tom Flynn

Metric system.

Thanks for the response....I didn't notice...does the one you have posted have grey spacers? Is the blade engraved with the ATF markings?

Ken,

Many of those older knives have spacers that appear gray but they were once blue. It was common for that material to fade to that gray tone.

Jethro said .... them naughts are dyn o mite. You can put them in front and nothing. But you put them behind, and they are DYN O MITE !!! Same for decimals.


Charlie

Ken,
The blades, unless a direct order from am ATF agent, are sterile, as is mine.
Best, Capt. Chris

Thanks Capt, your knowledge is priceless!
It’s a nice looking blade, Surely you could order those options new though?

The knife "could" be made today, cept the Model A sheath, which was designated for this project only (at the time). Theory was it would be much easier, getting in & out of a vehicle. While I agree, the hi-ride sheaths I get from Danny Gutcher work quite well.
Best, Capt. Chris
RKCC "NASA" knife, with Sullivan's "HI-RIDE"...CCS