I first met Dan back in 2014 during a trip to the Amazon jungle in Colombia with Bushcraft Global. Dan and I immediately hit it off and our conversations regularly turned to knives — a topic that was not hard to get either of us on. Having brought with him a small sampling of his knives for testing, Dan provided me with one that I used extensively while there and still own today. Since then, I have found myself going to my Dogwoods more often than not, with my Echo-7 being a common go-to bushcraft knife. Now, with the introduction of his version of the Kephart — based on the design of legendary outdoor survivalist and author, Horace Kephart — I think I have found a new favorite.
But looks aren’t everything, I had to find out just what makes the Kephart such a prolific design, utilized by many knifemakers the world over.
First Impressions
Even though Dan made some minor changes to the production model (that he felt Horace Kephart would have approved of), the look and feel of the Signature Kephart are almost identical to the original — which I had the opportunity to hold and inspect during Blade Show 2017.
The 9.625-inch Kephart features a 5.125-inch blade constructed of S35VN stainless steel but is also available in CPM-154. The spear point broadens slightly at the tip, keeping in line with the original Kephart design, which helps increase the cutting power and ensures that the tip isn’t “too sharply pointed to cook and eat with,” according to Horace Kephart.
This story is from the November 2019 edition of Knives Illustrated.
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This story is from the November 2019 edition of Knives Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL
I have a confession to make. See if this sounds familiar. I take meticulous care of the knives I use for everyday carry, hunting, and general woods wandering. I wipe them down with an oily cloth after use and I never let them get too dull. Seldom do I have to restore a damaged edge. Most of the time I simply touch up the edges of my pocketknives with a few careful strokes across the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. That’s usually all that’s needed. I don’t use my knives as screwdrivers or pry bars. As a matter of fact, I still have the very first knife I ever owned, an old Boy Scout knife that was handed down from my older brother. The blades have a deep patina that comes with using carbon steel over the years, but the knife is very usable still.
