 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Walter Doane "Bo" Randall, Jr.[1] |
| Headquarters | 4857 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, Florida |
Key people | "Bo" Randall and his son Gary[2] |
| Products | Custom Handmade Knives |
Number of employees | About 20 |
| Website | Randall Made Knives |
Randall Made Knives, usually referred to as Randall, is an American custom handcrafted knife manufacturer founded by Walter Doane "Bo" Randall, Jr. in the U.S. The knife making shop and showroom is located in Orlando, Florida. Randall began making knives as a hobby in 1937.[3] 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.[3]
Randall offers 28 models of knives for different applications, each customizable at the factory based on customer specification.[4] Randall hand forges nearly all models of knives instead of using factory stamping[5] or stock removal, one of few manufacturers to do so. Randall uses a 17-step process for making knives, which usually takes over 8 hours to complete.[6] The waiting list for obtaining a Randall from the shop is typically six years.[7]
Two examples of Randall's Model 17 "Astro", designed for the use of astronauts, are on display in the Smithsonian Institution. 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 pocketknives.[8]
- ^ Jim Williamson. "The Randall Story", Knife World, April 1999. Retrieved on October 26, 2007.
- ^ Randall Made Knives. "The History" Archived 2007-10-19 at the Wayback Machine, Randall Made Knives website. Retrieved on October 25, 2007.
- ^ a b Randall Made Knives; Orlando - Handmade knives November 2013 Florida Trend magazine page 87.
- ^ Randall Made Knives. "Catalog" Archived 2007-10-14 at the Wayback Machine, Randall Made Knives website. Retrieved on October 25, 2007.
- ^ Randall Made Knives. Randall made Knives brochure, 33rd Printing, page 5.
- ^ Coulbourn, Keith. "A Cut Above The Average", Florida Accent, February 12, 1967.
- ^ "Custom Randall Made Knife Order". Randall Made Knives website. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ Tucker, Tim. "Randall-Made: Craftsman Shapes Hobby Into World's Most Famous Knife", The Palm Beach Post, November 15, 1984, page D2.