Your Favorite Kephart?

[Coonskinner]

I keep finding myself drawn to the Kephart pattern lately.

Who makes your favorite Kephart?

Pictures would be nice.

 

[lambertiana]

Ray Laconico can make a really nice one

 

[Coonskinner]

Ray Laconico can make a really nice one

That is a dandy.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I had one from him and traded it like a fool. Ray makes a very nice Kephart. Ray has told me that he doesn't do fixed blades anymore. I would still ask him.

I've had Kepharts from ML Knives, James Neilson from Forged in Fire, John Kiedaisch, Bark River, a few others that escape me at the moment. The Ontario Blackbird which is similar to a Kephart pattern.

My favorite, and the only ones I own, are from Scott Gossman. I have three sizes. 3" blade one off, only one he's ever made. One of my favorite EDC short knives. The other is a 4" blade, more suited to bushcraft, and I have used that when trying out my minimal outdoors skills (great curls). The last one is the 5" version, which I have used sparingly, and has Scott's Tusker influence in it. I did have one in micarta, which was a 4" blade more in tune with the original Colclesser production. Another great knife, but I get caught up in the trading frenzy. All of these are A2, my favorite fixed blade steel, with cocobolo handles. Second favorite wood after ironwood.

Oh yeah, I also have another modified version. 3.5" EDC type I asked for from Scott. Very handy design. This one has micarta scales and CPM154 blade, which is easy to keep up with on the strop.

 

[w.t. anderson]

I've had several ML Kepharts (now gone), a Gossman (also gone), but the ones I stick with, because (IMO) I find them to be the truest to Horace's original and at a very good price, are those made by JK Handmade Knives (John Kiedaisch) - he'll also modify his Kephart design to meet your wishes. But it's really just a matter of individual taste - Ray Laconico, Matt L., Scott Gossman all make fine knives to include their versions of the Kephart. Here's a few photos, past and present.

 

[AreBeeBee]

Mine's a Condor, with the black coating on the blade removed. (Looked too tactical for a knife pattern dating back to ~1900 or earlier.)

I like the blade shape and the plain handle, which I have beeswaxed.

(With the others in the image, this is my "Nessmuk" trio.)

 

[w.t. anderson]

. . .and my current JK favorite EDC, the Compact Kephart! (If you go to the Picture Thread at JK Handmade Knives on BF's Hosted Knifemaker Forums, there's LOTS of Kephart photos of all sorts!)

 

[Coonskinner]

Thank you, gentlemen.

 

[Stumps]

I had a JK Compact Kephart that was too short for my hand.
I have a new Condor that I will unload someday because the handle is too narrow for me.

I made this one out of a new Ontario 7" butcher knife.
Here it is new, then shaped with cherry wood handle waiting and finished in the third picture.







I fit the cherry handle to fit my hand well.
It gets used daily.

I want to try one of the ML Kepharts, but there is a loooong waiting list.

 

[vonrichthofen54]

Kepharts I really enjoy using. A Blackbird, a JK, and a Condor. As evidenced by the photo, the Condor sees a lot of use and actually has had the coating removed and a bluing job done on it. The JK is my favorite, while the Blackbird I consider to be a modern take on this style and not as historically accurate as the other two. It did however, come with the sharpest factory edge of any knife I've ever purchased, and that includes Beckers, Esees, Condors, and several customs.

 

[markv]

i think the Kephart is the best knife bar none.
i've made one or two Kepharts.
personally i really like the Bark River version, only because i don't have an ML.
the Bark River is shaped/designed perfectly true to Kepharts original imo.
i have a nice early JK i reshaped into a Kephart, nice knife too.
the Condor has it figured out. a good inexpensive purpose built knife.
if it fits your hand and is good steel, all good
by the way, the Ontario butcher knife conversion is a great way to stay true to Kephart's ideal.
buzz