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- Feb 28, 2007
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Last fall I received a couple of JK knives and after about 6 mo of using them it seemed like a good time to revisit them in review.
One was a custom-ordered kephart in 1095, 4.5 blade 1/8 thick with black mircata slabs. The other one was bought of the exchange, he called it his kit knife, although I think it is his hunters back-up with thinner mircata scales. The kit knife is O1 steel, 2.5 blade length.
At the time of ordering, I was feeling a little tactical having just received a series of wood-handled knives. I always appreciated Johns kephart model for its smooth lines and really liked the ones in mircata. Something about the black accentuating the contours of the knife.
Here is the original stump shot:
The pocket sheath of the kit knife is slim and works as per its name. While kydex might be thinner, John did a really good job keeping this leather sheath at a minimum, yet it is also very robust. Works great for front pocket carry.
A couple of in the hand shots. The kephart with its 4.5 handle has plenty of room for purchase. Grip is good and the slight finger guard does a good job of preventing slippage without getting in the way. The mircata is nicely shaped and tapered on the top and bottom, removing an edges and contributing to a rounded, comfortable grip.
The little kit knife was a bigger surprise to me in the grip department. This is the first time I used a three finger grip knife. By palming the back of the knife you get a strong purchase. You can see that the little hook at the end of the handle grabs our index finger nicely and makes the grip very secure.
A shot of the kit knife in profile.
Kephart doing some curls. The knife came with a convex grind. As I recall it shaved out of the package, although a little stropping on 2000 grit made it a bit more grabby. I love convex edges for their robustness and wonderful slicing. I have a harder time shaving fuzzies with them. For me convex wants to shallow out in a cut while V-grinds tend to dig in. Ahw, but practice is the main thing. The Kephy is comfortable to use while shaving wood and doesnt produce too many hotspots.
more...
One was a custom-ordered kephart in 1095, 4.5 blade 1/8 thick with black mircata slabs. The other one was bought of the exchange, he called it his kit knife, although I think it is his hunters back-up with thinner mircata scales. The kit knife is O1 steel, 2.5 blade length.
At the time of ordering, I was feeling a little tactical having just received a series of wood-handled knives. I always appreciated Johns kephart model for its smooth lines and really liked the ones in mircata. Something about the black accentuating the contours of the knife.
Here is the original stump shot:
The pocket sheath of the kit knife is slim and works as per its name. While kydex might be thinner, John did a really good job keeping this leather sheath at a minimum, yet it is also very robust. Works great for front pocket carry.
A couple of in the hand shots. The kephart with its 4.5 handle has plenty of room for purchase. Grip is good and the slight finger guard does a good job of preventing slippage without getting in the way. The mircata is nicely shaped and tapered on the top and bottom, removing an edges and contributing to a rounded, comfortable grip.
The little kit knife was a bigger surprise to me in the grip department. This is the first time I used a three finger grip knife. By palming the back of the knife you get a strong purchase. You can see that the little hook at the end of the handle grabs our index finger nicely and makes the grip very secure.
A shot of the kit knife in profile.
Kephart doing some curls. The knife came with a convex grind. As I recall it shaved out of the package, although a little stropping on 2000 grit made it a bit more grabby. I love convex edges for their robustness and wonderful slicing. I have a harder time shaving fuzzies with them. For me convex wants to shallow out in a cut while V-grinds tend to dig in. Ahw, but practice is the main thing. The Kephy is comfortable to use while shaving wood and doesnt produce too many hotspots.
more...
