Photos Kepharts...They just Work

marchone said:
Thanks for that explanation, Mike. I didn't know how the tube fasteners happened. I'm happy mine is closer to the original in that respect. It was designed as a sheath knife. It even said so in the Colclesser print advertisement. If I wanted something else I would have ordered a different knife from a different maker. As you know I opted for natural wood like the originals. I wouldn't change a thing on it.

In the past I've gone to top craftsmen for clothing, knives, shotguns and a rifle. When I chose them I asked for what they do best; not something else entirely. Unless it was a different kind of project altogether. Or the maker offered choices. Horses for courses.

In this case I wanted a Kephart. In my humble opinion, you are making the best ones. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
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Mike/Marchone - I agree entirely. When I saw and found out what you were doing with the original Kephart, I knew I had to have one and I jumped onboard immediately. I wanted a Kephart replica. I have Kephartish knives. This time, what with all the research you had done, all the prototypes you had made on lessor steel, I knew this was the closest to the actual Horace Kephart out there.

I wasn't disappointed. :)
 
marchone said:
Thanks for that explanation, Mike. I didn't know how the tube fasteners happened. I'm happy mine is closer to the original in that respect. It was designed as a sheath knife. It even said so in the Colclesser print advertisement. If I wanted something else I would have ordered a different knife from a different maker. As you know I opted for natural wood like the originals. I wouldn't change a thing on it.

In the past I've gone to top craftsmen for clothing, knives, shotguns and a rifle. When I chose them I asked for what they do best; not something else entirely. Unless it was a different kind of project altogether. Or the maker offered choices. Horses for courses.

In this case I wanted a Kephart. In my humble opinion, you are making the best ones. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
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I was all about getting a Kephart that was close to the original from the early 1900's. Did that with Ethan's BK-62 which I really like and I already had the Condor version (and wanted something "better"). Now, I am not that concerned about something that is really close to the original in the replica sense. A Kephart knife should have a blade shape similar to the original in a length that is within the range of the original and that's about as far as it goes for me at this point. It can be done in any steel. If it has something like guards, that is a modification of the original design, but I'm okay with that too. Bark River had one with a bottom guard. I like bottom guards as they offer some protection to my hand and allow me to know which side has the sharpened edge by feel alone (and not by touching the sharped edge ;)).

Ethan Becker has praised you (Mike McCarter) for your re-creation of the Kephart knife. That is significant!
 
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My BK62 and a 113 year old first edition of Camping and Woodcraft!

LhnyN81h.jpg
 
bearfacedkiller said:
My BK62 and a 113 year old first edition of Camping and Woodcraft!

LhnyN81h.jpg
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Now it isn’t often that I ignore the knife (nice, by the way) and focus on the book. But...

Damn! 1st Ed. That is a wonderful item, complete with dust-jacket. I imagine it is worth a wee bit more than the $1.50 cover price. ;)

Tell you what.


I’ll give you tree fiddy! :p
 
Pilsner said:
Now it isn’t often that I ignore the knife (nice, by the way) and focus on the book. But...

Damn! 1st Ed. That is a wonderful item, complete with dust-jacket. I imagine it is worth a wee bit more than the $1.50 cover price. ;)

Tell you what.


I’ll give you tree fiddy! :p
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The knife is mine but the book is not. It belongs to another forum member by the name of Bladite. He was kind enough to let me thumb through it and take a few pics. No idea what it is worth but likely more than the knife!
 
bearfacedkiller said:
The knife is mine but the book is not. It belongs to another forum member by the name of Bladite. He was kind enough to let me thumb through it and take a few pics. No idea what it is worth but likely more than the knife!
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Sweet! :thumbsup:

Yeah, no idea what the ball park would be for the book, but the general principle is that dealers get a lot for 1st Ed. specialist books: fishing, needlework, camping, etc. Now, Kephart’s classic was probably not a tiny initial print run, but not huge either, and most of them will be gone now. I would imagine it is worth a lot. As an investment, some would be using gloves to read and examine it! (Not me, I would just read it.)
 
How is fit and finish on the BK-62? Good for ~$120?

I know it's not custom but, ~$120 is still a good chunk of change. I saw one and the scales weren't flush on the spine and it looked to have box wear with light scratching on the scales. Everything else in the box looked brand new and untouched. I should note the blade itself looked very good!
 
Sid Post said:
How is fit and finish on the BK-62? Good for ~$120?

I know it's not custom but, ~$120 is still a good chunk of change. I saw one and the scales weren't flush on the spine and it looked to have box wear with light scratching on the scales. Everything else in the box looked brand new and untouched. I should note the blade itself looked very good!
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Sid - I can't answer your question about the BK62 fit and finish....yet.
As far as any light abrasions are concerned, take her out and put her thru her paces. You might get some other character Mark's on her that would draw attention away.
Please remember...just my 2 cents and how I would look at things.
Of course if you really don't like her, contact the folks you bought her from and have a little chat. Maybe they'll see things your way?
Good luck brother.
 
The general fit and finish on my BK-62 Kephart is quite good (at least mine is). The price has come down a little at some retailers now. It's a very good knife. Seal the unfinished walnut handles if you like. Great leather sheath. Sharpens up to razor sharp.... like it a lot!

On the 1st Edition book... that is pretty cool. I used to be really interested in old books. I thought they were cool and believed that they would make a good investment. Time passes and don't care much anymore. Too much trouble to sell and the current edition has useful information on H. Kephart's life.
 
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Sid Post said:
How is fit and finish on the BK-62? Good for ~$120?

I know it's not custom but, ~$120 is still a good chunk of change. I saw one and the scales weren't flush on the spine and it looked to have box wear with light scratching on the scales. Everything else in the box looked brand new and untouched. I should note the blade itself looked very good!
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It's good on the 3 that I have. The scales might be a little mis-aligned but since they're screwed on, it's a really easy adjustment. Loosen, adjust, tighten in desired position. Everything is rounded and smoothed off nice. Sheath is nice and snug and should last a long time.

The unsealed handle is probably the biggest thing I've seen people call out as a change, and a big reason for that is that the handle has a lot more grip then every other wood handle I've touched. It almost has the texture of a non-polished micarta.

Keep in mind, some of the added cost was for the relieved spine to mimic the double-convex nature of the original, using modern manufacturing methods, and the tapered tang, which is very rare on a production knife. The balance is sublime. I really think it's pretty close to a custom finished knife, but on a production knife.

I still like my LT Wright mark II more, but the BK62 is pretty darn nice for 1/2 the price. Also, the BK62 fits into the same dangler sheath size that the LT does if you prefer danglers if you want something available off-the-shelf (size K I think).
 
Uncle Timbo said:
Great review bikerector bikerector !
3? You, bambino (on the way) and ?
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The little man arrived January so me and him. The 3rd was thinking if we have more but I found a guy who wants one that can't afford one so we worked out a trade deal instead as a way to get him one. It's too iconic, IMO, to pass up if you're abke to afford one. I'll have to relenquish mine if we have another boy, lord knows I have plenty of blade options for camping and such.

I've already set aside a knife use development pack for the boy, except for an unsharpened knife. I did carve an axe and knife from some cedar but my wife thinks the knofe may be a little point. I was rounding off the tips yesterday evening and I still have to carve in a guard but he's nearly ready for a baby camping kit. I'll probably work in a saw eventually too. It's a nice meditation activity.
 
bikerector said:
The little man arrived January so me and him. The 3rd was thinking if we have more but I found a guy who wants one that can't afford one so we worked out a trade deal instead as a way to get him one. It's too iconic, IMO, to pass up if you're abke to afford one. I'll have to relenquish mine if we have another boy, lord knows I have plenty of blade options for camping and such.

I've already set aside a knife use development pack for the boy, except for an unsharpened knife. I did carve an axe and knife from some cedar but my wife thinks the knofe may be a little point. I was rounding off the tips yesterday evening and I still have to carve in a guard but he's nearly ready for a baby camping kit. I'll probably work in a saw eventually too. It's a nice meditation activity.
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Perhaps something in INFI or from the Swamp would suit his little needs? :)
 
Uncle Timbo said:
Could you just imagine an INFI Kephart?
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I can, it would be glorious. It would need to take the Busse handle flare, of course, but it could be sweet. I have to imagine it would be the opposite end of the "like the historic knife" but it would neat in kind of "knife technology, now and then" way. Trends of 2 different eras.

I think something like the rmd handle would be good on the blade. Many busse handles fail in the reverse grip orientation and chest lever grip is quite common. The skull checker pommels would need to stay out as well. I think the badger attack is the closest that I'm aware of, but that's pretty far off.

There are a few more skinner/nessmuk designs that are well done though, so I could see it being pulled off quite well.
 
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