CRAIG’S KEPHART
My first thought was that I didn’t need another knife. I have some great knives, both handmade and factory, that have served me well in the backcountry. I reasoned, however, that since I was going to be spending a lot of time on Hazel Creek in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I needed a special knife. Hazel Creek is in a remote area of the park accessible only by a 7 mile hike to the trailhead or a 20 minute boat ride across Fontana Lake. Hazel Creek is special to me for its’ brightly colored wild trout, beautiful scenery and wildlife as well as a wealth of history I find interesting. In many ways, it has become my home waters even though it is 5 hours from my home in north Alabama.
Hazel Creek was the first home of Horace Kephart when he came to the Smokies in the early 1900′s. Kephart settled in a cabin on the Little Fork of Sugar Fork of Hazel Creek where he soon was writing of his backcountry experiences for the outdoor magazines of the day. He became an author of note not only for his magazine articles but for his books “Our Southern Highlanders” and “Camping and Woodcraft” both of which are still in print.
Using knives daily in the backcountry, Kephart developed what he considered was the perfect knife for the outdoorsman whether it was needed for dressing game, camp chores or in the kitchen back at the cabin. The pattern became famous through his articles and books and was later produced commercially by Colclesser Brothers. This was the knife I needed.
Searching the internet for a maker, I came across Kelsey Creek Knife Works and David Wesner. The knives and sheaths I saw on his website really appealed to me so I called David to discuss knives. He had not made a Kephart before and was very interested so he asked me to send him a drawing with the specs.
I drew the knife to scale and mailed it to David. He called a few days later and we discussed steels and handle materials. I decided on a forged blade of 1095 steel, 1/8 ” thick with scales of stabilized bird’s eye maple with red liners. The original Kephart pattern has a straight grip with a small guard. I tapered the handle in about 3/8″ from back to front to give a better grip under slippery conditions and also added a thong hole at the back of the handle.
When David e-mailed me that the knife was ready to ship, I felt like a kid at Christmas. Tearing the package open when it arrived, I was not disappointed. Bright steel and warm wood fit my hand perfectly. Fit and finish were perfect as was the stout sheath, ready for rugged use in the backcountry. In my minds’ eye,I could see ol’ Kep in his cabin holding my my knife with a great big grin on his face… just like me.
