REVIEW of 2nd Edition Timeline
Reviewed by Knife World Staff

This recent addition to the knife literature falls into the category of really clever ideas – a portable, durable reference that does a fine job of unlocking the mysteries of dating Randall Made Knives in a simple, easily understood and practical manner. The only question it raises is: Why hadn’t anyone thought of this before?

The new edition of the Randall Quick Reference Guide replaces the 2003 original that caused a stir in Randall collecting circles, and sold all 500 copies so quickly that we didn’t have time to review it here(!) Based on direct feedback from collectors as well as new information that has come to light since the first edition, Sheldon and Edna Wickersham have revised their handy reference into something even better than the first – which is saying a lot. A full 60% larger than before, it’s even more detailed and accurate than the original.

The need for this item is based on the fact that dating Randall knives is a very difficult proposition, due to the immense variety of variations found. Most of us are well aware that handle spacers, sharpening stones, sheath manufacturers, sheath snaps, blade stamps, and other factors all play a role in dating any given Randall knife, but the real problem lies in using all of these factors together in order to arrive at a date range that will meet with general acceptance. Not long ago, the only way to determine this would have been to take the knife to a Randall authority, but with his handy little reference anyone can date a Randall with a good degree of confidence. If you are a collector of or occasional dealer in Randall Made Knives, the Randall Quick Reference Guide is guaranteed to make your life easier, no matter whether you do your buying in person or online. Those with a more casual interest in RMKs should give it consideration as well, for this item coupled with a copy of Gaddis’ Randall Made Knives book provides everything a knife nut needs to get a good start down the Randall collecting path – or evaluate that knife you saw at the gun show this morning. Let’s hope that the experts in other complex collecting fields (such as Case and Buck knives) will find some inspiration here and produce something as practical and useful as this. Highly recommended.

Heavily laminated, pre-folded 12x25” reference sheet.

Availability: Usually ships the next business day.

$25.00