My guess...and it's only a guess, is that the shop did in fact notice the difference in the already forged blades but finished construction on them so as not to waste the blades.

I feel Randall is embarrassed by the mistake. To quote the shop when I was there, I paraphrase since it's been 8 years "Less than a hundred were made, most of them never left the shop. It wasn't caught until we noticed the mistake when side by side with a regular 14." They won't ship the 65 odd left, so why finish the knives if you find the mistake during production only to let them sit on the shelf? Why send out the 35 and not the other 65 if you were aware of the mistake? I guess they are concerned that "quality control" let this slip through unnoticed. If they are embarrassed I don't know why, mistakes do happen. Frankly I find the heavy blade more desirable.
Neil
RKS #5280

Like I said...it's only a guess. I'm relatively certain that embarrassment played little part in it.

Now, if they would make a 15 heavy then I'd have to sell one of my guns to buy it!!!! It would be a perfect companion to my Fireman.

Pul-lease!! Embarrassed?!? Why?!?

I tried to let this thread go, but here you go!

RMK noticed the slight bit larger steel from the get-go but OF COURSE we were going to use it and not waste it! The ONLY difference between the "regular" 14's and the "thicker" 14's is just they are a mite bit LARGER. We received a little larger steel and produced a little larger 14's! Simple as that! Just as we have produced slighter thinner blades like the 7's that have been noticed lately. By golly, we just noticed today that a current bowie being forged is a slight bit smaller! Will it make the knives any less stronger?, I doubt it!, but they will be thinner for a year or two!

We don't see the big deal with the thicker 14's... and for that matter, ALL but 10 of the blades from the thicker stock were made at that time and the rest have since been put into circulation.

So there you go... sorry if I busted anybody's bubble, but I agree with Perry, offer me a grand and the knife is yours ( if'n I had one- )

By the way WHO 8 years ago gave you this info?

---DW---

Well, what can I say. The man at the Randall shop told me all the information I have stated. He said they just grabbed the wrong bar stock (bar stock for a bowie). I do not know the man's name, it was 8 years ago. So what you are saying is, of the remaining 65 #14 heavy, all but 10 have now been put into circulation? Can you special order the "heavy stock" since the specification for the #14 says it's from 1/4" bar stock? I personally like the heavier knife. As far as Randall being embarassed, I remember a story about Rolls Royce. A guy had a problem with his Rolls, it was repaired and Rolls would not state what they did to fix it. He heard through the grapevine that they replaced the rear axle. When he asked why they would not say they replaced the rear axle, he was told "Rolls Royce do not have bad axles". I just thought Randall was the Rolls Royce of knives.
Neil
RKS #5280

How's this?,

THERE WAS NO MISTAKE MADE.

ALL THE "HEAVY" 14's ARE IN CIRCULATION.

WE'VE NEVER USED BOWIE STOCK FOR 1/4 BLADES.

NO, YOU CANNOT ORDER SPECIAL HEAVY STOCK FOR ANY BLADES.

RANDALL DOES MAKE MISTAKES, THIS IS JUST NOT ONE OF THEM.

---DW---

Thanks for the clarification Scott; if this thread isn't already giving you gas though, and if you don't mind my asking...do you know approximately how many 'heavy' Model #14's were actually made? i.e. is the 100 number fairly accurate, is was it closer to the 35 to 40 number?

Sorry 'bout the added heatburn, if any; but, we're all here to learn...well, most of us anyway

Sheldon,

I was hoping that I could have stayed out of this thread for this exact question. But since I've already opened my mouth, I guess I'll have to finish "spewing"...

There was no where near 100 made, probably 40-50 max.

---DW---

So, Just how thick is the blade of this "heavy" 14?? If a std 14 is made from 1/4" stock one would guess it'd have to be thinner than 1/4" once completed, right?

And were they all carbon steel??