Of Wet Weather, Roast Chicken, and Kephart

[VANCE]

Awesome thread mist

 

[Mistwalker]

Awesome thread mist

Thank you Phillip, I'm glad you enjoyed it

 

[daizee]

Hooray, it's Mistwalker Photo Season again!

 

[Mistwalker]

Hooray, it's Mistwalker Photo Season again!

LOL, sorry...but unless there are icicles or frozen waterfalls I find winter to be drab, dreary, and lifeless....so yeah, I'll be catching the colors again soon

 

[ncrockclimb]

Brian, you provide me and the other members of this forum with so many GREAT stories and photos, just saying "thank you" seems inadequate. If we ever meet in person, beers or coffee are on me!

Both the knife (obviously!) and the little striker look to be great pieces of kit that I will be buying. I agree that 1/8" the perfect thickness for this knife, and like you I am a fan of S35V. The Kephart and its big brother the Bear Paw are among my favorite Fiddlebacks, and I am so happy to see it make the cut for the production knife lineup.

Fiddleback keeps on hitting home runs with the execution of the production knives, and I could not be happier for Andy and his crew. I might have missed it, but can you add your thoughts on the handle contours of the production Kephart. One of the many things that sets Fiddlebacks apart from the rest of the herd is ergonomics. While always great, there is variability (thickness, height, exaggeration of the contours, etc) between different knives of the same model. It would be nice to hear your thoughts on the handle and how it compares to other Kepharts and the rest of the Fiddleback lineup.

Thank you for this thread and all the other cool posts that you make here.

 

[Mistwalker]

Brian, you provide me and the other members of this forum with so many GREAT stories and photos, just saying "thank you" seems inadequate. If we ever meet in person, beers or coffee are on me!

Both the knife (obviously!) and the little striker look to be great pieces of kit that I will be buying. I agree that 1/8" the perfect thickness for this knife, and like you I am a fan of S35V. The Kephart and its big brother the Bear Paw are among my favorite Fiddlebacks, and I am so happy to see it make the cut for the production knife lineup.

Fiddleback keeps on hitting home runs with the execution of the production knives, and I could not be happier for Andy and his crew. I might have missed it, but can you add your thoughts on the handle contours of the production Kephart. One of the many things that sets Fiddlebacks apart from the rest of the herd is ergonomics. While always great, there is variability (thickness, height, exaggeration of the contours, etc) between different knives of the same model. It would be nice to hear your thoughts on the handle and how it compares to other Kepharts and the rest of the Fiddleback lineup.

Thank you for this thread and all the other cool posts that you make here.

Wow, thank you sir! I appreciate the compliment very much!

I am extremely happy with the Kephart, and Blaine's ferro rods and strikers are great pieces of gear.

Ok, to be completely honest there, not nit picking just being honest. Off the bat they nailed the profile, it's spot on, and th profile I have grown to know and love. The 3 D contours of the handle however, while being exceptional compared to most production handles out there, are not shaped quite the same as the hand made ones. The hand made knives have continuously curving oval cross sections. This knife has slight flats on the sides more like a rectangle with rounded over corners cross section. It feels really good in hand though, and so far no hot spots, but Andy's hand shaped handles can spoil a person. I know why it is this way, I think, and that's because the handles are attached with screws and they are flat. For the money these cost I think it is an exceptional buy, but the custom shop ones will definitely have the best of both worlds going for them.

 

[Fiddleback]

Great thread Brian. I havent ever cooked a chicken this way. How long did it take?

Folks, we are doing the Kepharts as you call and purchase them. A few at a time. The sheaths are on the way in. We have one more in stock and done. Call the shop to get it. AND, as always, thank you for your support.

 

[VANCE]

The Kephart available has black canvas scales BTW

 

[Mistwalker]

Great thread Brian. I havent ever cooked a chicken this way. How long did it take?

Folks, we are doing the Kepharts as you call and purchase them. A few at a time. The sheaths are on the way in. We have one more in stock and done. Call the shop to get it. AND, as always, thank you for your support.

Thanks Andy. It will vary some depending on size and mass, but this was a cornish hen and according to the metadata of the photos it was an hour and ten minutes. I was going to guess an hour, but I was so tired at the time I didn't trust my judgement on that without double checking. With full sized hens it's usually about an hour and a half or a little longer, and small birds like quail or wood hens about a half hour. You can tell I was really tired when I got to this, by the stack of the stones I propped it on... that were clearly inspired by Theodor Geisel's hatted cat

 

[Insipid Moniker]

Goddammit, Mist. I don't pay attention to Fiddleback because they look amazing, but are out of my meager budget. But then I won that giveaway from Whitty and I think you may have sucked me in to my first purchase. The production Kephart looks like it's going to check basically all my boxes for a solo dayhiking knife and smaller primary when matched with a hatchet/machete/chopper. It's still out of my budget, but if I squint I can pretend it's not.

 

[Mistwalker]

Ha! I know that feeling! But I paid attention anyway...apparently I am a bit masochistic I have definitely begrumbled quite a few I could not afford, and still do on a regular basis, and have mourned the loss of a few I had to sell....two of which were tapered Kepharts that I loved but wished were stainless. When I did the field tests with one of the first hand made Kepharts in 2012 I knew that knife was going to be something special when it was tweaked out. That one was a full tang, so it was a bit handle heavy. and it was in O-1 which does everything very well for me except handle salt water. But the profile and handle contours were spot on for me. I love the flow of functionality in how the blade and handle work together for me in use. In June of 13, the first time I heard Andy mention the thoughts on going mid tech, I started waiting on this knife right here. No it doesn't have the same oval cross section handle, but it's close and not bad at all. I've used it quite a bit, which will be seen as soon as I get the next post written up, and no hot spots or discomfort. The crenelations actually add to purchase without being abrasive in my hands. It's CPM S35VN stainless steel and canvas micarta. Great all around for all types of weather. Hell I'm ecstatic

 

[Fiddleback]

Nice Kephart, I'm glad they went with 1/8 on it, are these available now?
Great pictures as always.

David is going to start a signup thread today. The sheaths are coming in soon then we'll make them as needed.

Goddammit, Mist. I don't pay attention to Fiddleback because they look amazing, but are out of my meager budget. But then I won that giveaway from Whitty and I think you may have sucked me in to my first purchase. The production Kephart looks like it's going to check basically all my boxes for a solo dayhiking knife and smaller primary when matched with a hatchet/machete/chopper. It's still out of my budget, but if I squint I can pretend it's not.

Great to see you. Thanks for the support. I like to hear about folks making a trio of tools.

 

[Mistwalker]

Goddammit, Mist. I don't pay attention to Fiddleback because they look amazing, but are out of my meager budget. But then I won that giveaway from Whitty and I think you may have sucked me in to my first purchase. The production Kephart looks like it's going to check basically all my boxes for a solo dayhiking knife and smaller primary when matched with a hatchet/machete/chopper. It's still out of my budget, but if I squint I can pretend it's not.

Sorry man

Hmmm how to reply to this best... I review a lot of knives, both here and for various magazines over the years. So I have to be careful to maintain my objectivity when I do, and not let my opinions weigh in too heavily. Every time I go to test a new knife the first thing I do, after interviewing the designer / maker on their intentions for the design, is throw one field knife that I already know I like and trust into my pack, put the new knife to be tested on my belt, and hit the woods. I handle it, and study the knife's geometry and ergonomics. Then I start using it for the uses the designer / maker says it was intended for. I feel it is critical to keep the knife use, at least initially, centered on the intended uses, and reasonable expectations of the designed based on the specs. Then I tend to take it slightly beyond its comfort zone because that does happen sometimes in the field. I do not like getting drawn into personal comparisons of knives, as in which is better for what based solely on opinions. I prefer to let the specs and data do that part of the talking for people who know how to understand them. Lots of other people get into doing the comparisons on the forums and you tube, so I leave that to them and try to keep my reviews limited to the subject at hand.

That said, Andy's Kephart design has been the most intuitive bushcraft knife I have used for my personal preferences of use and style of bushcraft in the field. The narrow-ish blade and nice point work out well for me in both whittling and carving tasks and intricate notch work, and in processing small fish and game. The thickness behind the edge (or should I say thinness?) allows the knife to perform very well in the cutting and slicing applications would would normally expect a knife to perform. The handle is extremely comfortable, yet very secure for my purchases in different holds in various applications. While it does combine the environmentally stable steel and handle materials I like in my field knives, it does not try to be simultaneously a bushcraft knife and a survival knife. I appreciate that very much. I have been a life long survival student and do instruct in wilderness and urban survival skills. I have knives that I have had made expressly for those purposes to my desired design and specifications. Yet they are exactly what I feel a good survival knife should be, a series of trade-offs and compromises that make the knives passable for several applications, excelling at none, and they error on the side of strength and durability above all else. Because of that, to me they suck at many common every day knife uses and most bushcraft type uses. I never go to the field with one of them on me, just because of my personal life experiences and thoughts on preparedness living near an urbanized are with a high crime rate, which is surrounded by nuclear power plants, and and just down the road from the U.S.'s largest and most famous nuclear weapons testing facilities as well as the world's largest nuclear weapons "nonproliferation" facilities where we are currently dismantling nuclear missiles from foreign powers.

Yet, for whatever it is worth to whomever, my mid-tech Kephart has lived on my water bottle carrier in my truck since the day I got it, other than on the occasional day I carry another knife on it for testing purposes. Any time I leave my truck for "just a few minutes" to snap a few quick photos, which has at times led to me being miles away from my truck before I realized how far I had gone as I chased and stalked the subject of the photos, I grab that water bottle carrier and throw it over my shoulder. My mid-tech Kephart is, for all around uses, my overall favorite small field knife. And while yes, I would prefer to have one of the knives I have had made for such things if the shit really did hit the fan, there is very little (if anything at all) I couldn't manage knife-use wise in the field in my area, with the knowledge in my head and my Kephart handy. If I had to choose one 4 inch blade knife, from all of the 4 inch blade knives I have ever used, this knife would very definitely make the short list, and most likely beat out all others in the end, all things considered.

 

[Rotte]

Brian,

How would you compare the Arete (a personal favorite) to the Kephart? To my eye, both are derived from the Horace Kephart design, albeit with a bit of a difference in tip geometry. The Arete is around 4", the Fiddleback Kephart lists at 3.75". So there seems to be a slight length difference. I've never handled a Fiddleback Kephart and the design intrigues me, although I generally like a slightly longer field knife (4-5"). I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Rotte]

I suppose the Nessmuk would be another 4" knife for comparison. As you know, I'm trying out a prolonged trial of one of my Nessmuks. I'm curious how you might compare the Sears design against the Kephart designs, as interpreted by Fiddleback.

 

[Mistwalker]

Brian,

How would you compare the Arete (a personal favorite) to the Kephart? To my eye, both are derived from the Horace Kephart design, albeit with a bit of a difference in tip geometry. The Arete is around 4", the Fiddleback Kephart lists at 3.75". So there seems to be a slight length difference. I've never handled a Fiddleback Kephart and the design intrigues me, although I generally like a slightly longer field knife (4-5"). I'd appreciate your thoughts.

I suppose the Nessmuk would be another 4" knife for comparison. As you know, I'm trying out a prolonged trial of one of my Nessmuks. I'm curious how you might compare the Sears design against the Kephart designs, as interpreted by Fiddleback.

I have tried most of the four inch Fiddleback models, and like things about all of them. Knife preferences are always person specific and usually area or region specific. I liked the Nessie for all of the reasons you listed, but for most of my uses I prefer a narrower blade and sharper point. I do not do a lot with big game now, and never really did a lot in my younger days. I have always preferred small game, fowl, and fish over large game. I am certain that is primarily due to the vast majority of my experiences being in the south east and deep south, where storing food over a long harsh winter was not really a concern. There have seldom been days down here bad enough to keep me from hunting or fishing for more than a day or two. I saw the other side of that coin the winter in Michigan, and had we stayed there another winter, I would have put a couple of deer in our freezer.

I first tried the KE Bushie, and it is still one of my favorite bushcrafting knives. I love the blade profile, the tip, and the pommel, but then I do not like it for thrusting into tough hides due to the lack of guard or forward swell. I love the handle contours of the Bushcrafter, but the tip of the blade is designed to be durable and not quite pointy enough for me. I feel similarly about the Arete, though if the Kephart were not an option I would likely go with the Arete, though I may modify the blade and take some steel off the spine at the tip to make it pointier. The blade shape of the Kephart works best for me, and I love everything about the handle except the flat pommel. But since I do not do a whole lot of boring, I seldom am reminded I would rather have the pommel made differently. So for blade shape and grip, I just prefer the Kephart overall for my uses. I also happen to like the Gaucho quite a bit as well. My ideal Fiddleback would combine elements of several of Andy's four inch models for different reasons.

 

[Rotte]

Well, obviously personal preference plays a big role in our knife selections. But, having acknowledged that, let me ask you: how often do you really need a needle-sharp point?

To wit, I have noticed that for everyday kitchen use, I have transitioned from chef's knife to santuko to Chinese cleaver. I wondered if I would miss the point of a Chef's knife, but that just hasn't been the case. And, of course, the Chinese cleaver does actually have a 'point'. A very obtuse point of 90º, but still a useful 'point'.

An acute point would seem to be a huge advantage in a self-defense role. I grant you that. And maybe for drilling. But, really, how much drilling do you do? I'd argue that the Arete or Nessmuk has enough 'point' for most any piercing or puncturing task.

So the advantage, in my mind, lies with the Arete or, maybe, the Nessmuk. I get lots of 'belly' for slicing, skinning, carving, and still have some 'point' to work with. While the Arete has a point in-line with the axis of the knife, the Nessmuk's point is only slightly higher than the axis of the knife. Slightly. And both still provide more belly, from what I can see in pictures, than the Fiddleback Kephart. When it come to 'belly', especially out in front, at the distal end, the Nessmuk rules.



All the knives we are discussing are on the short end of the scale, in my mind. Even a Buck 110 is about 4" and plenty pointy. I'd kinda like to see a 5" Arete or Kephart. I know Sears and Kephart were more inclined to the 4" end of the spectrum, but I think a 5" knife provides a bit more versatility. For example, the Fallkniven S1. Certainly a 4" knife is less obtrusive and easier to carry, but you are favoring a little 3.75" knife. Where's the advantage?

If it's just a question of aesthetics, I get that. We all have to live with the knife we carry. I guess I'm wondering if you really think that straight-edged blade with a needle point really has some advantage for you?