Photos Kepharts...They just Work

Yes, the BK-62 is a great knife and highly recommended as a person's first Kephart. Nice trout by the way; both hawgs > Brownie and Rainbow. I'm a catch & release guy with trout.

Added: I am pretty well taken by the Kephart design lately. More than likely the next fixed blade will be in the vein of the handmade Fiddleback "Kephart" or essentially the Condor Bushlore design with a very sharp point. But I'm in no hurry to respond to this urge this year. I own three Condor Bushlores already (original and current version, + the mini). I find the mini quite useful even though it's a 3 finger knife. The original with the thick bar steel is my yard knife for cutting or digging and for work when I need a brute to cut stuff that a good knife shouldn't be cutting.

I always have a folder with me and the point issue with Kepharts is not significant enough to push me away from them at this time. I have the bases covered. I pose the question to myself based on what I do in the woods and with a folder with me too, the point issue isn't a big deal at all. If I am hunting, I'll carry something different for game chores. Honestly, the folder works for this or even the little Condor Mini Bushlore as long as it is sharp sharp.

By the way, I feel free to edit my posts as long as nobody has posted since me in a thread other than grammar issues that I notice after the fact.
 
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22-rimfire said:
Yes, the BK-62 is a great knife and highly recommended as a person's first Kephart. Nice trout by the way; both hawgs > Brownie and Rainbow. I'm a catch & release guy with trout.

Added: I am pretty well taken by the Kephart design lately. More than likely the next fixed blade will be in the vein of the handmade Fiddleback "Kephart" or essentially the Condor Bushlore design with a very sharp point. But I'm in no hurry to respond to this urge this year. I own three Condor Bushlores already (original and current version, + the mini). I find the mini quite useful even though it's a 3 finger knife. The original with the thick bar steel is my yard knife for cutting or digging and for work when I need a brute to cut stuff that a good knife shouldn't be cutting.

I always have a folder with me and the point issue with Kepharts is not significant enough to push me away from them at this time. I have the bases covered. I pose the question to myself based on what I do in the woods and with a folder with me too, the point issue isn't a big deal at all. If I am hunting, I'll carry something different for game chores. Honestly, the folder works for this or even the little Condor Mini Bushlore as long as it is sharp sharp.

By the way, I feel free to edit my posts as long as nobody has posted since me in a thread other than grammar issues that I notice after the fact.
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If I remember correctly Horace Kephart also used a smaller pointier knife, when doing finer work.

Edit:
Here is what is claimed to be his fish knife.

Kephart fish knife.jpg



Regards
Mikael
 
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Pilsner said:
A real pleasure to read this, Brian, as always.
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Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoy the posts :)

22-rimfire said:
I think our early years of using knives has TREMENDOUS influence over our choices later in life. For example, as a kid although I liked knives, I could see little point in carrying a fixed blade over a folder even for woods use or hunting chores. I had a Case two bladed Barlow (with clip and pen) that I used for everything. I never broke the tip off the clip blade. I certainly could have as I had thing at the time about carving my initials into older Beech trees that grew in the bottom below our house (what we call "the crick") and cutting into old thick bark and prying bark off with a clip blade certainly was pushing it.

I only bought a fixed blade after the Rambo movies came out. Of course, my first was a EK bowie and coming to my senses more, a 4" 440C handmade knife (drop point) for hunting. Randall's came shortly after... Hunting was pretty much why I purchased fixed blades. There were no thoughts of making anything in the woods. I could cut tent stakes, weinie sticks, or a forked branch to pick up a pot with most any knife.

The Kephart design clearly reflects the metallurgy of the day with Kephart wanting a durable knife for many woods tasks. He always carried a slippie.... stockman or jack knife when a pointier knife was called for or for more precise cutting. I still think the design is a good one with the strong point/tip. But I was not immediately enamored with the design other than I wanted the Joe Flowers Condor Kephart which was inexpensive.

I am going to use the Humphrey Kephart for a general purpose woods knife. I do always have a folder with me as well. The combination will work for me if I want it to. But I have a number of general purpose woods knives. So, I always have choices. I still really like the Becker BK-15 trailing point for woods use. It originally was relatively inexpensive and a knife that if I broke it somehow, it wasn't the end of the world. That changed when Kabar discontinued the knife along with the BK-17.

I really like the Becker BK-62 Kephart. But I wonder how much the liking is due to historical fondness for the Smoky Mts versus using the knife. I view it as a non-hard use knife, but sufficiently strong for most everything I might do.
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I started out with a Barlow myself back in the 70s, switched to fixed when it closed on my finger and cut it to the bone while trying to bore a hole through heavy weight leather when I was 6 or 7 and too young to understand the physics or how I had applied the pressure incorrectly. But I have preferred fixed blades ever since then, and in all these years not one of them has ever closed on my finger :D

I agree, I like to wear earth tone camouflages that fit the environment when I am fishing too, just as much as when I am hunting and when fishing orange isn't required :)
 
mistwalker said:
Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoy the posts :)



I started out with a Barlow myself back in the 70s, switched to fixed when it closed on my finger and cut it to the bone while trying to bore a hole through heavy weight leather when I was 6 or 7 and too young to understand the physics or how I had applied the pressure incorrectly. But I have preferred fixed blades ever since then, and in all these years not one of them has ever closed on my finger :D
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That was the learning years! :eek: I was also 6 years old and alone at home. I had brought out my fathers pen folder, knowing very well it was forbidden.
Drilling a hole in a toy (my brothers, not mine hehe) it closed on my fingers when I heard the key in the front door and realized I was caught.
Screaming, Blood overall and a little later the doctor gave me my first 3 stitches.My brother was really upset, not of the hole in his toy, but because I got stitches and not him!!

Regards
Mikael
 
Mikael W said:
That was the learning years! :eek: I was also 6 years old and alone at home. I had brought out my fathers pen folder, knowing very well it was forbidden.
Drilling a hole in a toy (my brothers, not mine hehe) it closed on my fingers when I heard the key in the front door and realized I was caught.
Screaming, Blood overall and a little later the doctor gave me my first 3 stitches.My brother was really upset, not of the hole in his toy, but because I got stitches and not him!!

Regards
Mikael
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Stitches are just part of growing up. At least you didn't do what I did... I was chasing my older brother out of my Grandmother's house when he closed the glass windowed storm door behind him... I ran my arm right through it. Blood everywhere. I can still remember the screams. I was probably about 6 years old.

Added: It took 4 adults to hold me down at the doctors office as he worked on my arm. I don't think he knew about anesthetic.;)
 
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Ouch, that could have ended real bad!
I guess we all belong to the group, who learned our lessons the hard way.

Regards
Mikael
 
I am huge fan of the Bark River Kephart in 3V. This knife in true 3/32” steel with a full height convex grind out-slices and out-carves just about every other fixed blade in my collection. It is a joy to use for whittling, food prep, and general camp utility chores.



A few months ago, I picked up a nice slightly used Bark River Mini Kephart in 3V on the exchange. It shares the same performance characteristics as its bigger brother in a scaled down compact package.





I wear a large size glove and I can get all four fingers on the Mini.







The Mini Kephart and Carothers EDC in the center of the photo below are two of my most carried fixed blades these days because they both perform extremely well for my uses.



Phil
 
The Bark River Kepharts are very appealing to me. I had been looking at Kepharts quite a bit last year for a possible buy. At the time, I was looking for a 5" Kephart and as I recall the Bark Rivers were smaller. Then the Becker came around in November/December and I got it. Probably not in the same class, but I like the Becker.

Eventually I ordered a Bark River Wilderness Explorer (Cruwear) which has a 5.75" blade last spring. A bit larger, but it scratched that itch for a while. Got the Becker in December.

[I was not convinced that I would like a Kephart in late 2017 and early 2018 at that point. I had the Condor version and I was luke warm on that one. So, when I couldn't find what I wanted, I reverted back to the designs that I am very comfortable with for general woods use. Hence the choice for the BRKT blade.]

The Mini Kephart looks very useful. Good to know about the 4 finger fit. Both are great looking knives.
 
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I am seriously considering the Lon Humphrey Kephart in 3v. 4 1/2" blade
It ain't cheap up here in Canada , like 320
I know Lon does the blade , but not sure if it's assembled by BR or him. Anyone know?
 
hiwa hiwa Be aware, that for me it is a bit thick in the steel department and it is not that pointy due primarily to the thickness of the steel and the grind. I still like it by the way, but I want you to go into it with your eyes open. It is a beautifully finished knife. The knife rides high in the provided belt sheath.

DLT says the knife is forged. His old treatment is forged, but I believe the knife is a material reduction blade from a blank. Don't know about BR's involvement.
 
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22-rimfire said:
hiwa hiwa Be aware, that for me it is a bit thick in the steel department and it is not that pointy due primarily to the thickness of the steel and the grind. I still like it by the way, but I want you to go into it with your eyes open. It is a beautifully finished knife. The knife rides high in the provided belt sheath.

DLT says the knife is forged. His old treatment is forged, but I believe the knife is a material reduction blade from a blank. Don't know about BR's involvement.
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Bark river had no involvement on these, which one was in question specifically? We have some from Lon that were straight up forged, and some water jetted then forged into final shape.
 
22-rimfire said:
hiwa hiwa Be aware, that for me it is a bit thick in the steel department and it is not that pointy due primarily to the thickness of the steel and the grind. I still like it by the way, but I want you to go into it with your eyes open. It is a beautifully finished knife. The knife rides high in the provided belt sheath.

DLT says the knife is forged. His old treatment is forged, but I believe the knife is a material reduction blade from a blank. Don't know about BR's involvement.
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I think the only BR involvement with Lon Humphrey was around the forged rustic bravo collab they did.
 
Jordan@DLT said:
Bark river had no involvement on these, which one was in question specifically? We have some from Lon that were straight up forged, and some water jetted then forged into final shape.
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That would be my guess on the Humphrey 3V Kephart which is the model in question here.
 
I guess my question is "What does Humphrey mean by forged"? I doubt it was done in the traditional manner. But I am willing to learn and quite interested actually. It is a really nice knife. Tough Tough Tough because of the steel choice and thickness.
 
22-rimfire said:
I guess my question is "What does Humphrey mean by forged"? I doubt it was done in the traditional manner. But I am willing to learn and quite interested actually. It is a really nice knife. Tough Tough Tough because of the steel choice and thickness.
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From the video, it sounds like he used a strong hydraulic press to shape the heated metal. Starts talking about forging it after 0:55. Sounds like it's forged just like others are when using mechanical power as a standard hammer wasn't enough power. He reference a 150 ton press "just to get it to move."
 
Jordan@DLT said:
Bark river had no involvement on these, which one was in question specifically? We have some from Lon that were straight up forged, and some water jetted then forged into final shape.
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It is forged 3V from a Canadian distributor.
22-rimfire 22-rimfire , I agree it is not the "traditional" thickness for a Kephart. I own Bravos in the .217 thickness and don't mind them , but I know it's a departure on the Humphrey model. The fact that it's not too pointy ( I like sharp points) does concern me also, but it is a nice knife for sure. The one I'm looking at has got a scandi edge.
I read somewhere that 3V is not really a steel to be forged (u.stock removal), so not sure the process behind it.
 
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