KA-BARBecker Kephart Fixed 5.1 in Blade Walnut Handle, Brown BK62 Overall Length: 9.688", Carbon Steel

I bought this knife after having read Horace Kephart's book, "Camping and Woodcraft."This knife just works. It's not a knife I would baton with, but slicing and cutting with it is a pleasure.The handle isn't thick, but it fits my medium-large hands very well. It's comfortable.The blade feathersticks very well, and slices off bark effortlessly. Another bonus is that you can grip the blade directly, and the slight hump at the top of the handle comfortably presses the pad of your hand beneath the pinky - providing extra leverage. I've also found the blade superb for scraping fuzz up near the tip of the knife by holding the top of the spine near the tip with my left thumb, and rocking the knife back and forth with the right hand. I have several good knives and none of them handle like this. I think this has to do with the spearpoint style tip, and the fact that the spine is rounded.Basically, this is a finesse knife. I wouldn't go hacking or batoning with this knife, but for feathersticks, notches, camp chores, and I'd bet skinning game - this is a wonderful knife.The blade appears to be slightly thicker that 1/8", but not 3/16". It is a solid blade that I would trust.It is a full tang blade, and is made from 1095 Cro-van steel.The knife is a real looker imho. I judge a knife's looks by how it looks in my hand - and this blade just does it for me in that respect.I doubt anyone that purchases this knife would be anything other than pleased - provided they weren't trying to make it into a one-tool option survival knife. For whittling and camp chores, field dressing game - when paired with either a hatchet/axe, or chopper-style knife like a Becker BK 9, it will do it's job.I'd also recommend picking up a copy of the book (mentioned above) by the man that inspired this knife design.The Lord made heaven and earth, and this is a fine blade to take out cruising in His woods.

The balance, shape, and subtle complexity of the blade geometry of this knife are all great. It's very comfortable in the hand, exudes a spartan functionality worthy of its history and pedigree, and seems ready to be put to work. However, the wood scales are rough, dry, and appear unfinished.These rough wood scales might very well be keeping with the original, and it could be argued the rougher texture of the scales could help with grip when the weather is wet or cold. But the dryness of the scales was really quite noticable, and I had to wipe down the scales with mineral oil several times before the texture was at all pleasant in the hand. Personally, I doubt this was a conscious design decision, rather I'm suspicious it shows Ka-bar's lack of familiarity with natural handle materials. The issue is easily fixed with sandpaper and any common wood oil, and I'm still very happy with the knife, but Ka-bar should really consider improving the finishing, and consider releasing after market micarta or g10 scales.### Updated Review ###I've decided to update the review to be five stars. The knife is a true joy to use, and stands up well to extremely rough usage. Also, the issue with the dryness of the scales turned out to be embarrassingly easy to fix. It took roughly 20 minutes to thoroughly polished the scales steel wool (#0000 grade), which was followed by a thick coat of food-grade mineral oil. This absorbed very nicely into the scales. Since that treatment, the knife is a delight to hold in the hand. I could not be happier with the purchase.

If you are a true Horace Kephart fan (or a lover of wood/bush-craft) then you NEED this knife..not for show, but for everyday use! First thing you should know is there are a couple of subtle differences between this and the original Kephart camping knife. First, it has a flat grind instead of a convex grind (convex grinds require a true craftsman, not mass production). Second, instead of rivets holding the wood handle (scales) to the full tang blade, it is bolted on with allen screws. This knife can do everything you need while camping from skinning a buck to making a feather stick for starting your fire. And yes, it's sturdy enough for batoning (I had to try it!). I've seen some reviews that mention the scales being rough or not sized correctly...mine were perfect. Perhaps it was a batch problem in production which I'm sure Ka-Bar would be willing to work an exchange if you get one with bad scales. I also heard complaints about not having a 90 degree spine, this is keeping true with the Kephart knife and makes fine cutting work a joy and not painful to your thumb or finger. The spine still has enough of an edge for your flint for fire starting. The sheath is a perfect fit and very well made. This has become my everyday knife and I am extremely impressed with it's quality and design!