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#31273 - 11/25/07 08:28 AM Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! ***
vklough46 Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 10/15/05
Posts: 1649
Loc: Boogie Wonderland
Thanks to all that have posted thus far.

From Randall Made Knives: The History of the Man the the Blades, by Robert L. Gaddis, pp. 112-116

Quote:

The little Trout and Bird Knife, with its 3 3/4- to 4-inch blade length and sharp top cutting edge, was the inspiration of Litch Steinman. The germ for the idea can be traced back to his days in fishing camps in the woods of northern Michigan and Canada, during the mid-1930s, many of which he shared with his good friend Bo Randall. The Randall and Steinman families were longtime friends, and Bo and Litch spent many, many days together fishing small trout streams or hunting grouse with their dogs. It isn't at all surprising that a special knife just for trout and bird cleaning was developed by these two sportsmen.

...[After one such trip in 1946] When the Randall family returned to Orlando late that August, Bo got to work on a knife to answer Litch's design requirements. The 4-inch blade was given a nice curved cutting edge, like the front portion of a Hunter, and the top edge was sharpened more than 2 inches back from the tip. A small version of the Carving Knife hilt was fitted ahead of a stag handle, without butt cap, and the butt was rounded off similar to the Carver. Naturally there was a generous cutout ahead of the hilt for one's index finger or the bail of a tea kettle. This prototype was noted in the journal books on 1 September 1946 as '#8--Super Trout.'

...This little knife turned out so well that Bo decided to make it part of the Randall line. ...The Randall catalog was only a year old and didn't need revising for just this one new knife. Thus the Trout and Bird Knife [as it was now called] was introduced to the nine most important dealers by sending a complimentary knife to a key contact at each store.




From the current catalog:
Quote:

Model 8 "Trout and Bird Knife" -- 4" blade of 3/16" stock. Top cutting edge sharpened approximately 2 inches. 4 3/8" - 5/8" stag handle. Brass hilt. Especially suited for small fish and feathered game. Historical note: Francis G. Powers, U-2 pilot was carrying a Model 8 when he was shot down over Russia in May, 1960.




Regarding Francis G. Powers, I have sent numerous letters to the Russian embassy inquiring about the possibility of the knife being returned to Randall Made Knives. I have yet to hear back from them. But I will continue to persevere as the Cold War is long over. And if Mr. Gorbachev could be chided into the monumental task of tearing down that wall by President Ronald Reagan, a lover of Randall knives, maybe Mr. Putin could pop that old Model 8 into a UPS box and ship it to Orlando. (I know you're reading this, sir. Mr. Putin, please send that knife back.)

My friend Dale Dorris, Cabinet Man, has a nice collection of Model 8s that I know he will share with us. I am looking forward to seeing them. Lady and gentlemen, may we please see some Model 8s.
Kevin Lough
RKS# 5109

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#31274 - 11/25/07 09:06 AM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: vklough46]
Rhett Stidham Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 2070
Loc: Virginia, USA
My favorite Model 8 that I bought in Colorado about twenty years ago. I was told it was made in 1947.

Regards,

Rhett

_________________________
Rhett Stidham RKS #002
President/Founder
www.randallknifesociety.com
email:payrks@gate.net

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#31275 - 11/25/07 09:15 AM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: vklough46]
patrickjames Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 622
Loc: Red Bluff California
Here we go with the model 8,another one of my favorite models.The bottom one is the crown jewel of my my 8 collection.I don't yet whether it is a lower S or not ? Hopefully I will find out shortly.
Thank you
PJ

_________________________
RKS #5247 NRA Life Member

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#31276 - 11/25/07 09:55 AM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: Rhett Stidham]
7033grip Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 10/10/05
Posts: 5148
Loc: Winter Haven, Florida
Quote:

My favorite Model 8 that I bought in Colorado about twenty years ago. I was told it was made in 1947.

Regards,

Rhett






Rhett, can you tell if the reduced hilt is pure silver?

It should be.

Dubie
_________________________
Dubie Baxter
RKS #5099

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#31277 - 11/25/07 09:59 AM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: patrickjames]
crutchtip Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 11/16/05
Posts: 2851
Low "S"



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#31278 - 11/25/07 10:36 AM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: crutchtip]
patrickjames Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 622
Loc: Red Bluff California
Thank you,I should have known that.
_________________________
RKS #5247 NRA Life Member

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#31279 - 11/25/07 12:05 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: patrickjames]
Raindog Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 1234
Loc: Coldwater, AL, These United St...
Joe, very nice stag as well as the lower S!
_________________________
Gary Howie
RKS# 274
RKCC# 495

Death tugs at my ear and says: "Live, I am coming."
--Oliver Wendell Holmes


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#31280 - 11/25/07 01:08 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: Raindog]
tunefink Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 4068
Loc: Bambalam
I no longer own this one, but it is a little different. The handle is Alternate Ivory. Note the A/I etch behind the trademark stamp. Brass furniture with red & white spacers.



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Always, buying, selling and trading.
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#31281 - 11/25/07 01:47 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: Raindog]
BoBlade Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 1673
Loc: Kalifornia
This pinned ivory example came up on e-bay a year and a half or so ago. The blade grind closely matched that of a photo in Mr. Gaddis' book of the original Trout and Bird shipped to Litch Steinman on October 26th, 1946. The blade was name etched to a Mr. "Fred M. Gilman" who reportedly owned a sporting goods store at Walloon Lake and carried a line of Bo's knives. Mr. Gaddis was kind enough to do some research on the knife and his letter follows. When I received the knife I was surprise to discover that the blade was made out from 1/8th inch stock! A friend of mine picked up a virtually identical knife at this year's Blade Show (also named etched and documented as one of the 1st group made) which was also made out of this same stock. I don't know when Bo converted to 3/16th stock but I suspect it happened fairly quickly (Comparative photo courtesy of Rhett).



This one is a mid 50's pinned stag T&B that came up on e-bay about 4-5 years ago. The auction had one very bad small photo and all you could really tell was that the sheath had a brown button. I asked the seller for better pics and he sent a close up of the blade which looked pretty rough. I put in a bid representative of what I figured the condition warranted and I ended up winning it. I tell people that when you buy an old Randall off of e-bay there are always surprises no matter how good or bad the discription or photos are. Some disappointing and some exciting. In this case I opened the package and found the knife to be dead mint! The guy had mistakenly send me a photo of a different knife

_________________________
Ron Mathews
RKS No. 4223


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#31282 - 11/25/07 03:59 PM Re: Knife Of The Week Model 8!!!!!!!! [Re: vklough46]
New2Randalls Offline
Knife Enthusiast

Registered: 04/19/07
Posts: 1196
Loc: Kalifornia
I too like the feel and weight of the model 8-4's. Here's a picture of mine. It was the second Randall that I purchased. I really like the patina and feel of the stag on this knie. Not sure when it was made, early 60's to early 70's?
Thanks
Dan Snyder RKS #5537


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It's best to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak up and be proven so!

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