Photos Kepharts...They just Work

Bmurray said:
Another Kephart style that I truly love to carry and use. Survive GSO 3.5

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Yep, I have an early 4.1 in 3V. I bought it from Guy himself. You know, way back when I bought it, I thought something was a tad fishy, I asked if I could send a Postal MO for it and he said, I'd rather you send cash. o_O
 
But at least you got the knife (Survive 4.1) and I suspect you didn't have to wait a long time with it prepaid.

Cash can be "off the books" as most know.
 
22-rimfire said:
But at least you got the knife (Survive 4.1) and I suspect you didn't have to wait a long time with it prepaid.

Cash can be "off the books" as most know.
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Correct - I didn't have to wait at all. It was for sale and I bought it. I got it with the green G10 slabs w/bow drill and jimping . I also got a set of black canvas micarta slabs.
I know about, under the table transactions. I just didn't expect it from a company like Survive who didn't know me from Adam....little did I know at the time.
 
Anyone who is in business long knows most of the rules that apply to them. I would not call it "under the table" since you just paid for the knife. What they did is their business. They could have done the same thing with a postal money order or a paper check written out to their personal name.

With guns at a gun show (in state of residence), sometimes dealers will tell you that the firearm to be sold is from their personal collection and as a result, no Federal form is completed much like a face-to-face transaction with a non-dealer if they are legal in your state. I tend to believe them since the penalties are substantial.
 
22-rimfire said:
I would not call it "under the table" since you just paid for the knife.
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Not under the table for him to ask for cash for a knife? Do you think, that he reported the bundle of cash as income to his favorite uncle?
A transaction like that pretty much defines the term 'under the table' IMO.
Not surprised in the least BTW.
 
Whether he reported it as income or not isn't my business. Uncle Timbo simply paid his asking price in the form he requested. It is not illegal to receive cash payments for goods or services. I often do. It is how it's handled by the business that is or isn't above board relative to Uncle Sam.

I live in the area of KSF. If I pay for a knife with cash there, is that under the table? I don't recall seeing a cash register there.
 
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22-rimfire said:
Whether he reported it as income or not isn't my business. Uncle Timbo simply paid his asking price in the form he requested. It is not illegal to receive cash payments for goods or services. I often do. It is how it's handled by the business that is or isn't above board relative to Uncle Sam.

I live in the area of KSF. If I pay for a knife with cash there, is that under the table?
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pinnah said:
Legal tender.
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Okay guys, lets not be overly naive and lets not stray too far. My last post on this subject (and Im surprised its even up for debate); UT asked to send a MO. Guy at the other end (see what I did there) goes out of his way to ask for cash. Unusual, to say the least.
There is a reason most businesses bigger than mom and pop stores are loath to deal in cash and certainly when it pertains to be paid by someone stuffing a wad of bills into an envelope. Its simply a hassle.

Back to Kepharts.
I really like the design and had a Kephart-style knife made a while ago. As Im a fan of the 'Perrin divot' I got the knife with that instead of the traditional guard 'nub'. Scalloped handle and Perrin divot sits well in the hand. At 4.5" its not the longest Kephart around but within the original specs. At least in regards to blade length if not anything else.
 
I'm not naive at all about this and I suspect your suspicions are correct. But, a suspicion is simply that. I would personally have preferred a USPS money order and protecting the buyer in some measure is important. I can accept credit and debit cards, but I charge extra for that to cover my costs. Folks don't like that much.

I like Kepharts too. I don't really know precisely why, but I do. They can be a light general purpose fixed blade for cutting or something a bit more substantial like the L Humphrey I have that could take a lot of abuse (if necessary) in the woods for whatever reason. Still have not gotten out in the woods to "play around with" the two Kepharts I have. Certainly when spring hits, I will be in the woods enjoying the trees and plants bursting forth for another year.

What is PP FF?
 
22-rimfire said:
I like Kepharts too. I don't really know precisely why, but I do. They can be a light general purpose fixed blade for cutting or something a bit more substantial like the L Humphrey I have that could take a lot of abuse (if necessary) in the woods for whatever reason. Still have not gotten out in the woods to "play around with" the two Kepharts I have. Certainly when spring hits, I will be in the woods enjoying the trees and plants bursting forth for another year.
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I checked out the Humphrey Kephart some time ago. Not bad looking at all.
ML Knives Kepharts are also amongst my favorites. Dang good looking. Ive been severely tempted by one of those.
 
I have 2 older Schrade-Walden H-15s. On both, I've ground off the guard and modified the handle shape a bit to make the handle a bit more pukko-ish. Sort of a generic woodworking utility type grip.

On one, I reshaped the tip to be a spear. Sort of quasi-Kephart-ish shape. This is my standard woods knife.

On the other, I left the stock short clip. It sits in my butcher's block in my kitchen.

I really love these knives. Like a lot. The thin convexed saber grind has a lot do with it.

I find my preference for the difference tip profiles to be based on what I'm doing. The clip makes so many food prep tasks easier. Need to cut out the inner flesh of a green pepper? With the clip, it's easy. Less so with the spear point. Need to drill in wood without damaging the tip? The spear is better.

Today, if I had to pick just one to live with, it would be the spear point tip. But that is today. It might change again next week.
 
Lodd said:
THanks for the tip, but this vendor only offers the 4 inch version and just as expensive as my dutch vendor, so I think I'll pass. I might look at it in the future though.
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I know about passing. I did that with the Bark River Kephart as well. Bark River stuff is very close to handmade prices as far as I'm concerned. I do view them to be as "hand made" as a Randall knife is. People call them semi-handmade.

The handes on my Humphrey Kephart are natural micarta which is kind of boring these days. You should have little problem getting new handles for a Becker Kephart down the road as that is the typical flow of things Becker.

As to the passing on purchase.... my experience is that you'll be back itching for one. Import duties as well as VAT taxes really hurt relative to US prices on blades. I view the VAT taxes like the taxes that you have absolutely no control over like on a cell phone bill. Here, they do not require legislative approval to implement such taxes. But thank goodness, there are still no VAT taxes in the USA. Some legislators keep talking about that and I know the reason. It would sneak in a big tax on products.

Pinnah, the spear point is a pretty functional blade shape for most everything other than skinning animals or any task that requires a sharp point to pierce something. Sort of got used to spear points since I am a heavy user of SAKs.
 
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22-rimfire said:
I know about passing. I did that with the Bark River Kephart as well. Bark River stuff is very close to handmade prices as far as I'm concerned. I do view them to be as "hand made" as a Randall knife is. People call them semi-handmade.

The handes on my Humphrey Kephart are natural micarta which is kind of boring these days. You should have little problem getting new handles for a Becker Kephart down the road as that is the typical flow of things Becker.

As to the passing on purchase.... my experience is that you'll be back itching for one. Import duties as well as VAT taxes really hurt relative to US prices on blades. I view the VAT taxes like the taxes that you have absolutely no control over like on a cell phone bill. Here, they do not require legislative approval to implement such taxes. But thank goodness, there are still no VAT taxes in the USA. Some legislators keep talking about that and I know the reason. It would sneak in a big tax on products.

Pinnah, the spear point is a pretty functional blade shape for most everything other than skinning animals or any task that requires a sharp point to pierce something. Sort of got used to spear points since I am a heavy user of SAKs.
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Well, the itching has already begun. But it's just so hard to find one that matches my desires. The Becker Kephart is nearly perfect, if only its' blade was a bit thinner and more rust-resistant. The Bark River has a nice thin blade, but it doesn't taper toward the back and it's convex. Also, I have a Bark River bushcrafter and I'm not happy with it. I also doubt if it's actually 3V and properly hardened (light firesteel use damaged the spine).

Looking at the prices I'm wondering if I should just get a custom made kephart that conforms to my wishes. I usually do not mind some taxes as long as the money is well spent.

I hope I'll be able to visit a knife show in April and get to handle some of these knives, that may help me decide.
 
Lodd said:
Well, the itching has already begun. But it's just so hard to find one that matches my desires. The Becker Kephart is nearly perfect, if only its' blade was a bit thinner and more rust-resistant. The Bark River has a nice thin blade, but it doesn't taper toward the back and it's convex. Also, I have a Bark River bushcrafter and I'm not happy with it. I also doubt if it's actually 3V and properly hardened (light firesteel use damaged the spine).

Looking at the prices I'm wondering if I should just get a custom made kephart that conforms to my wishes. I usually do not mind some taxes as long as the money is well spent.

I hope I'll be able to visit a knife show in April and get to handle some of these knives, that may help me decide.
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I understand the trust element with Bark River stuff and things being what they are advertised to be. I do like the Becker.

You seem to know what you want. I would go custom.

We have a small knife show coming up in Dalton GA in March. More than likely, I will buy my next 2019 knife there. Not a good show for handmade stuff but great for slippies.
 
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I love the man's design, and after picking up a few interpretations of the old Colclesser design over the years, I have also bought Horace's books, including Camping and Woodcraft and Our Southern Highlanders. Great books.

I have owned quite a few interpretations of this design, including one by J Neilson which I traded to a local knife shop owner.

Out of all of them, the ones that I use and prefer the most were made by Scott Gossman. He and Matt Lienewski brought the pattern back, upon request from writer Dan Schectman, my trading mentor and friend for a Backwoodsman article. Scott is a good friend too, and seeing his Kephart pattern evolve over the years, with his definite style, is pretty cool. It is also great to see all of the other companies and makers bring this pattern back. Nordsmith knives showed me Dan Eastlands interpretation of the original Colclesser, owned by Ethan Becker, and for it's thin handle, I really was impressed at how comfortable it was. I was underwhelmed by the Becker collaboration model, if they can tighten up those wood handles, without destroying them, or go with an aritifical handle cover for later iterations, I might get one.

Kephart himself would've laughed at all of the custom and production models of his iconic knife, but he'd be right up front asking to get one of each I believe.

With all of the different gurus out there preaching survival, bushcraft, woodcraft etc., it is refreshing to hear or read from friends in the community that preach "easing it in the woods" just like Kephart said.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
......Kephart himself would've laughed at all of the custom and production models of his iconic knife, but he'd be right up front asking to get one of each I believe....
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I think he would feel honored. I would note that his book doesn't even show a sketch of his spear point design. I don't know what that means exactly.

Kephart did say to get the best steel available and that probably isn't 1095. I really like the Becker interpretation. The handles just feel right for the knife.
 
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