The Kephart is the product of a historical collaboration between Ka-Bar and Ethan Becker, founder of Becker Knife & Tool. Named after Horace Sowers Kephart (1862- 1931), a famed travel writer and outdoorsman, this relatively new addition to the Ka-Bar line is an attempt to create the most accurate reproduction to date of Kephart’s own blade. While most of Kephart’s original knives are either lost to history or worn/sharpened well beyond the original form, this blade is based on a rare near-pristine example of his original.
When Ethan Becker got ahold of that original knife for the first time to test it, even his experienced hands were surprised by the Kephart’s desire to get to work. “When I first had it, and I cut something with it, I went, ‘Damn, 100 years, never been sharpened, and it wants to cut,’” recalled Becker. And I can attest the Ka-Bar/Becker remake does indeed feel like it “wants to cut” when you hold it in your hand.
More than a knife with a story, this is a working blade designed by a storyteller with a deep love for outdoor living and woodsmanship, and the magic is in the subtle design features of the blade and handle.