I got a package in the mail yesterday too. It was from Sarge (Mike). My Kephart arrived and, while I know those of you who have followed this project know what they look like, I need to say that pictures just don?t do the knife justice. Mike has extraordinary skill in working metal, mating wood and steel together in a butter smooth finish, and putting very difficult and time consuming effort into making the knife really special.
I opted to let Mike select the wood for the scales and he chose a piece much like the originals that had been stabilized. The blade is convex with the spine being thinner than the midsection as it tapers to the cutting edge. It is not an easy grind to get perfect but mine is. You get a blade that looks thinner than it really is. The balance is at the perfect point for me and I am just overjoyed with the fit and finish. I cut up meat for the charcoal grill and a variety of vegetables with it and made one feather stick. I cannot wait to dress out a deer this year, assuming I get lucky. This knife will be my go to bushcraft and hunting knife.
The knife is a heirloom item in my opinion. If you have someone to pass along your treasured items to when you?re gone; this piece of art and function will certainly make them very very happy.
Many thanks to Sarge (Mike McCarter) for undertaking this project. The finished product is sure worth the work he put into it. Horace Kephart would have been proud of it.
