Photos Kepharts...They just Work

I found the text reference on Page 151 of my edition in Chapter 10 Personal Kits. Marked it for easy finding. I believe my edition is the most recent printing that has a lot of info about Kephart in the introduction. Thanks for the "personal kits" mention.

I do think Horace Kephart knew what he was talking about. Carrying the jack knife in addition to the sheath knife is generally what I do as well. The folder gets most of the use. The trick as far as I'm concerned is to choose a knife you are willing to carry and still have as flexible usage as possible in the woods as you really don't know what situation might pop up. For the most part, if something did "pop up", I ignore it or I just head for the truck on day hikes. I know that I am unwilling to carry most 7" fixed blades such as the BK-7. I now carry a 3" fixed sometimes when I really pretty much know I won't even be using the fixed blade. The 5" Becker Kephart hits at a good spot for me. The Condor is a bit small for me and my first thought when I bought it was "steak knife". That certainly is not what I want to carry in the woods and the 3" Backpacker Pro covers the small fixed blade potential need. We all have different ideas about what we are comfortable with overall.
 
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22-rimfire said:
I found the text reference on Page 151 of my edition in Chapter 10 Personal Kits. Marked it for easy finding. I believe my edition is the most recent printing that has a lot of info about Kephart in the introduction. Thanks for the "personal kits" mention.

I do think Horace Kephart knew what he was talking about. Carrying the jack knife in addition to the sheath knife is generally what I do as well. The folder gets most of the use. The trick as far as I'm concerned is to choose a knife you are willing to carry and still have as flexible usage as possible in the woods as you really don't know what situation might pop up. For the most part, if something did "pop up", I ignore it or I just head for the truck on day hikes. I know that I am unwilling to carry most 7" fixed blades such as the BK-7. I now carry a 3" fixed sometimes when I really pretty much know I won't even be using the fixed blade. The 5" Becker Kephart hits at a good spot for me. The Condor is a bit small for me and my first thought when I bought it was "steak knife". That certainly is not what I want to carry in the woods and the 3" Backpacker Pro covers the small fixed blade potential need. We all have different ideas about what we are comfortable with overall.
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Nice! :thumbsup:

Yeah, Mark split the difference at 4.75”, and it is plenty in the context of the Nessmuk trio of axe/hatchet, knife, and folding knife. Kephart of course dedicated ‘Camping and Woodcraft’ to Sears in the rather delightful foreward.
 
Bad Ninja said:
Mine was a condor blank and I added the scales.
I paid about $20 I think.
The thin handle is close to Kephart's original specs, and I don't really use it for anything heavy enough to experience a "hot spot".
The only other Condor knife I have is the Hudson Bay, which IMHO is alot of knife for the $35 I paid for it.( They cost a bit more these days).
The leather Condor Sheath is easily worth what I paid for the HB.

The Condor Kephart is one of my favorite knives. It's not a beauty queen, but honestly, it ended up being more than enough knife for 90% of my needs in the woods.

Horace knew what he was talking about.
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I think the handle thinness is close but the height was the big difference, assuming the BK62 is very close to the original Ethan has which is suppose to be the case. If fills the hand nicer with that extra height even with the same/similar thinness.

Glad the condor kephart is working out well for you. The hudson bay is one I'm really interested in giving a shot to. There's been some asks in the becker forum to have Ethan design one of those and start something like a traditional fixed blade series.
 
The Condor Hudson Bay is a fairly cool knife at 8.5" (as I recall). If it has a deficiency, I think the handle could be thicker. I have one. Have owned one for years.

Here are my current "woods blades" as a reference point which includes the 5" BK-62. They are (right to left); Bark River Wilderness Explorer (5.75"), BK-15 (1095), BK-62 Kephart (1095), and White River Backpacker Pro (3" S35VN). Most show little use as is typical of my woods fixed blades. Have a couple Doziers and a Blackjack 125 that used to go with me to the woods on occasion. You can certainly see my size preferences from the picture.
DSC03653ed.jpg
 
The Hudson Bay is a huge chunk o' steel with a handle.
It's awesome, but it's a handful when lugging a bunch of gear through the muck.
Chops like a small hatchet tho.

Condor HB and Kephart for size comparison
8sxI9st.jpg
 
The version of Kephart that I have shows a picture of a Marbles Woodcraft on pg 167, saying that it is just right for his use. Perhaps that is where the notion of 4.5" blade came from. As has been stated, the Colclesser knives came in 4" and 5" versions.
 
lambertiana said:
The version of Kephart that I have shows a picture of a Marbles Woodcraft on pg 167, saying that it is just right for his use. Perhaps that is where the notion of 4.5" blade came from. As has been stated, the Colclesser knives came in 4" and 5" versions.
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The quote I posted above, from Horace Kephart’s own book, talked about a 4.5” blade. What’s your point exactly?
 
The diagram (sketch) shows a trailing point knife versus his designed knife. I don't know when the Kephart knife came into being. Like the rest of us, he struggled to make things work and probably had multiple knives that he might use. The book(s) dates back to 1916/1917 before they were later combined into a single volume. Financially, I suspect he wasn't real comfortable during his time in NC with income from magazine articles and his books. Of course these days, a successful author (books) can make a lot of money, millions.

Added: In Kephart's book he mentions that he has had made many knives because he couldn't find a factory knife to his satisfaction. Blacksmiths were common back then and I suspect he has employed their skills a time or two. He probably bartered moonshine for the knives. :D
 
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leghog said:
The point --- Kephart was a proponent of the Marbles Woodcraft.
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He mentioned the Marbles Expert once when discribing his idea for the overall shape of his own design.

" The Marbles Expert knife is a good pattern."
"Proponent" might be a stretch.
Kephart designed his own knife because he couldn't find one that actually met his requirements.
The Marbles knife obviously didn't, or he would have just used it. ;)
 
 
Bad Ninja said:
He mentioned the Marbles Expert once when discribing his idea for the overall shape of his own design.

" The Marbles Expert knife is a good pattern."
"Proponent" might be a stretch.
Kephart designed his own knife because he couldn't find one that actually met his requirements.
The Marbles knife obviously didn't, or he would have just used it. ;)
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Agreed! :)

Looking at the Marble Expert pattern, it seems to be a clip point, albeit very mild. In his first paragraph on sheath-knives, he is fairly passionate in his dislike of Bowie style knives, so the Marble Expert must have been good enough in his eyes.
 
 
 
If you have processed larger game like deer, you understand why Kephart didn't care for clip pont knives.
With a spear or drop point blade, you can rest a finger on the top of the spine to act as a guard when opening the belly, and prevent the tip from slicing the gut and spoiling the meat.
Ask me how I know...lol :)
 
@Pilsener did the work I was too lazy to. Kephart’s original idea for his sheath knife was to be a 4 1/2” blade on a 4 1/2” handle. Something happened, not documented or yet found, between that writing and the Colclesser Brother’s production of 4” and 5” knives.
 
The excerpts of Kephart’s writing linked above are interesting for a number of reasons. One bit that got my attention was Kephart’s dislike for the Bowie Knife. I am in concurrence. I simply don’t understand that knife, or high clip points in general.
 
marchone said:
The excerpts of Kephart’s writing linked above are interesting for a number of reasons. One bit that got my attention was Kephart’s dislike for the Bowie Knife. I am in concurrence. I simply don’t understand that knife, or high clip points in general.
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The Bowie wasn't really designed for hunting.
I love Bowie knives, but not for processing game or as a woods knife.

leghog said:
Yet Kephart's own design had very little belly which is great for game. Perhaps that's one of the reasons he also spoke well of the Marble's Woodcraft ---- belly.

These two, a Hess Hunter and a Kinsfolk TrailMaster, are of the Marble's Woodcraft design.
Hess%2520Hunter.JPG

Kinfolks%2520K380%2520Trail%2520Master.JPG
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In my experience, those two have too much of a trailing point for me to use to process large game.
A drop point would make skinning easier.
YMMV

Nice blades BTW.
;)
 
leghog said:
By 1917, ten years later, Kephart was a proponent of the Marbles Woodcraft. Not surprising if his thoughts on the matter evolved over time and as he became aware of new designs.

https://dawnpiper451-wordpress-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/dawnpiper451.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/the-first-tool-kephart-on-outdoor-knives/amp/?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQECAFYAQ==#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://dawnpiper451.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/the-first-tool-kephart-on-outdoor-knives/
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I don't think Kephart would disagree with the Marbles Woodcraft knife as being a suitable choice for a general woods knife. Afterall, a sketch of it is in his book. It fits well with my personal views on the subject. As to the Colclesser Bros Kephart, there is no mention that I have found in his books. But it certainly has become associated with his name as the Nessmuk did with Sears.
 
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