Chris I respect your experience and expertise. But I do this for a living. Unfortunately, an anecdotal conversation with no details is not evidence. I would like to know what prompted the discussion of the Randall stamp and Heiser. Surely you asked some preliminary and follow-up questions, what was answered? What was the context? Assuming the conversation as stated, the exact words are important... such as did he say "so far as I know?" or something similar? After all, we are talking about a stamp supplied to Heiser in 1958-59, long before Mr. GTR joined the shop.

By the way... we all think we know what the Heiser-Keyston-Lichtenberger stamp that was used following the '58-'59 merger looked like... right? Well, maybe not. Here is the first H-K-L combined catalog, front back papes. I can see why Mr. Randall might not want that stamp on his sheaths.



And here are the two (of several) H-K-L stamps. In 1960, immediately after the merger, apparently the buffalo stamp was used at least on saddles. Perhaps the other stamp was adopted later or was used on tack or something. Frankly, both look cartoonish and cheap to me.



Truth is the Heiser stamp we are familiar with was superceded earlier in the decade. It was kept for Randall sheaths, but I speculate that Randall wanted it that way. I would bet that HKL began their corporate life with a new stamp and Mr. Randall just said no...and had his own stamp made... Heck... we KNOW that he had his own stamp made and supplied it to someone. Why is it so difficult to believe he supplied it to Heiser? Why do we have to invented some mysterious third party, or introduce Mr. Johnson four years before he actually appeared on the scene?

Still worried about the word "sample" on those sheaths? I'm not. Salesmen carry a lot of "samples" to show workmanship. They are marked to keep them from being appropriated. Ever seen a "demo" product in a store? AND it occurs to me that those sheaths could have been sample of... guess what ... the use of the Randall-Made stamp and how it would fit onto the sheaths.

This is America and you are entitled to hold to your opinions regardless of the evidence. But at some point I think you all will see that the evidence has become overwhelming and accepted by most of the community. Regards.