Joshua Sheaffer suggested a Knife Of The Week topic for Randall Knife Society Club Knives.
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees!
Thanks Joshua. BTW, I like your "jeepsandknives" name.
Let's ask Rhett to put up the introduction when he has a chance to do so. There is a lot of history there.

RKSA1 Club knife (Sold Out)

At the issue time of the first club knife, the RKS was called, The Randall Knife Society of America, therefore the reason for the RKSA1 designation for this first knife.
564 Stag handle knives made, 436 black micarta knives made: total = 1,000 knives made. First knives delivered in 1991.

Description of the knife is as follows: RKSA SPECIAL FIGHTER 5 inch Blade of 01 Swedish tool steel, brass and blue spacers with brass double hilt, black micarta concave handle or stag handle. Smooth brass "coolie-cap" cap butt or on stag a thin brass plate for butt. A black Model A sheath or brown model A sheath for stag knife. Etched on Reverse side: RKSA Serial #/Member # Price: $290 (Sold out as of 1/1/1992)






RKS2 - Second Club knife (Sold Out)

This knife was first offered to the membership in 1995. 338 Micarta handle knives and 298 stag handle knives were made.
Each knife has a 4-1/2 inch blade of 3/16 inch 440B stainless. Each knife will be etched on the back of the blade with "RKS knife number / member number".

The stag version has brass and red spacers and the single hilt will be brass. A round 1/2" diameter brass RKS shield will be inlaid in the butt of the stag handle. A brown Sullivan sheath was included with each stag knife and each sheath had the Society logo on the front. Price: $262.00 (Sold Out)

The black micarta version of the RKS2 club knife has aluminum and black spacers and a border patrol handle with a duralumin crow's beak butt. The single hilt will be nickel silver. A round 1/2 inch diameter RKS silver shield will be inlaid in the front side of the handle. This knife knife came with a black Sullivan sheath with the Society logo on the front. Price $285.00 (Sold out)







RKS3 - Third Club knife (Sold Out)

This knife was first offered to the membership in 1997. 860 knives were made.
The 5-3/4 inch blade is a slightly smaller version of the 1988 issue of the Randall 50th Anniversary Commemorative Knife, which had a 7-1/2 inch blade. Very similar in shape, blade wise, you will once again, see and feel, the strong influence of Bill Scagel on Bo Randall's early knives.

The 5-3/4 inch blade is of imported Swedish .01 tool steel and shows vividly the late 1930's shape of the early Randall blade. The brass guard is much smaller than what you would see, say on a Model 3, again showing an early Randall look.

There are a total of seventeen spacers on this knife. The spacers go from the hilt: 6 regular spacers in a combination of black, brass, red and white; a thick 1/4 inch black micarta spacer; 3 spacers red, aluminum and red; another thick 1/4 inch black micarta spacer; and finally 6 spacers in a combination of black, brass, red and white again. Then comes the stag handle with a 9/16 inch (compass size) Randall Knife Society club medallion in the butt. The knife comes with a natural leather Sullivan sheath.

The price was $320.00 (Sold out)


RKS3 SPECIAL (Sold Out)

During the RKS3 club knife, production run by the Randall shop, there were fourteen (14) knives that had a different spacer arrangement than the standard RKS3 club knife. Prototypes, one of a kinds, or just plain shop mistakes in the spacer arrangement.
As previously mentioned, the main difference between this knife and a standard RKS3 club knife is the spacer arrangement. You have to examine one beside of the other to see the difference.

Each knife is etched RKS3 SPECIAL plus the serial number one through fourteen, i.e., "RKS3 SPECIAL #001" THRU "RKS3 SPECIAL #014".

Each knife has two sheaths. The standard RKS3 Model B, no stone pocket sheath, and a Model A sheath with stone pocket.

The price was $375.00 plus shipping. The 1997 price for the RKS3 club knife was $320.00 but that was with one sheath. All of the applicants for this knife were chosen by a drawing at the Blade Show meeting in June, 1999




RKS3 Membership Drive (Ivory Spacers) (Sold Out)

The knife shown here is one of the last RKS3 club knives made. But this knife is very different in that the 1/4" black micarta spacers have been replaced with two 3/8" genuine ivory spacers. The last four RKS3 club knives have these ivory spacers. The ivory spacer knives are # RKs857, RKS858, RKS859 and RKS860.
Greg Gutcher donated a special alligator sheath for this knife.





RKS4 - Fourth Club knife (Sold Out)

Shown here are the RKS4 club knives, made by Randall Made Knives for the Randall Knife Society. The top knife has a stag handle and nickel silver double hilt. Price: $362.00 The bottom knife has a leather handle and a brass double hilt. Price: $310.00 Available only in imported .01 tool steel, not in stainless. Gary Randall is calling this knife the Model 4, 8 inch Fighter. A customer sent in an old model of this knife for repairs. Gary said he knew this knife existed, after seeing a picture of movie star great, Robert Taylor, wearing one in a World War II, Randall file photo, but had never seen one before. 1,200 knives were sold. 816 stag handle knives and 384 leather.




RKS5 Miniature Drop Point Hunter.

1,500 made. Stainless 3-1/2 inch blade. Black micrarta border patrol handle. Sullivan sheath. Issue price $478.00 plus shipping.

Thanks for the info, Rhett. Are you in Arkansas?
Best, Capt. Chris

We leave for AG Russell's show tomorow, Wednesday. We will be there only on Friday and Saturday. Have to be back home by Monday night.

Regsrds,

Rhett

Drive safe (as they say in the South)...Drive safely (as they say up North). Either way; Have a safe and successful trip. Introduce yourself to Pat and Lynn (Ankrum Exotics). They will be set up (first time for them) selling handle material. They have "all" of Randall's specifications, just in case you are huntin' a special piece of wood. (just sayin'...)
Best, Capt. Chris

This thread needs some attention!

Here’s my RKS 4. Issued in early 2002 and described as a Model 4 – 8” fighter.
Came in two handle types, stag and leather. (See Rhett’s notes above).

One scary looking, badass knife, where “handle with care” truly applies: the top edge is sharpened 4 ½“ back from the upswept point to the hump on the spine and is as razor sharp as the main edge, with its deep belly.

O1 tool steel, leather handle, brass double hilt, duralumin butt cap, RWB spacers. The stacked leather handle has a noticeable curve to it, nicely counterbalancing the blade’s shape.

The blade itself is just over 8” long, as measured straight from hilt to tip. It’s about 1 ½” wide. But in thickness it tapers (flattens) to a very fine, scalpel-like point. It’s an *exceptionally thin* blade from the hump forward, making it lighter and the knife light in the hand. The grind lines speak for themselves.

Has a recessed area for the thumb just in front of the hilt (like a fighter) and a deep notch (choil) on the other side of the ricasso for your finger.

The sheath is pretty cool too, with lines that follow the blade’s humps and a tie down strap. RKS stamp along with Randall Stamp on back of Sullivan’s sheath.

It’s always been one of the coolest looking knives in my Randall collection.

Any other RKS knives?

Thanks for looking, Gary

…

I love that blade that size......Great Knife!

Excellent description, Gary. And an excellent knife. It is bad!
Walker

That knife is some kinda nice!

Gary,

Agreed # 4 is the best of the lot.

Here are all in one display.

Tom Flynn