Thanks Mike for your story, as it is most applicable to this debate (?).

Jack, in all your learned studies & fanciful writings, have you occasioned the principle of Occam's Razor? It's a very old principle that may be applied to many fields. Simply stated, the principle states if there are variables that can not be known, theories that may be introduced (whether reasonable or not) but can not be proven, unknowns that can not be known -the simplest answer is the correct one.

In our case, there are to many variables, Mikes anecdote being a good example. Blades stamped and not handled for, sometimes, years in the future or unknown sheath makers yet to surface as examples. We may speculate, or one could say theorize, until the cows come home -it does not make fact. Again, Occam's Razor, the simplest answer is the correct one. Heiser marked is Heiser -Johnson is Johnson. These old knives can not be pigeon-holed, just too many variables, lost history and the nature of the handmade product.

Not to mention, I'll go out on a limb and state, none here are writing a Thesis on Randall Made Knives. This is an advocation and as such, enjoyable. Too much of the minutae detracts from same.

The overall characteristics of the piece, to the seasoned collector, are sufficient to date the knife within a proper date range -all that's necessary, period.