"Random Access III" Tactical/Counterterrorism/Working Knife
"Random Access III" Professional Grade Tactical, Working, Combat, Counterterrorism Knife
Skeletonized, Lightweight, (Shadow Line)
All gear Matching in non-reflective flat black camouflage
- Size: Length overall: 8.25" (21.0 cm), Blade Length:3.5" (8.9cm), Thickness: .233" (5.9 mm)
- Weight: Knife: 6.2 oz. (176 grams), Horizontal Leather Sheath: 5.4 oz. (153 grams), Vertical Leather Sheath: 5.0 oz. (142 grams), Hybrid Tension-Locking Kydex Sheath: 9.2 oz. (261 grams)
- Blade: ATS-34 High Molybdenum Martensitic Stainless Tool Steel, Hardened and Tempered, T3 Specialty Cryogenically treated to Rockwell C60, proprietary surface oxide treatment "Ghost Slate."
- Sheath, Horizontal: Heavy 9-10 oz. thick leather shoulder, hand-stamped, black lacquered
- Sheath, Vertical: Heavy 9-10 oz. thick leather shoulder, hand-stamped, black lacquered
- Sheath: Hybrid Tension-Locking in Black Kydex, Black Anodized Aluminum Alloy, Blackened Stainless Steel, 6AL4V Titanium
- Accessories:
- Standard Belt Loops: accommodates .190"
thick by 1.5" belt, black anodized 5052H32 high strength
corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil
thickness
- High Profile Belt Loops: accommodates
.250" thick by 1.5" belt, black anodized 5052H32 high
strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black
at 1 mil thickness
- Vertical Flat Mounting Straps:
accommodates up to 2.4" wide belt, web, strapping, or gear,
clamps rigidly and vertically 90 degrees to the long axis of
the sheath, black anodized 5052H32 high strength corrosion
resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil thickness
- Horizontal Flat Mounting Straps:
accommodates up to 1.5" wide belt, web, strapping, or gear,
clamps rigidly and horizontally (in line with the long
axis of the sheath), black anodized 5052H32 high strength
corrosion resistant aluminum alloy, anodized black at 1 mil
thickness
- Horizontal Belt Loop Plates: allows
wear with the long axis of the sheath in line with standard belt, without rigid clamping,
accommodates .250" thick by 1.5" belt, welded black anodized
5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum alloy,
anodized black at 1 mil thickness
- Vertical High Strength Flat Mounting Straps: allows
rigid and high strength clamping of sheath to web, strap, or
both belt loop extenders, made of drilled and milled
blackened 304 high nickel, high chromium stainless steel
- Ultimate Belt Loop Extender (UBLX):
allows wearing with locking sheath and knife handle just
below the belt line, with DMT folding pocket diamond
abrasive sharpener, in black polypropylene, polyester, blackened stainless steel, DMT diamond sharpener,
acetyl buckles.
More about the UBLX on this dedicated page.
- Sternum Harness Plus: allows wearing of
locking sheath upside down across sternum, handle down, in black polypropylene,
polyester, acetyl buckles and accessory clips.
- Lamp Independent Mount Assembly (LIMA):
Backup, emergency, safety LED programmable flashlight and
independent web frame and mount, in polypropylene stitched with high strength polyester,
anodized 5052 high strength corrosion resistant black
anodized aluminum mounting bar, 304 stainless steel ring
retainers, nylon elastic shock cord, with ThruNite Ti3
flashlight. More
about the LIMA on this dedicated page.
- Diamond Abrasive Sharpener with Pad/Sheath:
Diamond abrasive sharpening stone, 2" x 6",
double-sided (400G/600G), nickel bonded diamond abrasives
over phenolic core, heavy nylon sheath to store and protect
other gear from diamond abrasives; sheath doubles as work
pad so diamond does not scratch surfaces, stitched with
polyester, hook and loop closure
- Lanyards: 550 Nylon Kernmantle Rope (Paracord)
sliding noose lanyard, waterproof adjustable SCUBA lanyard
with silicone rubber padding
- Hardware and Fasteners: all in 8-32
standard thread, 304 (18-8) high nickel, high chromium
stainless steel, blackened, all user-changeable with one
size of hex wrench. This differs from my kits of the past,
where two or three sizes of hex wrenches are needed. I've
tuned up the fastener set so that, in this particular style
of knife sheath, only one hex wrench (Allen wrench) is
needed for all of the fasteners: 3/32". A smaller hex
wrench (5/64") is needed to reverse the locking components
of the hybrid tension-locking sheath. Also necessary is a
simple flat bladed screwdriver (not included) to make up all
of the typical hardware arrangements.
- Duffle Bag: 1000 denier Cordura®
ballistic nylon, waterproof polyurethane coated, nylon, polyester,
polypropylene sling handles, closed cell foam bottom in 600
denier Cordura nylon bag for storage of papers, thin gear,
protection from abrasion, embroidered patch, removable
embroidered name patch with hook and loop
- Knife: The Random Access III is a unique
crossover knife; it's a skeletonized knife that's all about
being extremely lightweight, yet critically effective. Because traditional counterterrorism and tactical
combat knives have such a large and imposing profile, their wear and
use can be easily determined by an enemy, and this is not always a
good thing. What my counterterrorism clients have asked for is a
knife that is much lower "profile," a knife that is extremely
functional and useful as a working knife, yet doesn't appear to be
too imposing, or is large, bulky or hard to wear, carry or conceal.
While I don't suggest or support concealed wearing of knives (and
it's illegal to carry concealed in public places in the state where I live), I do
understand that professional counterterrorism, law enforcement or
principle security details need a knife that is small and yet
robust, lightweight and yet highly effective. This is the idea
behind my Random Access line. My first Random Access pattern was
small and completely made for working and daily use. I remember a
roofer who used his small Random Access I as his daily knife and he
depended on it so much, he wore completely through his leather
sheath! The wear was not from the knife, but from him rubbing
the stitches right off the outside of the sheath! He depended on
this little Random Access I every day of his difficult,
abrasive tradecraft. This was a design that first found favor in the early 1990s,
and I still make them from time to time. Random Access II is a
design that is larger, beefier, and more sizeable than the first
Random Access, with a larger blade, larger finger rings, and the
same upswept blade. Random Access III is even more of
the best of both of these
predecessors, with a very thick, strong skeletonized design, large finger
rings, a more upswept, curved blade, a deeper grind, and a
serious top swage at the end of a substantial thumb rise. When my
counterterrorism clients wanted a serious blade in professional
grade that could easily cross over to a working man's tool, Random
Access III was the result.
- Blade Steel Alloy: The Random Access
III blade is a special hypereutectoid, high alloy stainless tool steel,
ATS-34. This steel is
extremely high in molybdenum and chromium, and I call it a
"chrome-moly tool steel on steroids." First, the carbon in this steel
is extremely high at 1.25 percent, allowing significant development of
martensite and
forming of essential iron carbides. The second element is chromium, and at 14
percent, this is a true stainless steel with high corrosion
resistance. High chromium also helps create extremely
hard and durable chromium carbides adding to the wear
resistance and overall strength and stability of the steel
alloy. The third and most transformational element is
molybdenum. ATS-34
has 4% molybdenum, providing a high concentration of
molybdenum carbide particles, which are extremely wear-resistant
and contribute tremendously to toughness. Molybdenum is
a very important carbide-former, and it helps precipitate
carbides at critical dislocation and grain boundary areas of
the crystalline structure, stabilizing the structure against
fracture, toughening it. Toughness is
resistance to breakage, and since this is dramatically increased
in this high molybdenum steel, it allows a very thin cutting
edge and blade geometry with high strength. This means a
thinner, sharper, and extremely tough,
corrosion-resistant blade is possible with this steel.
- Heat Treatment: This Random Access III has my
T3 heat treatment, yielding an astounding blade in incredible
condition through advanced processing protocols. How advanced is
this treatment? It's a multi-stage cryogenic treatment,
involving temperatures ranging in over 2000°F (1090°C)
to -320°F (-196°C). The process is an evolution of my
advanced heat treating processes, and consists of 33 dedicated
and specific steps and takes 172 hours! This means that just to
heat treat this blade takes over a week! The reason for this is
scientific and critical, but yields the most stable, most
wear-resistant, most durable and long-lived structure of this
steel, profuse with fine multi-element carbides and a uniform
and unbelievably robust structure. This is a testament to my
determination to make the very best knives, steels, treatments
and kits in the modern world. I know of no one else who has
advanced the treatment to this level; it's unheard of in the
metals and knifemaking field.
- Blade Design: The Random Access III is a true crossover, high-performance knife suitable to
many fields. This is a continual evolution of my commitment to
offer the very best knives in the modern world, based on actual
use and performance features and conditions. The Random
Access III form is sweeping and large, and the hollow grind
is very deep and wide, perfectly matched from side to side.
This results in a thin, strong and extremely sharp cutting
edge, applied here in a single bevel geometry. The sweeping
curve is so incredibly sharp that it will cut just about
anything it touches. Because the shape or profile of the
knife design at the point is wide (almost 90 degrees), the
point is extremely strong, even though it's thin. Add to
this the short yet effective top swage that's almost 2" long
from the point to the tip of the thumb rise, and the
geometry of the point itself is surprisingly robust. The
blade was meant to be substantial, yet extremely
lightweight, and this is why the T3 treated ATS-34 is such a
good fit for this geometry. The Random Access III is a
slicing virtuoso, useful as a working knife, tough enough
for lightweight counterterrorism and principle security
detail tactical solutions.
- Blade Finish: The blade
(and all of the accessories) are in my "Shadow" line of
counterterrorism and tactical knife finishes. Answering the
request for completely subdued and non-reflective surfaces,
I developed the Shadow Line with my Ghost Slate finish. This
means darkening in a permanent fashion not only the
stainless steel of the knife, blade, and all of the gear in the entire kit: the fasteners, the
sheath parts, aluminum mounts, accessories and entire
package. Read more about my Shadow Line and Ghost Slate
finish on my Counterterrorism Knives page
at this bookmark.
- This is a counterterrorism-working knife crossover,
extremely lightweight and tough, razor-keen in slicing profile and
uncompromising point geometry.
- Handle: The handle of the Random Access III is
skeletonized. This means that all of the weight possible for a
strong, useful knife has been eliminated, so that the knife is a
solid shank of hardened and tempered high alloy steel from tip to
butt. In order to have serious grip security with this lightweight
blade, two finger rings dominate the shape. They are large (1.23" or
3.1 cm) and they are rounded, contoured, smoothed and comfortable
for the hand to easily slide in and out of them. The curve between
the two rings is just right for the large middle finger to wrap
around the tang, locking the handle in the hand. Normally, in
a typical forward grip, the rest of the palm and fingers wrap around
the outside of the rear finger ring, filling the hand, yet remaining
extremely light. This makes the handle feel much larger than it
actually is, when you consider the extremely light mass of the
metal. In reverse grip, the same design means the forefinger is in
the rear finger hole, the large middle finger in the same curve
between the rings, and the rest of the palm wrapping around the
front finger ring. The curve and shape of the spine of the knife are
designed to accommodate both of these grip styles, and all of the
handle is rounded, smoothed, and non-abrasive to the hand that holds
it. The thumb is naturally placed on the large ramp, and can apply
tremendous pressure to the curved belly of the cutting edge. The
balance point is in the center of the forward ring, so the blade
mass feels neutral. The knife is, of course, very lightweight and
quick.
- Leather Sheath, Horizontal: I've included a heavy, tough, and solid leather sheath for the
Random Access III, in 9-10 oz. leather shoulder, hand-stamped and
tooled. The leather is shoulder, from mature cows, and is twice as thick as most other knifemakers use.
The hand-stamped basketweave-tooled sheath design deep
and protects the owner from the highly curved razor-keen cutting edge.
This is a neat horizontal sheath, and a specific refinement
indicated by my clients cannot be seen in a photograph. Since this
is a horizontal sheath, it's made to be worn inline with the belt.
The back side is smooth, and two wide, but tapered belt loops are
used to thread the belt through. It's always a good idea to "trap"
the horizontal sheath from sliding by straddling a belt loop on the
pants with the sheath loops, stopping the sheath from sliding
around. The neat thing about this horizontal sheath is that it has
my "drop-lock" retention shape. Inside the sheath is a special
depression in the welt profile that accommodates the forward finger
ring. The sheath is slid into the sheath, cutting edge down, and
then the finger ring "drops" downward into the socket that helps
retain the knife in the sheath. The knife can't be removed from the
sheath unless the handle is lifted up about 1/2" and since the
sheath is snug, this offers a "drop-lock" retention that is still
fast to unsheathe, once it's broken in.
- Leather Sheath, Vertical: The second
leather sheath is of a traditional black basketweave vertical
design, thus keeping with the "working knife" appearance. The sheath has a high back, to protect the
wearer, and the orientation is right side, edge-back. There is a
large belt loop, double-row stitched with heavy nylon for strength
and moisture and rot resistance. The sheath body, front,
back, and welts are stitched with nylon for durability. The
sheath is dyed black throughout, with buffed edges in a
water-resistant lacquer finish. Leather is irreplaceable in
extremely cold or hot environments, and where absolute silence is
needed in tactical operations with no clicking when in contact
against objects, people, or gear. The leather sheath is also great
for a "non-tactical" outdoors look in a more casual setting when a
knife simply needs to be a tool.
- Hybrid-Tension Locking Sheath: I've included my best hybrid tension-locking tactical
sheath, the very best of its type made in the world today and
the only type of its kind made in the world today! It's
made of double-thickness black kydex, bonded and sealed over a frame
of black anodized 5052 H32 corrosion-resistant, high strength
aluminum alloy. The near-ceramic hard coating on the aluminum is
permanently dyed black and specially sealed against fading even in
long-term ultraviolet
sunlight exposure. The sheath is built with all black oxide 304 stainless
steel hardware and fasteners, and with an extremely
corrosion-resistant and tough blue-brown-black 6AL4V titanium spring
lock set for
reliability, no matter what the sheath is exposed to. The sheath is
sealed with waterproof bonding and the inside is permanently coated
and prevents the blade steel from contacting any metal of the
welt frame. The tension lock is quick and secure, solid and strong, so the
knife can be worn in any position, even upside down. This is absolutely, positively, the very best
hybrid tension-locking
sheath made in the world. The sheath frame features my integrated
spacing so that my accessories and mounts can be used (below). The
sheath is entirely reversible for a huge variety of wearing options
with the equipment included. I've even included two
interchangeable dogleg titanium springs so the wearer can adjust the
tension of the sheath release. If you're not familiar with my
tension-lock, here's how it works: the knife is retained with the pressure of a ball-lock.
In the case of this Random Access III, the lock engages on the
forward finger ring, keeping it locked against the welt frame. The pressure
can be removed by using the thumb to push out on the spring, and
then the knife can be moved away from the spring and then out of the
sheath. Alternately, the
knife can be pulled very hard, up and then out of the sheath, releasing
the lock. The mechanism is light, adjustable, and completely
reversible on the sheath allowing a tremendous amount of wearing
options. And I've included two titanium springs of different
strengths (heavy and light) so the owner can adjust the tension and retention strength
to his preference.
- Sternum Harness Plus: The sternum harness I've
included is the result of input from my military and
counterterrorism clients. It allows the knife to be worn, handle
down, angled across the sternum, on top of any other tactical gear.
This harness is made of polypropylene and stitched with polyester
for rot-free, high strength longevity, and the buckles and straps
are tough Acetyl plastic with 110 lbs. breaking strength. The
harness can be donned and doffed quickly and simply, and the "plus"
is the additional one-inch wide stabilizing strap and buckle that
creates an "X" strap around the torso, to prevent movement in any
position of the wearer, even while running and climbing. I've
even included several snap hooks for extra gear, and these can be
removed or placed at different points on the harness.
- Ultimate Belt Loop Extender (UBLX): I included my
ultimate survival, CSAR tactical, rescue, and
counterterrorism sheath belt loop extension with
outstanding and critical features and devices. The
nylon and polyester accessory is
waterproof, durable, and extremely stout, and lowers the hybrid
tension-locking
knife sheath to be worn in a more traditional belt position with
the knife handle below the
hip. The extension is mounted with 304 stainless steel straps and
stainless steel cap screws attached to the existing stainless
Chicago screws, and the assembly is stiffened by trapped acrylic
stiffeners stitched in place with
polyester. These prevent the extension from folding, bending, or
collapsing when the knife is extracted from the sheath. The belt
loop is 2 inches wide for standard tactical belts, and has a
mid-placement 1" wide strap retained with acetyl buckles to
prevent the knife handle from flopping around during active
movements (running, climbing, crawling). At the lower back of the extension I've included
a custom fit pocket for a DMT (Diamond Machining Technology)
Mini-Sharp diamond-nickel abrasive hone, to bring up the cutting
edge in the field with ease, and it works even on this high alloy
wear-resistant blade. These are great tools that can re-sharpen or just touch
up even the hardest tool steel edges, as they are surface-bonded
with diamond abrasives. The pocket for this tool is situated at
the sheath back and against the body, so the sharpener can not
be removed unless the sheath is off the body and the industrial
strength Velcro (hook and loop) closure is open. Read more about the
UBLX at this link.
- LIMA Emergency Lamp (Lamp Independent Mount Assembly): An important
lesson I learned from my military and counterterrorism clients is the
addition of the emergency lamp. The LIMA is a special socket in thick and wide polypropylene, stitched
with polyester for durability and rot resistance, and it
accommodates the latest small lamp, the LED ThruNite Ti3. This little,
super-lightweight flashlight puts
out an incredible 120 lumens and at lower levels can last for
115 hours on lowest setting. It can reach
out 164 feet and give you enough light to get to safety, and the
entire mounting assembly is extremely lightweight and waterproof to
continual immersion. The flashlight even has an emergency strobe at high
illumination that will get noticed. The
LIMA webframe is secured with a lightweight anodized aluminum strap and
stainless steel machine screws and
mounts anywhere along the sheath welts where I have the standard
2.5" spacing. There are 8 possible locations and 16 possible
orientations of the LIMA on this versatile sheath. The retaining strap rings are also 304 stainless, and
the 1/8" shock cord is easily replaceable if needed, and
replacement shock cord is included.
More about the
LIMA on this dedicated page.
- Horizontal Belt Loop Plates: Answering the
call of my counterterrorism and military clients, I've included
a pair of horizontal belt loop plates for this knife sheath.
These bolt onto either side of the sheath using included hardware,
and are 5052H32 high strength corrosion resistant aluminum
alloy, completely anodized and permanently dyed black with a
near-ceramic hard surface. They are high-purity welded for
durability, and light weight. They allow horizontal wear of any
belt up to 1.5" wide, and the sheath runs inline with the belt.
- Flat strap plates (horizontal and/or vertical): These have several
uses: one is to mount the knife sheath rigidly clamped to the
sternum harness, with no play. They also allow the sheath to be
clamped on any gear (like PALS webbing) with a solid strap
security and no sliding around (like on traditional belt loops).
So they clamp the sheath to your gear with all stainless steel
hardware. The vertical straps accommodate web strap up to over 2" wide,
and the horizontal accommodated web 1.5" wide (see photos below). They are also 5052 H32 high strength,
corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy, anodized with a permanent black
color, and a near-ceramic hard surface.
- High and Low-profile belt loops (footman's loops):
I've included two pairs of anodized aluminum belt loops, one pair that
accommodates 1.5" wide belts up to .250" thick and one pair that
accommodates 1.5" wide belts up to .190" thick. They work with the
integrated spacing so can be mounted in a variety of positions on
the reversible sheath.
- Lanyards, hardware, tools: The included
paracord (550 Nylon Kernmantle Rope) sliding noose lanyard can be critical and necessary for retention of your knife when
working in elevated locations or in marine environments.
It's an adjustable type, a frequent request by my
tactical combat professionals. I've also included a SCUBA-rated
waterproof lanyard with silicone rubber abrasion-resistant sleeve
and locking cord adjuster for adjustment. I've
included all the tools, hardware, and necessary components to
mount all or any combination of these accessories with your
gear, on your person, and all of the hardware is blackened,
non-reflective stainless steel in common American Standard Sizes. Included is screw top
and snap tins for hardware storage.
Detailed Instructions and care information for the individual components
are also included, and they nest well at the bottom of the
duffle bag (below) in the padded sleeve. I've also included a list of video links that explain
how to set up every single one of these accessories. This is an ultimate
system, and demonstrates my commitment to actual combat,
tactical, field, rescue, and counterterrorism knife service in my trade.
- Leather Sheath Storage: I've included my black
denim embroidered drawstring bag with this kit (see photos below).
This is to store the leather sheaths; it breathes and keeps the
sheaths from being scuffed or abraded, and I make these in heavy
denim stitched with polyester, embroidered on one side with "Jay Fisher
Knives." The drawstring is
polyethylene and it keeps the sheath protected and clean even while
in the duffle (below).
- 2" x 6" dual diamond
sharpener and storage/pad: This is a new accessory, and one
that I'll be including in all my newer kits. It's a double-sided diamond
sharpener, with two grits, 400 and 600. Diamond is the only
abrasive I recommend
for sharpening, and it's important to have it available and
included. Because diamond is the hardest known substance, it makes
an excellent abrasive for the very hardest, toughest
and most wear-resistant cryogenically-treated tool steels. Because
diamond is so hard, special
care must be taken in handling and storing the sharpener, as it
absolutely will scratch every single surface it comes in contact
with! This is why I've gone to the extra effort to create an
incredible, tough, and durable pad/bag for it. The diamond pad is
stored easily in the heavily-stitched thick nylon bag, and secured
with industrial strength hook and loop. When the diamond pad is out
of the bag, the owner can set it on top of the bag, using it as a
thick, heavy, protective flat pad for sharpening his knives. He can
even use it as an assembly pad for laying his knife on for
adjusting, servicing, or cleaning. This is the heaviest, thickest
piece of nylon you will find! A great addition to the kit!
- Heavy 7" x 11" Duffle: It's important to keep everything
together, safe, and accessible, and since no on makes a duffle heavy
and stout enough for the job, I make these, too. I make them in
1000 Denier Cordura® ballistic nylon, coated on the inside with
polyurethane for water resistance. This is some of the heaviest,
toughest material available, and I've double-row stitched all of the seams
with strong, waterproof, sunlight-resistant heavy polyester thread.
I've attached stout metal #8 zippers and double pulls, and
reinforced the zipper ends as well as the 2" wide polyethylene carry straps.
I've even included a 7mm thick closed-cell foam inner base pad,
wrapped in 600 Denier Cordura nylon in the bottom to prevent
abrasion and wear. You can store paperwork, written or printed
orders, and other items in the
base bag to keep them flat and clean. The duffle is identified with my "Quality Without Compromise"
patch. Because many of my clients have more than one knife, I've
also include an embroidered knife name patch, which is removable and
secured by hook and loop so knife owner can tell which duffle stores
which knife. See photos below.
- Archival engraved detail plate: As with all of
my knives, I've included a co-extruded engraved acrylic detail
plate. This identifies the knife, the blade, sheath, accessory
materials, and the tested hardness of the blade. On the reverse is
engraved my complete contact information with telephone numbers,
email, and website address. This 2.75" x 4.25" plastic plate will
last as long as the knife, and will verify the exact model design
and materials indefinitely. It will never wear out, never discolor
or fade, never be unreadable in any weather or exposure, unless it's
completely melted—and then you have other problems! Seriously,
this is much more than a piece of paper, and assures the information
lasts as long as the knife and kit.
- See more about all the features
in this video of a PJLT (Pararescue Light) tactical combat and
rescue knife. In the video, I describe the mounts, accessories, and
interfacing wear assemblies that are included in this kit; the same
as you will see in the PJLT kit in the video.
- Designed for professional use,
this is a top-of-the-line, brutally tough skeletonized
lightweight and effective tactical, counterterrorism, security
detail, and working tool. The package includes useful and valuable
sheaths, and an accessory package that is simply the best made. With
a razor-keen curved slicing cutting edge and a super-tough
point geometry, this
knife also crosses over into the field of utility, working, and
daily use. This package is comprehensive, sturdy, dependable, and
useable. NO OTHER SOURCE can supply what you see here, all finely
handmade to work with your gear, your outing, your mission, and your
excursion, no matter the situation and exposure.
Thanks, S.!
To see many more options for mounting, wear, and rigging, please visit
these pages and look over their detailed photo sets. I've assembled and
mounted the knives and kit accessories in a variety of ways, and most of the
various arrangements are applicable to this knife as well.