Several months ago I had the privilege of acquiring a very interesting Randall made in the 1950’s. This particular item was something I had never seen before out of the Randall shop. Being from the later 1950’s doesn’t set it off the Richter scale because there were more than a few one offs and custom pieces being made during this period, but this one was a bit different in that it wasn’t a complete departure from a catalog model.

When asking a couple of other collectors as exactly what it was or what its intended purpose might be a couple of theories presented themselves. First was the possibility that it was some form of a kitchen or utility knife. Second was that it was a “bait knife”. Now both sound plausible and we may never know the answer, but the consensus was that it was likely made by Bo for a friend, as he had a history of making smaller “utility” type knives for friends.

This knife did not come with a sheath. I don’t know if it was ever supplied with one or not. It might stand to reason that if it was a kitchen utility knife that it may not have had one supplied by the shop. Even if it was a bait knife, it may not have had a sheath either and was intended to be in a tackle box. It is hard to say for certain, but it is an interesting knife in great condition, that will generate some good conversation amongst collectors. 

Ultimately I don’t know exactly why this knife was made, who it was made for, or what the purpose for the knife was, but it is a pretty unique piece and the writing of this article, the only one like it I have seen.