Randall Made Knife
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#171437 - 05/28/18 05:23 PM Ruana knife and hatchet question
smokindoughnuts Offline
Just dropped in

Registered: 05/24/18
Posts: 1
Hi all. Received a Ruana knife with a 5" blade and a hatchet that are new from my father in law. Wondering where a good place would be to find a vale for these items?


thanks for the help

Top
#171439 - 05/28/18 06:45 PM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: smokindoughnuts]
Lofty Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 02/06/16
Posts: 656
Photographs would help. New or old makes a big difference. And value is what people pay, so best bet is to surf net for same blades of same vintage and condition, and see what folk are paying. Ones made while Rudy still helping, even if not at forge, are worth the premium, and feature the earlier stamp,

To help in search, top stamp is Rudy era, bottom stamp is post-Rudy era. Newer knives have defined grinds.

Of course, the easy way might be ask father in law.



if new-new, the Ruana Knives site lists new prices, if site finished updating.


Edited by Lofty (05/28/18 06:59 PM)
_________________________
Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis;
ad te autem non appropinquabit.

Top
#171445 - 05/28/18 07:43 PM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: Lofty]
pappy19 Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 7367
Loc: Garden Valley, Idaho
The R.H.Ruana with an M stamp are worth at least 40-50% more than the newer single Ruana stamp. There were 2 years at the end of Rudy's participation where the stamp was R.H. Ruana, but no M stamp. Those are somewhere in between, although less of them were made vs so many years with the M stamp, they could be a deal today.

Pap
_________________________
Mike Allen
RKCC-CM-086
True West Magazine Maniac
Randall Collector
Behring Made Collector
Ruana Collector
Glock Fan
NRA- Life Member since 1975
mikenlu99@aol.com

Top
#171446 - 05/28/18 08:00 PM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: pappy19]
Lofty Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 02/06/16
Posts: 656
yeah, and then those before the M stamp, too, but, as you noted, near 99% odds he has one of the two, and his post reads as if new-new anyhow, and just wanting easily found MSRP.
_________________________
Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis;
ad te autem non appropinquabit.

Top
#171449 - 05/29/18 12:13 AM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: Lofty]
pappy19 Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 7367
Loc: Garden Valley, Idaho
Yes, the single Ruana stamp are worth the current Ruana catalog price or a little less. Still a great knife, no questions there, but not the sentimental desirable R.H.Ruana, with Rudy at the helm.

Pap
_________________________
Mike Allen
RKCC-CM-086
True West Magazine Maniac
Randall Collector
Behring Made Collector
Ruana Collector
Glock Fan
NRA- Life Member since 1975
mikenlu99@aol.com

Top
#171453 - 05/29/18 08:44 AM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: pappy19]
Michael_Mason Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 02/12/06
Posts: 1926
Loc: Orlando, FL.
Pappy,

What did the M signify in the stamp?

Thank-You....
_________________________
Michael

Top
#171456 - 05/29/18 09:42 AM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: Michael_Mason]
Lofty Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 02/06/16
Posts: 656
Rudy started by making knives from Studebaker springs (and before then, he was a blacksmith for the Cav, and whatever was handy), pretty sure he gave saw blades a whirl, Studebaker spring stock dried up, and he went with 1095HC, not sure if the Sharon stuff, late 1950s/earliest 1960s, and the M marked the change to that last steel, as far as I know. No idea as to significance unless to mark a different temper from other harder saw steel at the time, ie Medium. It surely would have been tougher, less easy to break/chip, and why the main course ever since. Pappy is welcome to blow me out of the water, now...
_________________________
Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis;
ad te autem non appropinquabit.

Top
#171457 - 05/29/18 10:17 AM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: Lofty]
pappy19 Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 7367
Loc: Garden Valley, Idaho
For years, I thought the M stood for Montana, but it does mean medium hardnness. Lofty got it right all the way.

Pap
_________________________
Mike Allen
RKCC-CM-086
True West Magazine Maniac
Randall Collector
Behring Made Collector
Ruana Collector
Glock Fan
NRA- Life Member since 1975
mikenlu99@aol.com

Top
#171458 - 05/29/18 10:56 AM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: pappy19]
Lofty Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 02/06/16
Posts: 656
As for the WHY of the mark, my guess has to do with breakage. Ruana was always known for, and even a motto of sorts, making a knife which would not let a guy down in the middle of nowhere, unlike most all of other designs, as there simply was nothing to shrink, rot, crack, or come loose to the design. Which led to some mighty harsh use among buyers.

I kinda guess the M stamp was in answer to such abuse, where, about inconceivable the M stamped stuff could bust under any sane use. Where L6 saw steel might hold a great edge but might chip on bone. Just a guess, mind you, but L6 blades might have been far easier to get replaced than the M stamped blades, where Rudy might have rightly said you were breaking an M stamp blade nearly on purpose.

All conjecture, unproven, unverified, which means it now will be repeated as fact over the entire internet for the next 20yrs, even showing up in a Ford antique tractor blog.


Edited by Lofty (05/29/18 08:35 PM)
_________________________
Cadent a latere tuo mille, et decem millia a dextris tuis;
ad te autem non appropinquabit.

Top
#171462 - 05/29/18 09:16 PM Re: Ruana knife and hatchet question [Re: Lofty]
W Polidori Online
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 02/09/16
Posts: 5791
Loc: Central New York
Originally Posted By: Lofty
As for the WHY of the mark, my guess has to do with breakage. Ruana was always known for, and even a motto of sorts, making a knife which would not let a guy down in the middle of nowhere, unlike most all of other designs, as there simply was nothing to shrink, rot, crack, or come loose to the design. Which led to some mighty harsh use among buyers.

I kinda guess the M stamp was in answer to such abuse, where, about inconceivable the M stamped stuff could bust under any sane use. Where L6 saw steel might hold a great edge but might chip on bone. Just a guess, mind you, but L6 blades might have been far easier to get replaced than the M stamped blades, where Rudy might have rightly said you were breaking an M stamp blade nearly on purpose.

All conjecture, unproven, unverified, which means it now will be repeated as fact over the entire internet for the next 20yrs, even showing up in a Ford antique tractor blog.


LOL not even close. Nice stories however. Google for fact checking.
_________________________
Warren

Top
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 4 >


Moderator:  pappy19, Peter_Kaufman