Kephart Knife, Hand Forged 4.5 Inch Blade with Oak Handle

You sit on a log and take the bark off a stick, then cut a length of cord because the last one went somewhere. Most of a day in the woods is slicing, not chopping. That is what this knife is set up for. The blade is 4.5 inches of 1095 high carbon, ground with the bevel high up the side. The handle is oak, long enough to fill a hand.

Specification

The blade

The steel is 1095 high carbon, forged down to thin stock and finished in a hand rubbed satin. The grind is flat and taken high up the side, so the steel thins from the spine down instead of dropping off near the edge. That leaves less metal behind the cut, and it parts wood rather than shoving it apart. The Kephart outline is plain on purpose, a straight spine with a long gentle belly. Carbon steel darkens into a grey patina with use, and it spots if you put it away wet.

The handle

Oak is hard and open grained, and it takes a knock without denting like a soft wood. The tang is full, running the length of the handle with oak scales either side, held by three brass pins peened over and sanded flush. A brass lined lanyard hole goes through the butt. At 4.75 inches the handle is almost as long as the blade, which is what makes it read as a woods knife. Choke up on the ricasso for fine work, or sit back for a long draw.

The leather sheath

The sheath is vegetable tanned leather, cut and hand stitched here, with a stamped face and a welted edge so the stitching sits inside the seam where the blade cannot saw at it. It is cut around this blade's own outline, so it holds the knife without a strap. It rides on a belt. Leather darkens as it gets handled and takes on the shape of the knife it lives around.

Who it suits

This is for the person who worked out that a heavier blade mostly means more work per cut.

• People who carve more than they split
• Anyone tired of a thick blade that wedges in the cut
• Buyers who want a plain pattern with nothing styled onto it
• Sharpeners happy to work a flat bevel on a stone

What comes in the box

• The Kephart knife
• The stamped leather belt sheath
• A care card
• Engraving quote

Every piece is different

Every blade is forged, ground, heat treated and sharpened by hand, so runs stay small and no two come out alike. The oak may be lighter or darker than the photographs and the grain runs where it wants. The satin lines land their own way. Yours will not be a copy of the one on this page.

Looking after it

Wipe it dry after use, every time. Do not leave it in a wet sheath overnight, that is how spots start. Before it goes in a drawer, wipe a light coat of oil over the steel. Sharpen on a stone and finish on a strop, following the flat of the bevel rather than rolling your wrist at the end of the stroke. More on our knife care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

Laser engraving is 20 dollars per blade and you add it on this page. Around 30 characters fits, so a name, or a name and a date, or the year you were given it. We send a proof image before the laser runs, and it adds 3 to 5 business days. Engraving is free on orders of 10 or more. The engraving page covers the rest.

Questions buyers ask

How long does shipping take? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

Will it rust? It can. 1095 is carbon steel, so it darkens with use and spots if left wet. Dry it and oil it.

What does a high flat grind do? The bevel runs from near the spine down to the edge, so there is less steel behind the cut. It slices where a thick blade wedges.

Is thin stock strong enough? It is thin behind the edge, not thin everywhere. The spine is full thickness and the tang runs the whole handle.

Why is the spine squared off? A sharp ninety degree corner scrapes a ferrocerium rod and throws sparks, and it shaves tinder off dry wood. A rounded spine will not. The rod is not included.

What makes it a Kephart? Kephart was an outdoorsman and the pattern carries his name. Straight spine, simple belly, no guard, no styling.

The same outline in pattern welded steel is the Damascus Kephart with a black micarta handle. A wider curved blade is the hand forged Nessmuk in rosewood. The rest live in bushcraft knives, 1095 high carbon steel and hunting knives.