Would Ward Gay Approve Of This Randall Made Knives Model 20?

When reading the correspondence between Ward Gay and Bo Randall in Randall Made Knives: The History of the Man and the Blades, by Robert L. Gaddis, it is fascinating to see just how specific Mr. Gay was concerning the design of the knife he wanted for himself and others living and working in Alaska.  Even more fascinating is the fact all this took place before Al Gore invented the internet.  Letters were written, sketches were made.  Lots of time passed between correspondence.  You can't get much further from Florida than Alaska.  When they started the process, Alaska had just been granted statehood.  I like the fact that so much time lags between letters and sketches.  It eliminates hasty decisions and gives both parties time to reflect on their design choices and make changes.  I also like the fact that more than one prototype was made, and because of that, changes came.  This knife took almost four years to come to fruition and be a permanent part of the catalog.There is something to be said for the "good old days".  

Mr. Gay was not only an avid hunter but a bush pilot.  Below is from the book Randall Made Knives: The History of the Man and the Blades, by Robert L. Gaddis, with this specific excerpt found on pages 165-168.

It could have been Tommy [Thompson] who acquainted ward with Randall knives.  As we know from correspondence that Gay had one of the Model 11 Alaskan Skinners Tommy designed. (That was back in 1950)  Being one of the top men in the hunting guide business, Gay couldn't have been unfamiliar with Bo's handmade knives with Tommy Thompson at hand and the Northern Commercial Company there in Anchorage.  

...We do know for certain that by January 1959 Bo and Ward were in communication.  The earliest letter in Bo's file is one from Ward dated 31 January 1959 which was a reply letter to Bo that discussed a slight rusting problem Ward was having with his Model 11 Knife.  (More on this later)... "Some day I would like you to make one of the design I have in mind. Here is the way I would like it made...."

As Ward described the knife, the blade should be "4 1/2 inches from the hilt to the tip," and he didn't want much of a notch, or cutout, ahead of the hilt. The sharp point where the cutout met the cutting edge was the real problem. As Ward explained, "When skinning, we use the full blade to skin with, and this notch catches when you're skinning and stops the knife from cutting. In other words, the corner seems to catch. I prefer not to have it on a knife."

He wanted to keep the general style of the Model 4's blade, noting "the backward curve of the blade, as you have on your model number four is the right shape for good skinning." He also indicated that there should be a serrated thumb rest on top of the blade just ahead of the hilt, and the hilt extension should be made smaller, for use with pouch-type sheaths. About the blade thickness he remarked: "The blade should not be too heavy, either, for if you use it as a knife should be used to skin with, it doesn't have to be as thick as the head of an ax in order to keep from breaking it." He then sketched his dream skinner at the bottom of the letter.

Regarding the sales potential of such a knife, Ward's opinion was that "it would sell pretty good up here, as it is about what most trappers and hunters up here desire, that is the ones who use a good knife to skin with and do not use it in place of a hatchet or ax or throwing tool."

Bo replied to ward on 17 February with a five-page letter, handwritten on his notepaper as usual.  After thanking Ward for his long letter, Bo got right down to the business of this new skinner. "I am about to get up the ' Gay Alaskan,'  if you'll permit.  It would look something like this:..." and then Bo drew a small sketch with the handle lengths noted, plus another sketch on a separate piece of paper.

...Bo made the notch, or cutout, much smaller than on most Randall knives and totally eliminated the sharp point, or corner. Bo explained the fabrication necessities for having at least a small dip in front of the hilt on this type of knife. To meet Ward's desires, the blade grinding differed from his usual style for hunting knives. He described it thus: "This blade will have the full bevel = keen cutting, but also makes for a more easily chipped out, thin curving edge - not suitable for bone work..." 

...It wasn't until the latter half of 1963 that this knife appeared in a catalog, the sixteenth printing. At that time Randall Made Knives designated it the Model 20 and named it the "Yukon Skinner." Ward received credit in the description: "An adaptation of our Model 4 especially designed for big game purposes by Ward Gay, famous Anchorage, Alaska, bush pilot."  

Before I delve into this too deeply, you should have noticed the name Tommy Thompson in the excerpt above.  He designed his own knife with Bo 13 years earlier.  I'll be writing about the Model 11 Alaska Skinner someday in the future. 

Below you will see a few photos that show how close the finished product is to Bo's sketch above.  These photos were lifted from the web as the best examples I could find.  I cropped and edited the originals in order to enlarge them and to focus on the area of the knife this article is about.  No photo credit was provided with the descriptions of my Google search results.  If you are the owner of the photos or know the owners, please alert me to that fact and I will give credit where credit is due.

Notice the complete lack of a sharp point at the choil on the knife above.  The arrow is aiming at about where the point would be.  The rounded belly of the blade just melds into the coil (or lack thereof) and inserts right into the guard.  Contrast that to the photo below.  See where the arrow is aiming?  Directly at the point.    There is a huge difference between the two and probably 50 + years in age difference as well.  I'm guessing the one above is mid-1960's, mine is 2017.  

How about a closeup.

Here is a shot with my finger in the choil.

It seems the folks at Randall Made Knives forgot what the original plan was for this knife.  That choil shape on this Model 20 is exactly like the choil on any other knife model coming out of their shop.  That is a pretty pointy thing sitting right next to my finger.  The only thing that distinguishes this knife as a Ward Gay Model 20 is the handle shape.  Theoretically, all Model 20's should have the blade shape of the older version with the brown handle.  It would be nice if when Randall makes a Model 20 with a Ward Gay handle, they would make it even more special and coveted by reverting to the old blade design.

Other than the choil issue, the blade shape is incredibly close to the original.  Keeping in mind that every blade is hand ground without the use of a template, it is amazing how consistent they are.  Sure there are subtle differences, but that is part of what makes these knives so special.  By having variances, you please more people.  Some folks like a more sweeping point, some a little flatter spine while others like deeper finger grooves or a fatter handle that curves less at the butt.  When you see one that checks all the boxes of your preferences, then it is time to buy.  Don't dilly dally.  I tell customers "each knife is unique and one of a kind.  If you see one you like, buy it.  You'll never see that exact knife again".  I still have not found the perfect Model 3-5.  I've had a bunch that were close, but not "The One".   

I like the choils on Randall Knives.  They are a great place to put your index finger when choking up.  Some choils are roomier than others, that is why I like to test drive several before picking one.  Typically, I then round that sharp point just a little to make it more forgiving on my finger. 

The plan for my Ward Gay is to try to get it as close to the original design as possible.  I've already shortened the length of the guard.  The original length is really excessive.  This is not a stabbing knife, so therefore it really does not need much in the way of a guard anyway.  If you look at the original photo above, you will notice the guard is much stubbier and shorter than on my current day version.  I only took off about 3/16" and re-shaped the curve and of course rounded all the edges of the guard.  My belief is that the only thing on a knife that should be sharp is the edge. Recently, while watching a documentary about Bob Loveless, he held the same belief and incorporated that feature in his designs.  If you are going to be using a knife for several hours, processing a game animal, you don't need "hot spots" from the handle or anywhere else.  

Here is the before (top) and after (bottom) on the guard shortening. 

The next thing I may do is grind the choil to look more like it should.  The only problem with doing that is the width of the stock going through the guard and into the handle on my knife is actually smaller than on an older knife that was originally built to not have a choil.  A great example of that is the knife below.

If you study the photo above, you will notice that where the blade meets the guard is actually thicker than the handle where the first finger groove meets the spacer material.  When the knife is constructed this way, it is much easier to not have a choil and the pointy part that Mr. Gay wanted to avoid.  The shorter, stubbier guard and lack of choil would also pair up better with the last thing Mr. Gay wanted.  He requested a pouch sheath.  He wrote to Bo about how he and his friends are always "throwing away the factory made scabbard...and making their own pouch-style sheaths."  I completely agree with him..    Randall Made Knives sheaths are works of art, however, they are not very user-friendly.  A pouch sheath is a one-handed wonder.  Operating instructions go something like this: "Reach, remove, use, wipe off, replace."  All with one hand.  No retainer strap to cut off.  More of the handle is protected from bumps and bruises as well.  I'd love to see Randall Made Knives return to making the Ward Gay Model 20 the way Ward Gay wanted them and put them in the sheaths he wanted too.

Stay tuned.  My next article will be about Tommy Thompson who designed the Model 11 and how it compares to the Model 20.  Two knives designed and created to do the same exact job, by men who knew each other, both living in Alaska.