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#81929 - 10/09/10 09:10 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 *** [Re: vklough46]
Drshame Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 09/11/10
Posts: 151
Loc: Miami

Pre-Owned but in very great shape and well-cared for.
Needed a Gutcher Sheath since the original Randall didn't come with it.
Wonder how old it is?

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#81971 - 10/10/10 07:44 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Drshame]
Jacknola Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 08/17/10
Posts: 290
Loc: New Orleans
A real beauty, and a nice picture and background. I like the hilt ... different and striking combo.

This saw-tooth M14 is my favorite RMK of all. I have one and I carried a solingen facimile in Vietnam. I cannot date yours because I lack experience ... but I think this basic model has been unchanged since the early '70s. Original sheath and stone would have helped date it. Perhaps there are some features that the more expert RMK club memebers can identify.

This is an Orlando stainless blade which raises a question that I've wondered about for 40 years, re: Randall Orlando stainless vs. Randall Solingen stainless.

The Randall Solingen stainless blades of the Viet era were notoriously hard to put an edge on. The soft stone included with the sheath would just not make a mark on the hard stainless steel. We therefore used a variety of local means to sharpen a Solingen stainless blade, usually scratching it up pretty good in the process.

Are the Orlando-stainless blades "softer" and easier to edge? Or are they, too, a hard steel needing special techniques to edge?



Edited by Jacknola (10/10/10 07:46 PM)
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Jack Williams

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#81972 - 10/10/10 08:10 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Jacknola]
Leatherman Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 01/06/06
Posts: 1371
Loc: IL
Originally Posted By: Jacknola
A real beauty, and a nice picture and background. I like the hilt ... different and striking combo.

This saw-tooth M14 is my favorite RMK of all. I have one and I carried a solingen facimile in Vietnam. I cannot date yours because I lack experience ... but I think this basic model has been unchanged since the early '70s. Original sheath and stone would have helped date it. Perhaps there are some features that the more expert RMK club memebers can identify.

This is an Orlando stainless blade which raises a question that I've wondered about for 40 years, re: Randall Orlando stainless vs. Randall Solingen stainless.

The Randall Solingen stainless blades of the Viet era were notoriously hard to put an edge on. The soft stone included with the sheath would just not make a mark on the hard stainless steel. We therefore used a variety of local means to sharpen a Solingen stainless blade, usually scratching it up pretty good in the process.

Are the Orlando-stainless blades "softer" and easier to edge? Or are they, too, a hard steel needing special techniques to edge?



Alot of things can make a knife easier to sharpen. Somethings like chromium (needed for rust resistance) and nickel make them harder to sharpen. Randalls stainless is pretty easy to sharpen but not as easy as 01 tool steel. I would guess the german blades were just not of very high quality and had a low carbon content.

I have done a few rust resistance tests on randalls and the current stainless is very rust resistant. Its one of the few steels I cannot get to rust. The 01 however you can watch rust if you put some sweat on the blade.
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Ben

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#81973 - 10/10/10 09:47 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Jacknola]
Drshame Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 09/11/10
Posts: 151
Loc: Miami
Kind words appreciated.
I've tried polishing out some earlier scratches, it polishes well, but the scratches remain. I suspect this is a very hard steel that once sharpened, keeps its' edge. I have not tried putting a stone to it yet, and honestly will be very reluctant to do much more edge work to prevent newbie mistakes.
If I were very anal, I'd look into sending it back to be polished, re-edged if Randall offers that service.
But I also know to leave well-enough alone and enjoy its' "personality".

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#81975 - 10/10/10 10:08 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Drshame]
Leatherman Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 01/06/06
Posts: 1371
Loc: IL
Originally Posted By: Drshame
Kind words appreciated.
I've tried polishing out some earlier scratches, it polishes well, but the scratches remain. I suspect this is a very hard steel that once sharpened, keeps its' edge. I have not tried putting a stone to it yet, and honestly will be very reluctant to do much more edge work to prevent newbie mistakes.
If I were very anal, I'd look into sending it back to be polished, re-edged if Randall offers that service.
But I also know to leave well-enough alone and enjoy its' "personality".


Is that a chip on the rear edge of the blade?
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Ben

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#81979 - 10/10/10 10:59 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Leatherman]
Drshame Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 09/11/10
Posts: 151
Loc: Miami
I don't know what is is, I think it's a sharpening error that has resulted in rounding of the blade edge. It's too clean and formed to be a break, imho. Unless it was a chip that someone tried to round out.
I try not to notice it...and like to believe it left the shop like that.
But I know it probably didn't!

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#83576 - 12/09/10 03:38 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: vklough46]
Leatherman Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 01/06/06
Posts: 1371
Loc: IL
New 14! I think I am in love... blush



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Ben

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#83581 - 12/09/10 04:06 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Leatherman]
TonyLaPetri Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 6854
Loc: Glen Head NY
The 14 is a great knife.
I like the green Micarta handle on yours!
Tony
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Tony LaPetri
RKS#1885
RKCC CM-022

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#83582 - 12/09/10 04:21 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: TonyLaPetri]
Leatherman Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 01/06/06
Posts: 1371
Loc: IL
Will the tang on the handle area rust the same as the blade? Just wondering, thanks!
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Ben

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#83584 - 12/09/10 05:17 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 14 [Re: Leatherman]
Oldvetnam1 Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 06/02/08
Posts: 2039
Loc: NJ
Great knife.
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Steve Rinda
RKCC #CM157
RKS #5715
SHAG #006

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