Most of use who grew up at any point between the end of World War II and the first Gulf War have a bit of a romantic notion of the steely eyed killer with a Randall #14 Attack knife strapped to his field gear. If you are like me, you have probably wanted a Randall knife but for whatever reason, you never got around to purchasing one. It might be because they are so expensive, or the long wait time, or that, while classic they are generally shiny knives made from carbon steel that require a lot of maintenance.
But now, all of those excuses have been answered. Vickers Tactical in conjunction with Schoening Tactical is offering three distinct Randall combat models; the #14 Attack, 315 Airman, and #18 Attack-Survival. Called the VST series, they doing an after market mod to the knives to update them a little. Let’s face it, while the Randall designs are iconic, they have remained static for decades.
The main thing with the VST series is that they are offering subdued finishes; specifically parkerized carbon steel blades or bead blasted stainless steel blades to both protect the metal and cut down on their high sheen. You CANNOT get a subdued finished knife directly from Randall.
There is another advantage. You will get your knife much sooner than ordering directly from Randall Knives. Randall is running a five year backlog on individual orders since the vast majority of their business is dealer direct. So, if you want to purchase a Randall knife right now you have to go out and search their various dealers and look for the model and options you are seeking. Then, you have to worry about price since these days, Randalls have unfortunately become more collector knives than carry knives for military and LE. I have seen used models going for more than these are being offered for and not the VN-era models either.
It is important to note that only 100 of each model will be available and are priced so that a service member can actually afford one. Remember, Randalls aren’t cheap but these prices are fantastic, especially considering the extras and delivery schedule.
To order visit www.lhgk.us.
Tags: Loess Hills Gun & Knife, Randall Knives, Schoening Tactical, Vickers Tactical
My dad gave me the Randall knife that his dad, my grandpa carried in WWII and Korea, that he later carried in Vietnam, that I am carrying with me in Afghanistan today. It still does the job it was intended to do. The only real marks on it are on the butt cap where it stopped a piece of shrapnel from taking off grandpa’s leg. Sometimes when I get a little down and feeling bad here, which is often, I look at it know my grandpa and dad have my back. Just thought I would share.
I’m that generation who wanted a Randall, so, in the early ’90’s, I purchased a #14 Attack on time pay direct. It took about a year back then to save up, and it was shipped in less than 6 weeks.
I’ve spent another 20 years messing with knives, and recently started selling off. The Randall brought more than it’s purchase price and financed a good chunk of an AR15 build. Knives still interest me, and if you spend any time in the field, are a practical necessity. What passed for the optimum “commie killer” combat knife in the day has become as dated as the phrase.
Randalls are wonderful knives. In the field, especially in full battle rattle, an Endura is the standard now. Light, one handed, and inexpensive. The new generation soldier thinks twice about every ounce since body armor was added, to the detriment of a lot of other gear.
The Randall might have been the iconic battle knife of my generation, but some of us haven’t stopped learning what’s a better setup.
MarkM,
Have you spent any time in the field and have you actually used your knife. A light knife is not something that I want or find useful. Balance is more important. I’m not sure what “new generation soldier” you are talking about, maybe the guy controlling the UAV 500 miles from me and Terry rolling around in the dirt.
We don’t mess with knives, we use them.
When it’s time to shut up and color, I’ll take my Randall. Half my squad carries Randall’s, since they have seen mine, and the other half a mix of Strider’s, Gerber’s and one bad MFM carries a freakin’ tomahawk. No endura’s here, whatever they are.