Am I wrong in thinking that’s a tribute to a Russell Green River? Sweet!
Classic!
Thank you Dylan, it's an Enzo Elver in D2
Congratulations on that beautiful Kephart, would love to know more about it
I agree with the Green River reference and offer my admiration for that choice. What a classic knife! (BTW, I, too, find a way to slip a fixed knife/sheath onto my belt more often these days.)
Thank you all for the kind compliments. I thought I might share a little bit about the Kephart and why I find it to be a rather special knife (to me, at least).
It is hard to be interested in bushcraft, survival, the outdoors, etc. without hearing the name Kephart. Horace Kephart was an author and woodsman whose outdoors philosophies have captivated me since I first began reading them as a lad. I've long admired his writings and have been awaiting a faithful reproduction of the famous "Kephart" pattern fixed blade that he had designed. A lot of knife makers have reproduced their take on this iconic pattern but in many cases, the knife can be prohibitively expensive, it can deviate from the original due to artistic license or a lack of understanding when it comes to the nuances of the original, or it simply can look nothing like the classic Kephart.
Here is a copy of an old ad:
It has been my hope for quite some time that a quality reproduction of this iconic knife would find its way to the market.
Enter Ethan Becker. Some of you here might know the name. He has been involved in knife making and survival for decades, is well known in those circles, and is even a member here on these forums as a moderator for the Becker Knife & Tool sub. Ethan acquired one of the few remaining examples of the original Kephart knives made by Colclesser Brothers. His examination of this knife made him appreciate the design subtleties and nuances that you will not find on many reproductions out there.
You can read about Ethan's thoughts on the knife here:
The Knife That Horace Kephart Created
A couple pictures of Ethan's Colclesser Brothers Kephart (not my pics):
Ethan's BK&T line is made by Kabar and he collaborated with them to produce a faithful reproduction of Horace Kephart's timeless design with a few exceptions due to Ethan's own design philosophies as well as some cost saving factors.
- Full flat grind in Kabar's excellent 1095 Cro Van steel.
- Relieved spine and a tapered tang (increases efficiency, improves balance, all while maintaining structural integrity)
- American Walnut scales with screwed construction (Original was pinned, Ethan is a big advocate of screwed construction)
- Comes with a sturdy leather belt sheath.
- The original had a fully convexed edge. The Kabar reproduction is not convexed due to time and expense involved but the blade does come quite sharp, it is indeed an excellent cutter right out of the box.
This is an excellent knife and I can hardly wait to take it out on my next hunt and/or wilderness outing.
I hope I didn't put any of you to sleep with that post...
T. Erdelyi
- Superb Northwoods!
