Dating Randall Made Knives by Snaps & Stones

To narrow down the production range of a Randall Made Knife (RMK), examining the types of snaps on the sheaths and the sharpening stones in the leather pouches are two effective methods. These details provide valuable clues for accurately dating the knives and understanding their historical context. By closely analyzing these components, collectors and enthusiasts can gain deeper insights into the history and evolution of these iconic knives.

Dating by Snaps on Sheaths

1942-1945: Brass and plain metal snaps were originally used on most of the Moore, Southern, and Heiser sheaths during WWII RMK production knives. Many of the snaps were enameled in black or burgundy colors.


1943 HH Heiser Model 1 Sheath

Late 1943-1945: HH Heiser used logo snaps, though plain snaps were more common.

1945: Heiser and Moore began using the seldom-seen red lucite Randall logo snaps. Sporadic use of these snaps was discontinued in 1949.

1946-1947: Transition Heiser sheaths with red and brown snaps were likely made during this period.

1946-Late 1964: The highly sought "brown button" RMK logo snaps were used by H.H. Heiser and then by Maurice Johnson, who used up the remaining stock by late 1965.


RMK “Brown Button’ Logo Snap

1954-1964: The famous "Lift the Dot" canteen snap Heiser "C" model sheaths were produced. Initially, these sheaths had seven large silver rivets, but smaller rivets were eventually used by both Heiser and Johnson. These sheaths were phased out by the end of 1973.


‘Lift the Dot’ canteen snap

1962-1965: The early Johnson brown buttons and the transition brown button with smooth button sheaths were produced. The "baby dot" nickel-plated smooth snaps, a stronger harness strap, were first used by Johnson in early 1963 and fully integrated into his sheath-making process by 1964.

1965: Heiser's production was discontinued, and Maurice Johnson took over as RMK's sole sheath maker. He continued using "baby dot" snaps throughout his 18-year relationship with RMK. His son Johnny Johnson continued this practice when he took over the family business in 1982. He used the smooth snaps until his untimely death in December of 1991.


Early 1970s Maurice Johnson Model C Smooth Snaps

Late 1986-1995: The first "baby dot" or smooth button sheaths from Sullivan's were produced. Some Sullivan transition sheaths having one smooth and one logo snap were produced from 1995-1996. The RMK logo snaps on the sheaths, as seen today, were first used in 1995.

Dating by Sharpening Stone

This method is considered less reliable due to the ease with which stones can be lost or replaced.


Examples of Sharpening Stones over the years

1942-1946: The earliest stones used by Randall were a variant of a thin greenish-gray stone. Some of these were marked "BARBORUNDUM BRAND NO. 71 DRAFTSMAN'S STONE."

1946-1954: This period saw the introduction of the Soft Arkansas or Lily White Washita Stone. Most of these early white stones were made by Norton Abrasives.

Early 1950s: Included some grayish-marbled stones and reddish-brown stones with a fish hook sharpening groove.

Mid 1954-Early 1970s: The common two-part combination gray Crystolon stone was introduced. The earliest versions were marked "Made in the U.S.of A." with later ones marked "Made in the U.S.A." These two-part stones are commonly seen configured with either blue ink on the light side or yellow ink on the dark side.

1969-1972: During the Vietnam Era, RMK used a Soft Arkansas/Washita Stone (white stone) supplied by A.G. Russell.

Early 1970s: A solid gray, medium grit Crystolon stone was used briefly before being replaced by the Norton "Bear Brand" SP-13 Stone from 1973-1975.

Late 1975: The orange "Fine India" stone was introduced and is still in use today.

Understanding these details about the sharpening stones and sheath snaps can significantly aid collectors and enthusiasts in accurately dating their Randall Made Knives, providing a richer context to their historical value. It's important to understand that "Bo" Randall did not waste materials. As a result, products can appear across multiple manufacturing years, even after a transition. They used what they had on hand, and sometimes new materials would get mixed with old ones.

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