I just bought my very first kephart , Okc fish&small Game... I love it already made in the USA with a Made in China Leather Sheath for 34bux... Can't beat that price in these days
I have three similar Kephart knives made by three different companies. They vary a bit but all of them are users. This is the best of the bunch in my opinion. I will note that Kephart used his knife mainly to process food including what he acquired by hunting and fishing. A man with a saw and an ax who knows how to use them is not going to be spending a lot of time beating on his knife with a stick. He and others also did a lot of minor cutting tasks with their jack knives which often came with two or three blades. If you can still read get the books and read them they are a blast. In a lot of ways Horace Kephart lived on another different planet.
@@jamescooper2618 Yes they do. If that happens I suggest you make very sure that you don't damage or destroy your knife by abusing it or you may die. There may be natural stones you can hone your knife with or use your pants as a strop if you are careful to not ruin the edge. In the 2.5 million years our Genus has been around we only had hatchets, saws and knives for an insignificant fraction of that time. You can use a knife to cut sapling to make a frame for a shelter and vines or roots to tie it together then cover it with grass/foliage. You can also learn to start a fire. I suggest you have a fishing kit. The old timers used to be proud of being able to walk into the woods with a folding knife, a fishing kit, and fire starter kit in their pockets and come out the next week in good shape if a little stinky. I don't see much evidence that many moderns are that good at being woodsman.
@@dwightehowell8179 I agree a lot of modern knives are are overhyped and overpriced... I love the kephart design. I own a BPS Kephart. The BS1/ BS2... Its very much a kephart with a scandi grind. Also if you like the minimalist style of the kephart you should try to pick yourself up a german combat knife. Its a army knife with a kephart style blade.
I agree I was boy scout and only had a scout pocket knife and wood cutting tools. I never dreamed some one would chop and split wood with a knife. These younube knife videos is were I learned you needed a $200-$? with superman steels. I ruined a few knives as a 7 year old doing this nonsense of prying with a knife tip. I used to heat my home with wood. I burned cords of in my wood stove. If I used a knife it would of been a full time job. I split logs with a wedge and maul mallet. Only split kindling with an axe. Never used a hatchet they are too short and worthless. As to Horace Kephart expertise? Malarkey is the word I use. My family were pioneers since 1630 and went west to TN, WVA, OH, MI, WI, MN, NB, UT, ID, OR, WA, AK. These people were called pilgrims and green horns. They would not last a week in real wilderness where you have to build a cabin, dig wells, hunt, farm and make tools.
Great looking Kephart style knife love it. I own the Esee PR4 and that version of a Kephart is also great and rugged, the sheath was also perfect. Great vid thank u Sir! Greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
I am not into knife history but from what I have read, years before Kephart, frontiersmen carried that knife design, called the "green river" knife, made by J.Russell Co. of Massachusetts They shipped 60k knives out west to Buffalo hunters starting in 1840
I also have the Condor version. It does have a 90 degree spine but is significantly smaller. It's a good knife too, bit the KaBar feels better in the hand.
Is that a knife that Old hickory makes or is it a DIY from one of their butcher knives. I made a Kephartish belt knife from a 8" butcher and a Kabar sheath.
@@mrhalfstep Old Hickory calls their version of the Kephart knife the "Fish and Small Game Knife." It is a separate product from their butcher knife which I also have.
@@trapperscout2046 Thanks, I was unaware of that product and I'll check it out. If you need a Machete, their BIG butcher knife (14", I think) makes a good inexpensive one, by the way.
I have two of these, kabar also makes micarta scales for it. So I have one with dyed micarta scales and one that is stock.I love these knives one of the most functional all around woods knives I have had. I do wish the made this exact thing in a 4 inch model. I prefer the balance on a 4 inch. Great review I subscribed.
The knife shown in the Camping and Woodcraft book was not this design, but something closer to a Marble's Woodcraft knife. Kephart in the book did, however, mention using other knives of his own design due to the fact that most knives sold on the market weren't to his liking. If I'm not mistaken, this iconic design first showed up in an ad for a Colclesser Brothers knife designed by Horace Kephart.
The kephart design doesn’t look like anything special and it’s not. It was designed for a general purpose knife that could be used for woodwork, camp kitchen chores, dressing game and fish, etc. It may not be excellent at anything but it is sufficient for many things. It’s a decent do it all choice.
I have one of these. I love it. The only thing I'd change is the rounded spine. I've had mine for quite a while because they were about 80 bucks when I got it. But if I had to pay the Big Daddy price, I'd still buy one.
Hey Brian,I have always been a fan of the Kephart knife for years ,I have two one made by Condor which I like its carbon steel holds and edge reasonably well and with strike a ferro rod ,the other is made by PKS that one is ok but the scales are too round. Horace Kepart's original knife was made by Colclesser Bros.of Eldorado Pennsyvania which is now the Southern section of Altoona Pa.One of Kephart's knives is at the Mountain Heritage Center ,on Western Carolina University's campus. Soon Ill get one of those BK 62 Great video as always
In camping and woodcraft, Kephart suggests a Jackknife and a hatchet to pair with it. He goes in great detail about why too. So I am gonna give you an A on historical accuracy for producing the Classic from your pocket to protect your main blade, just like Kephart. I still have that old Condor I lent you years ago.
It is rumoured that as an adolescent, Davy Crockett acquired knife very similar to this design. He perfected his technique for the removal and filleting of gizzards through his teenage years. He sadly lost the knife in a poker game merely days before he went to Texas. Some say if he had the knife the Alamo would not have fallen.
Great review Brian. I bought the Ontario Cuttery version. I’ll be using it this spring and summer and fall in the Adirondack mountains. I might consider pulling the trigger on this version from K bar. In the future. Stay safe.!
I just received about a 70$ order from Exotac their products are phenomenal. Good review. I may have to look in to these. I’ve been on an Esee and Buck GCK kick. I just got both of the Buck GCKs spear point and Tanto style and an Esee 4 & 6 Rowens. Love them 3D grips
Great video, you honored Kephart and his knife. I have a BK62 and I’m getting a second one to keep pristine. I’m hoping Ka Bar will introduce a four inch version of this knife at some point.
I’m currently living in the Philippines and I’ve had several knives made by a local blacksmith three of them are of a Kephart design , the third being as close to the original Kephart as possible, as you know Kephart had the first knife made by a blacksmith, I’ve paid less than 20 dollars a piece 👍😁💪🏻🇺🇸
Bryan, I always enjoy your reviews, comments and even the rambling. It looked like the wood to steel fit, particularly on the spine side near the bolster area was not very good - a lot of metal exposed above the grip. I was surprised you didn’t mention it. Is it a design feature of the Kephart or a construction flaw? Keep up the good work!
You did a review in 2014 of the Condor Kephart knife and liked it a lot. It is still 49.90 Do you all think the Kabar BK-62 at over twice the price is still that much better???
“Better” is relative. They are different. I do my best to show the capabilities of the knives and gear I review so YOU can decide which you think is better. Both are good knives. I will tell you I am going to revisit the Condor in this “sub-series” if that helps.
Big fan of the BK-62 ! Dollar for Dollar it's the best "do-all" outdoors knife. However if you want to go all out, and have the funds (~$250) I'd check out the LT Wright Genesis (4.25 inch), Gen 5 (5 inch) or Gen 6 (6 inch). Also the original Kephart was double convex ground, kinda like a Bark River, but semi-convexed to the spine as well. Again... This is IMO one of the best outdoor knives for the money, the spine is an easy fix, but from factory it's a great carver for a 5 inch blade.
@@SurvivalOnPurposeI hope you get a good one! The reviews were mixed, but mine is great. And for $13 you don’t have to feel bad about scientifically balance testing it!
I agree that any knowledgeable outdoor person should carry a knife, axe and a saw. I never use my knife for battening wood. Use my bk62 for cutting foods and processing meat. If one learns how to use a hatchet or small forest axe, these 3 items will complement each other in a nice manner.
Old School is the best school. I have the edition of Camping and Woodcraft where both volumes are in one book. Got it from the Chicago Public Library when I was in high school. They sell old books when they get a little beat up. So, it was old in 1973.
It is a nice knife, but I really think OKC should have made the blade on their kephart knife thicker and of 1095. I is still very functional and I like it, but it really would be better if it was thicker. I don’t like Becker screw on handles. Some do some don’t. 1095 is the bushcraft steel and I invite you to watch Dave Canterbury on this subject. I have a 1095 copy and it is thick with Micarta handles that are epoxied and riveted. The only thing I would change is by going to a kydex sheath that gives options for carry.
The way you're makin' GooGoo eyes at that knife and the total absence of the balance test makes me pretty confident that it won't be an any raffles anytime soon. LOL Don't blame ya. Looks like a very handy outdoor knife. Bryan, I know that you are involved in the Scouts, so I thought you might be a good one to ask this question of. All my life I have referred to what you and every other outdoorsman on RU-vid call a "feather stick" as a "fuzz stick" based on what I recalled from the short time I was able to participate in the Boy Scouts as a young boy. I have been certain that that is what I was taught, but have never been able to find proof. I still have my April, 1966, 7th edition of the Handbook, but when I looked under the fire building section it isn't listed as a source of tinder or kindling and the use of an ax or hatchet was recommended for fire prep, with no mention of a knife and I was nearly convinced that I just plain imagined it. Well this video made me curious about whether the official Boy Scout Belt Knife was maybe of the Kephart design. I never had one because we didn't have that kind of money, so I got my Handbook out again and lo and behold right there in the section titled "Tools of the Woodsman" on page 171 was the recommendation to practice your knife skills by carving a "Fuzz Stick" along with a line drawing of the very thing everyone calls a "feather stick", so I ain't crazy after all! Now for my question. Have you ever encountered the term Fuzz Stick in your Scouting work and is that skill still discussed and what is it call today if it is? And thanks for this video and its part in solving this crazy mystery that's been bugging me for a number of years now. LOL
@@denisdegamon8224 Do you know if it is still a skill that is taught? I know there have been many changes to Scouting because of modern "Values" and "Fears". For instance, I have to wait until my grandson graduates this fall to give him a Swiss Army Knife like the one I've been carrying since I turned 12 in 1967, all because he could get expelled for forgetting to remove it from his pocket on Monday morning after a weekend of carrying in his pocket over the weekend. Sad times we live in.
@@mrhalfstep yes sir, I have to agree with you with regards to the sorry times we are living under. I am currently 68 yrs old, so it has been ao g while, but yes the fuzz stick were taught to us back in the earlt to mid ninteen sixties. These current dunder heads need to butt out, and get their respective heads out from their southern posteriors I can't speak for the current crop of nair thee wells.
@@mrhalfstep I'm still involved in scouting as a troop committee member, my son earned his Eagle a little over a year ago. Fuzz sticks are still taught.
I Love the ka bar kephart and its a spitting image of the original I seen.... Im just not paying over 60 for a knife... I dont even really like to go over 50 Tbh. I take em in the woods I work em.. I cut fish with em and often lose them..... So I look for bargains.. Things like the Dexter russel kephart, old hickory fish & game (kephart), BPS BS1FTS & BS2FTS .. Razer sharp decent steel at the 20-30 price point.. at 120$ its a collectors item to me.
That is a nice knife and one I would not abuse either. I have two of Ka-Bar knives and love them so much until they are still in their original boxes and in my collection as I respected them and how well they was crafted.
Nice knife, but quite different from an original. Best I can find says the blade (either 4" or 5", both were offered) was .125" thick, and ground with a sort of double/varied convex shape, not flat. The handle had quite plain pins, not threaded bolts of any kind.
Good question. I am not sure if that is a tolerance range or if the blade is differentially heat treated. I was just quoting the published specs. I will say that usually differentially heat treated blades are harder at the edge for edge retention and softer toward the spine for strength. At least that's what TOPS does and it makes sense to me.
I am of the opinion that you can play golf with only one club, But poorly. You can work on a car with a Cresent wrench but it's sick and wrong.... So I EDC a ESEE4 and use it when I need a super sharp prybar when my box cutter is too small. Besides adding to my collection what does the Kepart style do better than other knives of this size? Thanks 👍
@@SurvivalOnPurpose , thank you for the reply, one of my nicer knives is a A2 Blackjack model7(Classic Randall style) I bought for my Dad 30 years ago and I got it back after he passed away. It's Strait Razor sharp and besides cleaning an occasional deer , I baby it. My ESEE4 different story, I use it pretty hard when needed in different trades and it has earned respect. So I get the sentimental love for different tools
My Ontario Sk5 Blackbird has become my favorite belt knife . I think this Kabar edition would be an awesome do all blade . I think if they dropped it to $99 it would sale much better. There are so many choices in that price range. ... Personally that new Old Hickory kephart knife for $30 looks like a cool dealio for those on a budget that like this kabar.
As long as it has good fit & finish, I don't mind paying $120. The blade stock on the Ka-bar is twice as thick as the Old Hickory. Where that's an advantage or disadvantage, depends on what you are doing. Also the blade of the Ka-bar is an inch longer.
@@sheltermonkey6065 Agreed..Its worth spending the money if ya got it. I've actually began gravitating towards thinner blades now. I just bought the BK18 Harpoon and added micarta scales with liners , highly recommend it 👌. I removed the black coating and micro convexed the edge ...Its a beautiful knife.
@@sheltermonkey6065 I was drunk and applying shooting math to make a joke. Normally I'm not figuring ballistic solutions drunk..... And for what it's worth if I'm adjusting my homemade constant angle sharpener I'm using degrees on my speed square not Rads
Love your video dude. But I didn't really think it was cool trying a different knife to start a fire with than the one your reviewing. If I bought it I'd smack a file onto the spine!
Nothing personal but you might want to save the sponsorship details till later. A quick mention at the beginning is appropriate and then get to the product details. Love the channel and just want to give newcomers a chance to experience, rather than leading with a long introduction. Again nothing personal.
@@SurvivalOnPurpose, understand. Just an observation, again nothing personal. Love your content and honesty in all your videos. Thanks for keeping it simple.
I agree I was boy scout and only had a scout pocket knife and wood cutting tools. I never dreamed some one would chop and split wood with a knife. These younube knife videos is were I learned you needed a $200-$? with superman steels. I ruined a few knives as a 7 year old doing this nonsense of prying with a knife tip. I used to heat my home with wood. I burned cords of in my wood stove. If I used a knife it would of been a full time job. I split logs with a wedge and maul mallet. Only split kindling with an axe. Never used a hatchet they are too short and worthless. As to Horace Kephart expertise? Malarkey is the word I use. My family were pioneers since 1630 and went west to TN, WVA, OH, MI, WI, MN, NB, UT, ID, OR, WA, AK. These people were called pilgrims and green horns. They would not last a week in real wilderness where you have to build a cabin, dig wells, hunt, farm and make tools.
I have the bark river kephart and want to love it but the blade stock is a little thin and the handle is a little skinny for my xl hands. But it makes a unbelievable fishing and hunting knife. I would jump on the bk62 but for the price I cant get over the bolt on scales it just seems tacky.
@@sheltermonkey6065 it's just too thin for any heavier outdoor use or bush crafting. Bark river claim its 2.5 mm thick and in actuality it comes in at just under 2 mm at the spine.
I cannot understand how people praise the kephart as a Bushcraft knife and it’s too thin for batoning... batoning is #1 I’ll do as a bushcrafter so eh....
This is very old common design style point In India , My Grandfather is 103 years old (Still Live) & He use same design knife for 75+ years . very Basic all purpose knife . But This design is older then "Kephart" that for sure
@@sheltermonkey6065 You must be joking . India invented Blade steel '. We are making & Using knife before English Kingdom . That Fu@# English looting India for 150 Years & you are saying India Imported that knife ?? Do your Home work first
I have read and studied Mr Kepharts books and magazine articles plus what has been offered by experts and what Ethan Becker has said on this knife . One of the best reviews I've seen has been by Captianulrica ,she goes into detail on Kepharts description of his choice and why and what his knife is ment for Mostly it was ment for camp use in processing food ,game and some woodscraft. He carried an double sided hatchet for chopping and splitting wood . He would have never battoned with his knife . It was much too important to him . Plus he carried as his favorite a 4 inch blade version. He preferred it almost to a fault. Most knife guys do exactly what Brian did and use it in what today's bushcraft people want to see from a knife. But it would be best portrayed as Mr Kephart himself used it ,making spuds and meat for a meal. Not battoned through a stick.
@@sheltermonkey6065 , yes 👍 I agree. Even in the same batch of production knives and even guns were never the exact sa.e from start to finish . Hence the term " One of a Thousand " from Winchester Arms . Things would happen in production that would bring about a nearly perfect item. Those would be given to dignitaries, kings,and world leaders.
@@charlesmurphy7712 In addition, steel standards were just coming into existence in the first decade of the 1900's. And the ability to analyze steel compositions would have been much cruder.
I have the ESEE PR4... and I love it (although the scales in the handle could be a little thicker)! In the end, my top knive would be a lovely russian puuko, a "Nessmuck" blade by a local bladesmith and, perhaps on top a spear blade that Jason Dravenhack (head of American Bushcraft Association) made for me from a old saw blade... somewhat crude, a bit too thin but, as a good wife, perhaps not the prettiest but the one who we really cherish!!! Thanks Brian for your videos... and yes, I'll subscribe (we must all fight and destroy "cancer culture" ("cancel" is too soft to classify those despising creatures" Stay well...
Apparently they cost $2 in 1900 which is equivalent(according to google) to $65 now. They could be purchased from Sears and Roebuck and they were very basic. So relatively speaking the Condor version is cheaper now than in 1900. Just thought that was interesting.
I have an Old Hickory knife in my overland camping kitchen gear box and love it. However, the sheath was made by Hyde & Drink and believe it is based in Guatemala. The knife performs food preparation with ease and precision. I am a BDU member and will acquire a Kabar BK 62 for my collection. BTW thanks for not performing the balance test.
1095 Cro Van Has nothing to do with 1095.The steel that Ka-bar says 1095 Cro Van,is actually Sharon 170-06 or SAE alloy 50100B (AISI designation) Which is something between 1095 and O1, with features almost identical to O1,It is the same old Carbon V of Camillus, who made the good old Cold Steel knives! 1095 is popular,that's why they call it 1095 Cro Van, for marketing reasons! Ka-Bars steel, has better edge stability (no chips or rolls) than any 1095, O1 or other similar steels that are on knoves that cost twice as much (in some cases way more), as Ka-Bars do! Saying that you can get an old hickory, with 30$ Only thing that shows, is that you can't understand, the difference of a Ford vs a Mercedes. There is a reason, that some products cost more, and that's the better quality and better performance. It's like you saying, "no thanks" I won't buy a new and better car, my old car still has wheels on and I can drive it...
@@greekveteran2715 Ford vs Mercedes? Ha! I'll take the Ford. The difference between Ka bar and Old Hickory steel is not worth $100. If it was, you wouldn't be able to get a USMC Ka bar for $75. You are simply paying extra for a name. It's like you saying: "This Starbucks coffee is totally worth $9.00".
