CLOSED, Pre-order, Kephart

Two please. D3V with buffed o.d. green micarta and D3V with buffed black micarta. Thank you!

paid

8/2 shipped
 
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paid

Welcome to the second pre-order of 2020.

Please post only one time to this thread. Please do not make multiple posts or chat. This is my order list and it needs to stay simple and uncluttered or it isn't going to work.

I'm locking this to give folks a chance to read it before jumping into it. This will unlock today (Friday) at 5:00 EST



I'm making this list because some folks like pre-orders and we're running out of time if we're going to fit in a second pre-order for 2020. I think pre-orders can be a bad idea but so far most of our pre-orders have run pretty smooth. I intend to start shipping these before the end of summer, but please don't participate if you're uneasy paying in advance for your knife to be made and waiting possibly a year or more for this order to be completed. Also, we do not stop everything we're doing to process a pre-order, so you will see other knives being made and sold while this order is processed.



Here are some pictures of what the Kephart won't look like

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^ that is the CAD file. I always make a few changes once I make a few and tweak some things. But, fundamentally, it is a Kephart and I'm staying true to the intent of the original design by Horace Kephart.





It will be a very basic but exceptionally well made, high performance, bushcraft knife. The steel is Crucible CPM 3V at HRC 60.5 with a fully optimized heat treat with very good edge retention and edge stability. You'll be surprised how sharp this gets and how well it holds an edge. If you have never used highly optimized 3V this hard and thin, it will blow your mind.

A side effect of this heat treat is a higher percentage of free chromium, so although it is not stainless, it is nearly so.

This steel with this heat treat will support a fine edge, so this has narrow primary grinds and will be taken under .020" before sharpening and sharpened 20 degrees per side. This is a fine cutting edge, but this knife is extremely durable.


It balances between the first two fingers and is intended to be carried unconcealed in a pouch sheath on your belt or in/on your pack. It's specifically designed to be used as a bushcraft tool. The handle is wide and thin and locks into your hand (doesn't require a death grip to avoid spinning) allowing a lot of torque with low fatigue. The end is round and the tip is centered for drilling.


Price includes a good kydex sheath. We may have multiple sheath options available to you when we ship, if so Jo will clarify your preferences before shipping.

I'm using kydex instead of leather for this project. I'm not trying to be 100% historically accurate, I'm trying to make the knife that Horace Kephart would choose today. Leather doesn't do well in the wet and won't protect you if you fall on it as well as kydex. Horace was practical minded and I believe he would appreciate a Delta 3V version of his knife with micarta scales and a good kydex sheath.



Here are the specs:

Specs:
Delta 3V, 60-61 HRC, .160" thick at ricasso (a little over 5/32")
Total length 9.625
Blade length 5.0
Weight 7 oz
Edge angle 20 DPS
Grippy 3D machined scales in micarta
stainless steel fasteners


These are all "utility field grade", machined and tumbled with tool and grind marks.


Standard configuration, with sheath, does not include shipping:
$250 in micarta, black or natural

^This is a very good value for this knife and is the configuration that I recommend.

AEBL semi stainless steel with optimized heat treat rather than Delta 3V subtract $20
^choose this if you want metallurgy similar to the original Kephart knife rather than the world class superior durability and wear resistance of Delta 3V. The AEBL has good edge stability and is easy to sharpen and has pretty good stain resistance. It is an optimized heat treat, not your basic run-of-the-mill AEBL


Scales, substitute for basic:
OD green micarta $10
Raw walnut wood laminated to a micarta liner $25
^ I don't recommend wood for this but if you want the genuine original experience of a plain wood handle rather than the better-in-ever-way phenolic that I'm sure that Horace would have preferred, it's an option. I will laminate some very basic walnut to a high quality micarta liner and maybe the wood won't crack, shrink, rot and fall apart on you. Expect splinters and sadness (staying true to the original). You should keep it oiled with boiled linseed oil. That way when your hand smells funny you can contemplate having spent extra to have a dumb walnut handle.


Shipping in the USA is $13. Multiples do not accrue additional shipping.


Price includes an excellent kydex sheath.


Here is the order process:

Post your order on this thread. This thread is my order list. You can edit your post as necessary.

I'm going to take full payment in advance and hold your money. This is a terrible policy, I don't generally recommend it. But that's how my pre-orders work. I've been around a while, my shop is an incorporated business established in 2001, so I'm probably not going anywhere. I will ship your knife when it's finished. Once your order is confirmed there are no refunds, changes or cancellations.

As I'm building these, some of the knives made will go to this pre-order and some will be sold in regular sales. This means you will see knives being sold while you're waiting for your knife.

When you place your order, it will sit on the order thread for a day or more before you send your email finalizing your order. In that time frame you can edit your post and change your order. Once you send Jo an email confirming your order it is finalized. Please don't add changes after-the-fact because it is this sort of thing that has made lists unmanageable in the past.

Unless the numbers get crazy I'll leave this list up for a week.


Once you are certain about your order please send an email to Jo at jocarothers (at) gmail (dot) com. A good subject line would be: "Kephart Pre-order, post number #X"

Please include the following information in your email:

1: Your post number on this sale thread.
2: Bladeforums name. (for example "Jo the Machinist")
3: Real Name.
4: PayPal email address so we can send a paypal invoice (or ask about other payment options).
5: Shipping address.
6: Your desired configuration and options such as scales and steel.
7: Any questions you may have or special instructions.

Once we receive this information, if everything is there, we will send you a PayPal invoice. If information is missing or you have additional questions, Jo will reply to your email. When your email is read and processed she will send you a reply letting you know we've received your information.




If, after a while, you don't hear from us and we don't hear from you, something is getting lost in the interwebs or spam filters. So if you haven't confirmed your order and received your invoice after a week or two you should contact Jo, email her at jocarothers at gmail dought com.
 
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