Mistwalker
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2007
- Messages
- 19,053
For the most part I tend to like and respect traditions, things that don't change over time. On the other hand evolution and new interpretations sometimes work better for me. I would never dis Horace Kephart, or try to take away anything from the man. With both of us having a love of books, the great smoky mountains and the wilderness in general, traveling, wildlife photography, and camp cooking...we have a lot in common. Probably because he was one of my earliest influences and I very much envied the man's opportunity to live in the smoky mountains. However, as much as I admired and respected the man, and tried to like his idea of an ideal knife, the Kephart knives I have seen over the years have just never appealed to me in the slightest. I could live with the plain simple handle with no problem, but the rounded-nose tip with so little point did nothing for me at all, and seemed all but useless for my needs in the woods. Sure, I could make one work if I were forced into the situation, but a lot of my spare time would be devoted to reshaping the tip if I had to do it on creek rocks.
When I came back from South Florida at the end of the summer, and actually had decent internet access again, I saw that Andy at Fiddleback Forge had produced his own interpretation of the Kephart knife. A very non-traditional interpretation that immediately caught my attention. It has a much pointier tip, and a more contoured handle, so definitely has more sex appeal, but it is still along the lines of a simple functional knife from my perspective. I knew then and there that I needed to start saving up...the recent trip had done much more than deplete our financial resources, I was also deep in debt. So I watched every Friday, staring wistfully at the various versions of the new Kephart Andy was producing with various handle materials, and with and without tapered tangs. I would Compliment the ones that really appealed to me...nearly all of them really, I expressed my hope of getting one later, and passed the time trying to decide which handle material I would like best and, wondering what combinations would be available some time after the first of the year.
A couple of weeks ago a friend wrote, and said he wondered if I would photograph one of his knives. After a discussion I said sure. Then a few days ago a mysterious box shows up at the PO Box. Inside is one of Andy's Kepharts and a note saying (paraphrasing) Thank you, Merry Christmas to you and yours, I know you like Andy's knives and have been liking the Kephart especially, I hope you enjoy the knife, I look forward to seeing photos of it later. I was in a state of stunned shock and disbelief, and to say I was excited would be a major understatement. I didn't have time to do much with it the day I hit the woods with it, so nothing really serious, I just messed around with it trying to get a feel for how it handled. I was up on the side of the mountain in a creek gorge, and it was pretty cold . I had wanted to start a fire, but it was extremely windy so that was a real concern for me since I really didn't “need” a fire. I really do like this handle shape very much, it really feels great in hand. The grinds are beautiful as usual, and I love how the knife handles. I'm sure it won't be for everyone, nothing ever is, but for me this is definitely a case of me liking an evolution.
For now I'm using the original Hunter sheath since I have a custom sheath for that knife.
My hands were cold and so was the wood I was working with. I think it was cherry, it was well seasoned and hard, not spalted.
A shot of the Kephart next to the Bushfinger.
.
When I came back from South Florida at the end of the summer, and actually had decent internet access again, I saw that Andy at Fiddleback Forge had produced his own interpretation of the Kephart knife. A very non-traditional interpretation that immediately caught my attention. It has a much pointier tip, and a more contoured handle, so definitely has more sex appeal, but it is still along the lines of a simple functional knife from my perspective. I knew then and there that I needed to start saving up...the recent trip had done much more than deplete our financial resources, I was also deep in debt. So I watched every Friday, staring wistfully at the various versions of the new Kephart Andy was producing with various handle materials, and with and without tapered tangs. I would Compliment the ones that really appealed to me...nearly all of them really, I expressed my hope of getting one later, and passed the time trying to decide which handle material I would like best and, wondering what combinations would be available some time after the first of the year.
A couple of weeks ago a friend wrote, and said he wondered if I would photograph one of his knives. After a discussion I said sure. Then a few days ago a mysterious box shows up at the PO Box. Inside is one of Andy's Kepharts and a note saying (paraphrasing) Thank you, Merry Christmas to you and yours, I know you like Andy's knives and have been liking the Kephart especially, I hope you enjoy the knife, I look forward to seeing photos of it later. I was in a state of stunned shock and disbelief, and to say I was excited would be a major understatement. I didn't have time to do much with it the day I hit the woods with it, so nothing really serious, I just messed around with it trying to get a feel for how it handled. I was up on the side of the mountain in a creek gorge, and it was pretty cold . I had wanted to start a fire, but it was extremely windy so that was a real concern for me since I really didn't “need” a fire. I really do like this handle shape very much, it really feels great in hand. The grinds are beautiful as usual, and I love how the knife handles. I'm sure it won't be for everyone, nothing ever is, but for me this is definitely a case of me liking an evolution.
For now I'm using the original Hunter sheath since I have a custom sheath for that knife.
My hands were cold and so was the wood I was working with. I think it was cherry, it was well seasoned and hard, not spalted.
A shot of the Kephart next to the Bushfinger.
.
All I know is after so many years of liking, respecting, and admiring the man, I can now be happy to own a knife the maker calls a Kephart no matter how loosely the translation 
Because all other interpretations I've seen, and from what I see they are all interpretations of the original with some common aspects, did nothing at all for me personally.
It's not my first Fiddleback to be sure, it's the fourth, and after a lot of hours in the woods using his knives, and several conversations with the man over the years, I have developed a great deal of respect for the man and the tools he produces. 