Randall Made Knives facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Randall Made Knives

Type	Private
Industry	Manufacturing
Founded	1938; 87 years ago (1938)
Founder	Walter Doane "Bo" Randall, Jr.
Headquarters	4857 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, Florida
Key people	"Bo" Randall and his son Gary
Products	Custom Handmade Knives
Number of employees	About 20

Randall Made Knives, often called Randall, is an American company that makes special, handmade knives. It was started by Walter Doane "Bo" Randall, Jr. in the United States. The shop and showroom where they make and show knives are in Orlando, Florida.

Bo Randall began making knives as a fun hobby in 1937. Today, his son and grandson continue the family business. About 20 skilled workers help them make around 8,000 knives every year.

Randall offers 28 different knife models for many uses. Customers can even ask for custom changes at the factory. Randall still hand-forges most of its knives. This means they shape the metal using heat and tools, instead of just cutting it from a sheet. This is a special way of making knives that few companies still use.

Making a Randall knife takes about 17 steps and over 8 hours to finish. Because they are so popular and handmade, there is often a waiting list of about six years to get a knife from the shop!

Two examples of Randall's Model 17 "Astro" knife are on display at the Smithsonian Institution. These knives were made for astronauts. The company also has its own museum. It holds more than 7,000 knives and other sharp weapons. This includes one of the world's biggest collections of pocketknives.

The Story of Randall Knives

Model 14 "Attack" knife

Bo Randall first became interested in making knives after seeing a knife made by Bill Scagel. This knife was used to scrape paint off a boat but did not get damaged. Bo made his first knife in his garage in Florida, using a car spring.

He officially started the company in 1938. At first, Randall designed his knives for people who loved the outdoors. He sold them in sporting goods stores. But soon, soldiers and military customers helped his business grow a lot.

Randall Knives in World War II

In the early 1940s, Randall knives became very popular. This happened after they got good attention during World War II. Many famous war heroes and soldiers carried Randall knives into big battles. These included American pilot Richard Bong and Lieutenant General James M. Gavin. Even Army Air Force Captain Ronald Reagan, who later became a U.S. President, owned a Randall knife during the war.

Randall knives were so popular that soldiers overseas would order them by mail. They simply wrote letters to the "Knife Man, Orlando."

Model 16 SP#1 "Special #1 Fighter"

After the War and Beyond

After the war, more people who were not in the military wanted Randall knives. So, Randall created new models for different uses. In 1956, Randall received a special design patent from the U.S. government for his Model 14 and 15 knives.

In 1957, the famous author James Jones wrote about Randall knives in his book Some Came Running. He even helped Randall design a knife for divers. During the Vietnam War, General William Westmoreland was often seen with a Randall knife. Pilot Gary Powers and animal expert Ross Allen also carried Randall knives.

In 1982, Bo Randall was honored in the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame. Bo Randall passed away in 1989 at 80 years old. His son, Gary Randall, now runs Randall Made Knives.

Bo Randall was one of the first people to be put into the Blade magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1997, Randall was also added to the American Bladesmith Society Hall of Fame. In 2001, Forbes magazine listed Randall's knives as "Best Sheath Knife."

Randall Knives in Space

When the U.S. started its space program, NASA needed a survival knife for its astronauts. Major Gordon Cooper worked with Randall to design the Model 17 "Astro" knife. The first astronauts, known as the Mercury Seven, carried their Randall knives into space.

In 1999, the Liberty Bell 7 space capsule was found in the ocean. Inside was astronaut Gus Grissom's Randall knife. Even after being underwater for 40 years at a depth of 15,000 feet (about 4,572 meters), the knife still worked after it was cleaned! The Smithsonian Institution has two "Astro" knives on display.

Randall Knives in Music

The Texas musician Guy Clark wrote a song called "The Randall Knife." It was a tribute to his father and appeared on his 1983 album Better Days. Vince Gill, who sang on Clark's song, also mentions a Randall knife in his own song, "The Key to Life." Steve Earle, another musician, mentions a Randall knife in his song "Taneytown." In 2019, Steve Earle released his own version of "The Randall Knife" on an album honoring Guy Clark.

Randall Made Knives Museum

Display at Randall Made Knives Museum

The Randall Made Knives Museum is right at the knife shop in Orlando. It has over 7,000 knives and other sharp weapons. It also has one of the world's largest collections of pocketknives. Plus, it has the biggest collection of knives made by Bill Scagel. The museum shows many old pictures and papers about Randall knives. Randall plans to move the museum to a bigger place in the future.

Types of Randall Knives

Here are some of the different types of Randall knives, with the year they were first made in parentheses.

See also

In Spanish: Randall Made Knives para niños