Ca. 1959 Large Randall Knife of Lt. Col. Robert E. Stewart Air America

Circa 1959 large Randall Knife of Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Stewart. This knife, deaccessioned from well-known Randall collector Tom Clinton's collection, is displayed on Tom Ziemba's Air America Web Site www.air-america.net as having connections to the covert CIA Airline as part of the grouping of CNAC, CAT, Air America, ICCS (Phew!!!) Pilot Gordon V. Smith. This Rambo-sized knife sports a double brass hilt, brass pommel featuring WWI "Ruptured Duck" Discharge insignia. The bone and ebony handle features a sterling pilot's wing on one side and sterling Lieutenant Colonel rank insignia on the other. The blade is etched with "ROBERT E. STEWART" and the maker mark: "RANDALL MADE ORLANDO, FLA.". The leather sheath features a pocket for a hone and a keeper strap diagonally across the front, which snaps closed just above the hone pocket. The hone pocket also features a strap and snap closure and the reverse is stamped with: "H. H. HEISER MAKER DENVER, COLO. 9" and a handwritten number "26". Randall began making knives in 1937, one of the only companies to offer hand-crafted models. During WWII demand was so large, envelopes addressed to "Knife Man Ð Orlando Florida" were arriving for orders of hand-to-hand combat weapons.

Circa 1959

Sheath approximately: 12 " x 3": Knife approximately: 14 " in total length. Handle: 5 " x 1 "; Pommel: 1" x 1"; Hilt: 4" x 7/8"; Blade: 9" x 1 7/8"; Hone: 3" x 7/8"

Leather, bone, sterling, brass, steel.

Snaps.

"RANDALL MADE, ORLANDO, FLA." on blade and snap tops and "UNITED CARR" on underside; "ROBERT E. STEWART" on blade; "COMBINATION CRYSTOLON MADE IN U.S. OF A." on hone; and "12 H. H. HEISER MAKER DENVER, COLO. 9" and handwritten "27" in ink on reverse of sheath.

This is from a knives and firearms collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. VAJJX15 LBDGEX4/15 SLBDIEX4/15 SAGJJX8/15

9- (Excellent+): The knife shows light wear. The leather sheath is supple, all snaps are working and fully intact, steel blade is bright and shows little wear, overall excellent condition!

As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.