Horace Kephart's knife

This is the photo of H Kephart's knife, along a drawing of it, taken from the online Kephart museum

This was the photo I used when I started making my versions a few years ago. Now, it is quite possible (probable?) the knife on the photo started life looking like the one on the drawing, with the curved cutting edge and, after years of sharpening & service in the field, ended with the straight cutting edge. Or the drawing has a certain amount of "artistic license" applied to it...who knows. It's hard to tell for sure, but the drawing appears to show a flat grind, so the section on the blade would be triangular, but the photo seem to tell a slightly different story.

Either way, I think  Kephart still considered his knife servicable enough with the straight cutting edge, as he still had it and kept it long enough for it to become available to go into a "museum". 

There were different lengths available too. Even then, the manufacturers tried to "cash in" on his notoriety.

It would be quite easy to make the knife with the curved blade and the sheath exactly the same as the original. Either way the pointy bit is sharper on bo the the drawing and the photo than many reproductions are. I think I may well have a go at it, soon-ish. 

Mind you, inflation has worked it's magic, hasn't it!