Really curious what Mike Perrin and Jeff Randall were using when they first started RANDALL'S back in 1997. Certainly machete's on their Peruvian outings, and I believe from what I've read their first design was the RTAK made for them by Newt Livesay. But I am wondering what production tool/sheath knives they might have used in the early years before their own proprietary designs began being made?
I was raised up using an Old Timer (USA made Schrade) pocket knife around the farm. I learned to sharpen on pocket knives, as well as a Corley sawmill sharpening the inserts on the 52" blade. I also used axes / hatchets and machetes a lot. Edged tools, of all kinds, have always been just part of my life being raised on a farm. It was the same for Mike since he was a cabinet / furniture maker and hand carver. The thing Mike and I always saw eye-to-eye on was just using stuff that works, so brand never mattered nor did bullish*t exotic steels. I've seen Mike take brand new tools and do modifications on them to fit the task at hand for a project he was working on so making stuff was just a natural progression.
I was close . . . I was thinking a BUCK 110 might've been, "The knife that started it all" so to speak. I agree about wonder steels - too much emphasis on that over skills. Thanks for the response!
