Rambo III
Although Gil Hibben had been making custom knives since 1957, this was the
knife that introduced him to the world
of
production knife collectors. The was the first "movie knife" produced by United
Cutlery and it's success has been phenomenal. Several versions of the Rambo III
knife were produced and it is still selling today, 17 years after it's initial
release!
Sylvestor Stallone (Sly) is a knife collector and owns several Hibben custom knives. One day, at a knife show, Sly walked up to Gil's table and bought nearly everything Gil had on display. A short time later, Gil got a call from Sly asking him to design a knife for his upcoming movie "Rambo First Blood Part III".
Gil originally designed a version of the now famous knife that had a "wing"
blade w
hich
fit into the slot of the blade we all know. The producers decided it was a bit
too much and went with the familiar version without the extra blade. Only 2 of
the "winged" versions were made, Gil has one, Sly has the other.
The production version is slightly smaller than the actual knife used in the
movie. The production version has a 11" blade while the movie version has a 13
3/4" blade. Gil sells a handmade limited edition of the full size movie version
with a ebony handle on his website
www.hibbenknives.com .
The Production versions:
The original version - United Cutlery UC-201 was originally released in 1988
(although I have seen it referenced as RB3). The UC-201 model is still listed in
the United catalog.
In 1998 United released the 10th Anniversary Edition UC-1162. It was serial
numbered, has a "John Rambo" signature etched on the blade and came with a
display plaque.
In the year 2000, United released yet another version, UC-1238 Rambo III
Special Edition. This version had a black handle, the blade is etched with the
"John Rambo" signature, it is serial numbered, and it came with a display plaque
and a collectors card.
The handmade version: Gil Hibben makes a custom, limited edition of
the full sized movie knife (13 3/4" blade x 1/4"thick). This is a massive bowie!
They are made to order and come with a certificate of authenticity, a picture of
Stallone as Rambo holding the knife, a handmade sheath, and a storage pouch.
$1,750.00 at www.hibbenknives.com .
Other Rambo Knives:
There were 2 miniature versions of the Rambo III knife. One was United UC246
released in 1988. The other was a Damascus miniature Rambo III produced by
Charlton LTD. in 1988.
Charlton LTD. Hibben Knives Damascus version
Rambo III Dagger
Although I don't think it was ever seen in the movie, United released the
UC-245 Rambo III Dagger in 1988. This is a one-piece all steel dagger that very
much resembles Hibben's Presentation Dagger UC-466. There are at least 2
versions of this knife. The one I have is black and has "Rambo III" in embossed
letters on the handle.
There is also a version that has "Rambo III" etched on the handle and is
serialized.
The Rambo Series
Just for comparison sake, shown below are all 3 Rambo knives produced by
United Cutlery. I know Jimmy Lyle designed Rambo I and Gil Hibben designed Rambo
III. I don't know who designed Rambo II.
