BRK&T Kephart and Norlunds Hatchet

riddleofsteel

riddleofsteel

Joined
Apr 13, 2001
Messages
546
The family made a weekend trip to the North Carolina Highlands and I took a couple of blades. We camped out next to the Watauga river and my Kephart and vintage Norlunds hatchet came in handy for kindling, fire sticks and cooking.

The Norlunds is vintage and has seen wear but I have restored the edge to a thinner convex and it is a real performer. Notice the straight framing hammer handle. When I went to put in a handle it is all the hardware store had in stock that fit. I must say I fell in love with it once I got to using it. Great for controlled fine work.

The osage orange Kephart has become my go to knife for woodcraft.

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I could not resist inserting this Jurassic Park style image of the mile high swinging bridge. Kinda leads out to no where in the clouds.

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Those kepharts are a wonderful knife design. Hold on to that bad boy. You'll only love it more with every passing use. I absolutely love mine.
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Great pictures. I LOVED the bridge shot :D

I was reading a wonderful article on Horace Kephart last night. Found the article in an old Gun Digest magazine, I believe it was the 1995 edition.

If you can find this article , its a darn good read. I never knew before, but Kephart was by vocation, a university Librarian before he came under Nessmuk's spell. Worked at Cornell, Yale, and did work over seas.
 
fishshooter said:
Cool pics Riddle! I have one of the first BRKT Kepharts, it's definitely one of favorites.
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Ditto! I have one of the first BRKT Kepharts as well (half-tang); it balances great. It's a great, timeless and functional design.

Your duo looks great and that area is just beautiful...I hope the fog lifted during the day!

ROCK6
 
Grandfather mountain is almost 6,000 feet high and the record winds can reach 200 MPH. Our entire day was spent in the clouds and mist.
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I love those shots, especially the bridge. Do you have the lighter model with the rat tang or the full tang model? I am sure there is a definite difference between the two.

How well is the edge holding up with the hardwoods?

Thanks for the pics.
 
It is the full tang model. The edge is tough as nails but strops back to razor sharp on a charged hone quickly.

I have cut a variety of things with this knife from grapefruit to fuzz sticks and I find it near perfect for the all around knife, if that creature exists.

LOL
 
Nordland Vintage ???.. will outlast you and your children have one from 1968 will shave your &alls and skin many a critter better steel than many of the New stuff.
 
Vintage as in recovered from a yard sale rusted, nicked and pitted. Lovingly restored to a razor sharp convex edge. After I re-profiled the edge I stropped it on a hone until the cutting edge has a mirror finish.

I don't know when it was made but it is vintage to me.
 
Great pics! I haven't seen a Norlunds hatchet since I gave mine to a friend over 30 years ago.
 
Great pics. I love the Kephart in osage. I have a full tang in ebony. Never letting this one go:) Awesome knives.
 
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