One of my favorite Randalls is the Stoddard Special (aka. the Sergeant) I won this one on eBay in my early days of RMK collecting. I think it was advertised as a Desert Ironwood handle, but I tend to think its Maple Burl. At any rate, it has a squared brass single hilt & butt with brass & black spacers. As soon as I won the auction, the next highest bidder offered to buy it from me.

I thought it was a keeper.







I seem to recall that Stoddard are no longer accepting Randall orders. Perhaps someone can confirm that? If so, it's to bad as this is a very nicely proportioned and balanced knife.

Nice!!! The last I heard, in the Randall Knife Society (RKS) newsletter, Stoddard's was no longer a Randall dealer.

My #19 is configured pretty close to a Stoddard's Special:

That's a beautiful #19 Ken. Now yours really does look to have Desert Ironwood. That's one of my favorite offerings from Randall. I've got a #1-6 with Ironwood, and it's got a very dark dense pattern that has some beautiful grain.

My latest Randall is a Nordic Special with Desert Ironwood:



The blade has a full-height convex grind.

Beautiful Ken! I need to get a Nordic on order. Back when I was a kid, Nordic knives was the first Randall dealer I ever ran across.

In those days, (before the internet) you'd send in a request regarding Randall knives, and they'd send out an envelope full of 35mm photos outlining the various models and configurations they offered. I think I still have that envelope somewhere in my stash of Randall literature.

All things considered, the 12/2009 delivery time that Nordic Knives is stating is quite reasonable. That Nordic Special poppedup a week ago, and I snagged it. I ordered another one early this month, which is expected to arrive in 11/2009: Forward Curved Hilt, Maroon Micarta Handle, Single Finger Grip Handle contour, Brass Butt Cap, and Wrist Thong.

I've always been fond of the Stoddard Special. That is a nice one.

Ken,

I believe I used to own that 19 of yours. Glad to see it went to better hands than my own.

I too own a Stoddard's I might have to sell soon. Hopefully not though.

Rigby470, you wrote:

quote:

I believe I used to own that 19 of yours. Glad to see it went to better hands than my own.

When you have a chance, please tell me the history of this knife. As far as I can tell, its options were as follows:

Five-inch stainless steel blade
Nickel silver single hilt with squared top
Desert ironwood handle
Single Finger Grip handle contour
Nickel silver butt cap
Wrist thong
Black sheath

The handle has a couple gouge-like artifacts, but those are due to knots in th wood, and are not actually defects. I bought it from a Randall dealer based in Oakland, California. It was eBay #290232342304.

quote:

Originally posted by lunde:
Rigby470, you wrote:

quote:

I believe I used to own that 19 of yours. Glad to see it went to better hands than my own.

When you have a chance, please tell me the history of this knife. As far as I can tell, its options were as follows:

Five-inch stainless steel blade
Nickel silver single hilt with squared top
Desert ironwood handle
Single Finger Grip handle contour
Nickel silver butt cap
Wrist thong
Black sheath

The handle has a couple gouge-like artifacts, but those are due to knots in th wood, and are not actually defects. I bought it from a Randall dealer based in Oakland, California. It was eBay #290232342304.

Yep. He is the one I sold it to, as well as the one I bought it from a few years earlier. I believe he told me he originally acquired it from Steve Peters.

Both knives are rocking beauty's!

Rigby470, you wrote:

quote:

Yep. He is the one I sold it to, as well as the one I bought it from a few years earlier. I believe he told me he originally acquired it from Steve Peters.

Way, way cool.

I am glad to know that I now have in my possession a gorgeous knife with some history. When it popped up on eBay, I knew it was ging to become mine. The #19 has a nice feel to it, and the Single Finger Grip handle and Nickel Silver furniture were icing on the cake. Considering that this knife has more than five chargeable options, such a configuration can no longer be ordered. I figure that this one has six, seven, or eight, depending on whether the black sheath and squared top of the hilt count.

Best guess the wood on the Stoddard's is burl briar which was one of the initial handle offerings but I have seen on a forum at least one in ivory!!

I really dig the Single Finger grip handle contour. At least a half-dozen of my Randalls have that type of handle. In addition to the single finger grip, it also provides a nice palm swell.