Hemingway,

What you said is very germane. No matter what one collects, there are common traits to the reasons for doing so. There are a lot of medical papers on the internet about the psychology of collecting and the problems when it spins out of control (hoarding). Fortunately, I have not reached that point yet .......but I have seen that look in people's eyes when they see the knives and think....WTF!

I started collecting knives because of my Father and Grandfather. Both always had good pocketknives. I can still remember being a kid, and the feeling I had when they would give me a new knife. At first they were just cheap knives, like the old Imperials that would hang on a card in the hardware store. As I grew older, the knives became better. I still have some of those, and the knives they left when they passed. Those are my true treasures.

When I was in my early teens, my buddies and I would work at the county stockyards penning cattle coming off the trucks for the day's auction. I was fascinated by those old farmers trading knives as they told lies and spit tobacco. I loved learning from those guys and even more I loved the deal....trading, dickering, haggling.

Fast forward to around 1986, the first time I heard Guy Clark sing "The Randall Knife" I had no idea what they were, but it made me want one.

A few years later I bought my first one..... and in 20 plus years I have owned hundreds of them. I was blessed by all of the Randall guys that took me in and shared their knowledge. It has allowed me to buy, trade and sell my way into the collection I have today.

But, the best part of collecting knives, and Randalls in particular has been the life long friends I have made....coast to coast, and around the world. I have been to their homes and they mine. More than once, I have made a deal on credit with nothing more than "take the knife and send me the money when you can"... no contracts, no promissory note, just a handshake.

The internet has transformed the world, knife collecting included. It's truly amazing that so many like minded people can come together to share and learn. It's a long way from the Madison county stockyards.....

Anyway I am rambling.... Collectors of anything are always a bit quirky, but not Randalls of course.