I used Horace Kephart's own knife as the starting point for this version. The shape of the blade, the 3/32" (about 2.3mm) thichness, the size, about 3 1/2" blade and 4" handle, is pretty much the same, as far as I can ascertain from the few photos available. The shape of the handle is a bit different. I wanted a very simple knife with a comfortable, more rounded handle. I used some old Teak that came from a old Victorian warehouse in London for the scales, epoxied on and riveted with two steel pins. There is a lanyard tube and a leather lanyard, which is absent on Kephart's knife. I chose the teak for its very oily properties, it also has a nice patina.
The sheath is completely different from his too. I made it deep, as simple as I could think. To that effect, the narrow (1/2") leather forms a loop and is part of the hand sewn welt. Actually, the sheath can be used either left or right handed, without any modifications. It hangs at a small angle, but that's no problem. The long narrow loop is also quite flexible, which I find more comfortable when on the belt.
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| The new knife and sheath |
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| In the deep sheath, wide soft leather lanyard |
Nice one, and I like the handle material.... it looks a very manageable knife, too!
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