The "Ask Nathan a question" thread

I remember you saying this to me at Blade like 4 or 5 years ago . . . longer? I knew right then you had good taste! I believe you made at least one dagger several years ago which was an even closer version to one of Billy's inlaid integrals which you picture above. I coveted it in a big way.

But I will be more than happy to "settle" on your new boot dagger once I get my hands on one. I have been fortunate enough to own a shiv, a couple of potato knives (best value knife I ever bought - one is used in my kitchen on a daily basis) and soon, hopefully, a dagger . . . not to mention the regular field knives and EDCs , , , and a special DEK1 sometime next year. It's been a fun ride, and I'm looking forward to what comes next.

 

Nathan, I have a few of the stones and find them very effective. However, I have only used them in the rectangular shape they came in. Do you mind sharing how you shape the stones to tackle the hollow grinds? Do you just shape them on the grinder?

 

I shape them on a grinder, I shape them with a file, and they acquire the shape of the work after you scrub with them for a little while because they're highly friable.

 

Thanks. I thought I might be overthinking it since they do erode fairly quickly.

 

Hey Nathan. Sorry if I missed the announcement; when will more daggers be up?
Thanks.

 

They're in heat treat now. Might be another month at this rate...

 

After reading you comments about tapered tangs in the kephart thread, I started to wonder. Is there any chance you guys might produce a Loveless style hunter somewhere down the road? If so, Integral?

 

^please make that a thing. Or the original hunting knife. Gosh I do love that thing.

 

moved to the Kephart preorder thread.

Thanks

 

About the new kephart, will the scales be quilted or smooth?

Thanks!

 

Nathan, I read the phrase "limited run" in one your most recent Kephart related posts, IIRC. I have been toying with the idea of adding another to my preorder because I always get at least one back up CPK (not named chopper) but my urge for instant gratification forces me toward scoring another one during the upcoming Fridays sales in 2021 as the CPK-Keps get produced and presented.

I am still leaning in this way to get at least one more but the word which you used, i.e, limited, leaves a bit too much to luck during the upcoming FS's. My original interpretation of "limited" was more along the lines of a non-recurring future pattern like one-and-done but if you could perhaps elaborate? If you mean something like 50 or so more on top of whatever the PO numbers end up, I may wish to reconsider my current decision by adding to my preorder to stave off the future needs to scramble. Thank you.

 

I was wondering the same thing. Thanks

 

So that I may add, had there been more semi-custom options, I would've already claimed a couple or multiples of the CPK-Kep. That said, I'm sorta glad that it was kept simple because: A- wallet this time of year in a pretty sh*tty year for me and also B- maybe with this one being kept as a simplified PO, it will give Nathan a good enough indicator on his future plans about the more mass marketed knives geared toward Amazon. So for now, it will be an heir and a (future) spare Keppie for me, while awaiting Nathan's response, for me to finalize my preorder

 

What is your favourite pattern?

What is the most popular/sold pattern?

 

Another: why did you switch from elmax to aebl for a stainless option?

 

This answer is available at length in this subforum. Not sure where, but Nathan has explained at length.

 

IIRC, the abbreviated version = Elmax has better wear resistance, but AEBL has better toughness, and most of the dulling/edge damage was, as Nathan put it, due to microchipping from clacking the edge on hard things, thus a preference for toughness over pure wear resistance.

 

Anything is possible I guess. *shrug*

It's a good piece. Some solid engineering. I admire the Loveless knives and I could certainly see myself doing one some day.

 

Scalloped

 

Yeah, I don't plan on this being a recurring pattern. The Kephart is something I had to get out of my system. I don't see re-visiting it again in the future. We'll make a few hundred of them and be done with it.