The Kephart Knife: Remaking History, Great Smoky Mountains

© Great Smoky Mountains Association 2012.
Knifemaker Glen Brooks talks about handcrafting the reproduction of the Kephart Knife to commemorate Horace Kephart's 150th birthday. Knives are available at www.SmokiesInformation.org. Please click on our official park store link to find them.
Feel free to embed or link to our videos on your website or blog as long as you include this copyright notice: "© GSMA 2012. All rights reserved. " and a link to our website: www.smokiesinformation.org.

[@NGMonocrom]

Originally when Kephart released his knife to the Public, you could buy it with either a 4-inch blade or a 5-inch one.

[@adrianotero7963]

This is the closest you will come to a real Kephart.....made the way it was made in Kephart's time......I would not mind having one......

[@DaryooshF.Sh.P-vq6mu]

Iranian butchers have been using very same design and same size knife for hundreds of years.

[@themoodybobby1]

which that isn't a scandi it is a flat gind with a small convex the slack it the belt causes a convex it it were scandi he would have worked it down on the grinder where the backing is under the belt to create a flat surface. if you would like a good convex edge I would recommend a gavko, falkniven, or bark river knife all the best hope this helps

[@13bravoredleg18]

I just use a John Russell Green River knife. They have been around since 1818!

[@Quark.Lepton]

The Becker Kephart is the best!

[@optobob]

Can these still be purchased?

[@LUCKYB.]

Kephart knife was a good knife I made many of that style many many years , never harden the Back jut the edge ,,

[@jollygreenwilly7886]

I guess i am a few years late.

[@TheHarleyhillbilly]

Spencer hey Spencer my name is Mike Sims I am a knife maker from Sevierville Tennessee which is right outside Gatlinburg I make a Kephart model go to my Facebook page SIMSknives all one word, and check out my knives I can custom make you a Kephart your choice of steel, handle material, liners, etc. I will be posting photos of my Kephart knife later today on Facebook it’s my personal knife out of all the knives I make this is the one I carry and use it’s a awesome design.

[@fatcattn1]

I could not find any information about the Kephart knife on the website?

[@bigfootbushcraft7063]

I need one!!!!!!! Long live Mr. Kephart!!!

[@freeforall232]

org/products2.cfm/ID/2773/name/Horace-Kephart-Knife

[@themoodybobby1]

you are correct.

[@freeforall232]

KZbin wouldn't let me post the smokiesinformation. org

[@bldlightpainting]

Now those are some very beautiful knives. Wonderful craftsmanship Glen! Truly God has gifted you. :)

[@jamesritchie6899]

A Kephart is a Scandi, and so is this one. If you can't grind a quick and easy Scandi on a belt like this without any convex to it, you have no business even trying to make a knife, and no business going near a grinder. Darned near every Scandi I've ever seen was ground on a grinder exactly like this one. If you let a convex happen, it's purely because you have no clue at all how to use a grinder, or how to control the steel in your hand. This said, that is not a true Kephart, regardless of how many times he's seen the original. It's not even close.

[@hhyyuu667]

Sorry, but the original Kephart was likely a full flat, maybe a convex(most knives of that time were convexed) and the cutting edge was most certainly a convex due to Kephart hand sharpening the blade. Pull up pictures of the original Kephart knife. No wide Scandi bevel. Now a lot of modern Kephart knives ARE Scandi because that's the most popular bushcraft grind going right now, but kepharts most certainly wasn't. He didn't use his belt knife for near as much wood processing as we do today and most of his carving was done with his jackknife and hatchet, reserving the belt knife for food, game prep and some wood cutting when the need for a sturdier blade was required. I feel you are very passionate about the point you made, and that's great, but talking down to this man like that was uncalled for when you are obviously ignorant about Kephart and his knife, and I mean that with the utmost respect, no insult intended. Ignorance isn't a bad thing. Read up on this subject. Have a good day.

[@jrozanec1]

scandi grind is contemporary fashionable grind in bushcraft but never has been kephart historically correct grind

[@sopwithcamelus]

Ethan Becker has the only other known Kephart to exist. The BK-62 from KA-BAR is very similar. It's flat ground. Most knives used in early North America were.

[@enzowarren9832]

James Ritchie are you dense? The Kephart has never been a scandi-ground knife. Since the time Horace invented it, it has been flat ground. Perhaps instead of judging this knife maker so harshly you should study more historical facts if you're so keen on telling others how it is. Also, for some general knowledge, just know that as the name implies, "Scandi" grinds are traditionally found on Scandinavian knife designs. Not North American. They've only started showing up in North America in recent decades, as the cutlery market has globalized and foreign designs have become popular here in the States.