Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during the Normandy invasion. Several noted war heroes and GIs on all fronts carried Randall knives with them into major battles, including top American Ace Richard Bong, Lieutenant General James M. In the early 1940s, Randall knives significantly increased in popularity after receiving good publicity during World War II. Although Randall originally designed his knives for outdoorsmen and sold them at sporting goods stores, demand from military customers initially provided his biggest boost in business, and launched his company nationally. He made his first knife in his garage at Lake Ivanhoe, Florida using an auto spring. History Model 14 "Attack"īo Randall first became interested in making knives after he purchased a Bill Scagel knife that was being used to scrape paint off of a boat without showing any signs of wear or damage. The company operates its own museum containing more than 7,000 knives and other edged weapons, including one of the world's largest collections of pocket knives. Two examples of Randall's Model 17 "Astro", designed for the use of astronauts, are on display in the Smithsonian Institution. The waiting list for obtaining a Randall from the shop is typically six years. Randall uses a 17-step process for making knives, which usually takes over 8 hours to complete. Randall hand forges nearly all models of knives instead of using factory stamping or stock removal, one of few manufacturers to do so. Randall offers 28 models of knives for different applications, each customizable at the factory based on customer specification. His son and grandson continue the family trade along with 20 craftsmen producing about 8,000 knives per year out of a shop on South Orange Blossom Trail. Randall began making knives as a hobby in 1937. The knife making shop and showroom is located in Orlando, Florida. Randall Made Knives, usually referred to as Randall, is an American custom handcrafted knife manufacturer founded by Walter Doane "Bo" Randall, Jr.
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