Photos Kepharts...They just Work

If Horace Kephart was alive (and youngish) today, but had his entire actual life's experience to back him up, what knives and cutting tools would he carry in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains (Smoky Mt area)? Would he carry a "Kephart"?

He was born in 1862, so, this would mean he would be a 40ish y/o man with a mind that was approaching 160 years old.....

Added 9/26/19: Decided not to attend the panel discussion on Horace Kephart's role in the formation of the Smoky Mt NP at Western Carolina Univ (Hunter Library). I was going to go, but checked the listing again last night and instead of 10:00 AM, it listed 6:00 PM. That would mean that I have to spend the night over there and I am not going to spend the money. It is a 3 hour drive each way for me. The drive and time investment was all I was willing to do at this time. The total cost would cover my latest Kephart knife alone.
 
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@Mike McCarter Kephart in action. The bosco wood in Tuscany was like iron. No feathersticks, just batoning.
 
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I broke down and bought the little Condor Mini Kephart yesterday when I visited the big knife store in East Tennessee. It is a nice little 3 finger knife. A person could do far worse with it being your only knife you have with you. Sharpened it up today. I suspect this and the Condor Mini Bushlore will be competing for the same jobs.

I honestly don't know if I would call it a Kephart.... As much as I like bigger knives, I often use these little baby knives. It will reside in my "user pile". It was marked as "Compact Kephart" on the box label. Doesn't have a well defined spear point blade or it is "sort of a spear point".
 
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22-rimfire said:
Thought you liked thick handles. Which one is this? Refresh my memory.
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The Becker was a tad small. This custom came rear heavy. I had the slabs removed and the exposed tang ground down. It now feels right.
That and I switched from black to green canvas micarta.
 
I think I am different from most because I have looked at the BK-62 a bunch of times and even had my finger on the buy now button but every time, the thing that pops out on me are the nuts and bolts holding the scales together on the tang. I thought it was supposed to be close to the authentic but the nuts and bolts puts it into a different life time for me. When many of us were in the pre-1840 re-enactments, we carried our Green River knives. Even today, they are made like the originals and so much cheaper and I bet they can do everything the Kephart design can do.I have several LT.Wrights and Battle Horse knives and I get just as much enjoyment out of my Green River Butcher. Many a mountain man carried them. They were a great trade knife. In fact, you will find my Green River Butcher on my magnet bar in the kitchen along with my Japanese Gyutos when it is not on my hip in the woods.
 
Ripcord 82 said:
I think I am different from most because I have looked at the BK-62 a bunch of times and even had my finger on the buy now button but every time, the thing that pops out on me are the nuts and bolts holding the scales together on the tang. I thought it was supposed to be close to the authentic but the nuts and bolts puts it into a different life time for me. When many of us were in the pre-1840 re-enactments, we carried our Green River knives. Even today, they are made like the originals and so much cheaper and I bet they can do everything the Kephart design can do.I have several LT.Wrights and Battle Horse knives and I get just as much enjoyment out of my Green River Butcher. Many a mountain man carried them. They were a great trade knife. In fact, you will find my Green River Butcher on my magnet bar in the kitchen along with my Japanese Gyutos when it is not on my hip in the woods.
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Ripcord, I'd love to see some pics of that Green River butcher if you ever find the time.
 
Ripcord 82 said:
I think I am different from most because I have looked at the BK-62 a bunch of times and even had my finger on the buy now button but every time, the thing that pops out on me are the nuts and bolts holding the scales together on the tang. I thought it was supposed to be close to the authentic but the nuts and bolts puts it into a different life time for me. When many of us were in the pre-1840 re-enactments, we carried our Green River knives. Even today, they are made like the originals and so much cheaper and I bet they can do everything the Kephart design can do.I have several LT.Wrights and Battle Horse knives and I get just as much enjoyment out of my Green River Butcher. Many a mountain man carried them. They were a great trade knife. In fact, you will find my Green River Butcher on my magnet bar in the kitchen along with my Japanese Gyutos when it is not on my hip in the woods.
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Ethan has a long discussion at varuius points, but the "close to authentic" part is more about hiw it functions, I think. Ethan is also very against pins, ot maybe just very for bolts, because they are much easier to work with if they come loose. I think it also adds more opportunity for customization, something Beckerheads appreciate. Ethan's comments about the design is all pretty much based around having the Kephart function and design using modern processes and within a manufacturing setting.

You should be able to pin it if you really wanted.

I will say, some of the green river knives are pretty neat for the price. I had a Sheffield green river knife for a while and it was really fun. I gifted it away aftet several months but at the cost of only slighty more than a mora, it was a really nice knife. Cheap enough that a little customizing of the handle wasn't a cause for hesitation.
 
Uncle Timbo said:
Ripcord, I'd love to see some pics of that Green River butcher if you ever find the time.
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Sure thing. That won't be a problem but at the moment I am waiting for the brother in law to come over to pick up his snow tires out of my garage. I'll work in some pictures sometime after he is gone.It's now 10 am here in Ohio.Catch later.
 
Henry Beige said:
It is hard to imagine anything you can do with a Kephart that can’t be done with the D-R Green River fish knife.


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10-4 ! The fish knife is one of my favorites.I think I got mine from Track of the Wolf as a kit and shaped the scales myself. I use it a lot but I find myself trying to keep it clean and whipping the patina off.I have even field dressed a deer with it and fillet some fish.It is a great EDC knife as well.I have so many knives that are 100 bucks or more and some day I hope to come to my senses and realize that things don't have to be expensive to work. I am 72 so hopefully by February when I hit 73,it'll happen.Ya think ?
 
eveled said:
The nuts and screws are an improvement that brought the Kephart design into the current day. The BK 62 is a perfect blend of old and new. IMHO
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I agree. If Kabar went with a plastic handle similar to the Becker tweeners, I would not have liked the knife as something other than "just a knife". As it is, with the nuts/bolts, it would be very easy to switch handles or modify the existing handles on the BK-62. It really is a nice knife and I am glad I purchased it. Frankly, I would have been pretty satisfied if the BK-62 was my only Kephart as far as using goes. The grinds reflex doing things in a factory setting although folks like Bark River would have convexed the edge (versus a flat grind)... because that is the way they do things there.

I think the Green River butcher knives are a pretty accurate reflection of the kinds of knives used by the settlers and "mountain men" in the West.
 
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