Becker knives.

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Until I posted The pic of the orange CL175 in another thread, I did not notice that the photo included a view of one of my Becker BK62 Kephart knives. Ethan Becker, the cookbook writer ( “Joy of Cooking”) is also a well-known knife enthusiast and designer, whose outdoor knives are manufactured by Ka-Bar.

A few years ago, Becker came into possession of the last known r knife of Kephart design still remaining in private hands, outside a museum. He designed a knife that replicated as many of the features of the original as he could in a knife that had to be mass produced to sell for a reasonable price.

I have a couple of those knives. One of them is artfully posed between the seat and gas tank of the Honda, where it lodged after I clumsily dropped it.

Horace Kephart is a legendary outdoorsman and outdoor writer of the early Twentieth Century. Among other accomplishments, he was a prime mover in the establishment of Smoky Mountain National Park. Kephart was very specific about the attributes he desired in an outdoor knife, and had some made to his specification. A lot of manufacturers and custom makers offer knives based on the Kephart design. The Becker Kephart is widely regarded as the most faithful reproduction of the original.

The second photo is a BK14 Eskabar, another Becker knife created by the handle from an Esee Izula to the blade of a smallish Becker neck knife.

The last photo, shows my two BK62s together with another Kephart, by Condor, and a couple of Dadley knives.regarded by some as a precursor to the Kephart design.

This post is sort of haphazard, and I am no scholar, but I hadn’t seen anything here about Becker knives or the Kephart, two subjects which I find interesting. Has anybody here got any Beckers, or any Kepharts?
 

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I do. Becker/KaBar that is.

Have one similar to your Ezula, different handle and scales, that is in my work "get home" bag. IIRC, about 3.5" working blade length, easily detachable scales, kydex sheath with a fire striker. It's a workhorse of the blade, similar to an ESEE.

Have multiple knives, that one can "get me home "
 
I've got a BK62. It's a very practical knife, and it takes a great edge. I should probably get a set of the micarta handles while they're still making them.

There's a guy in Knoxville making what are probably the closest copies of the original Kephart, with the convex blade spine, as well as the tapered tang (which the Becker has too). His name is Mike McCarter.

Been a Kephart fan for quite a while, and spend a good bit of time up in his area of interest, mostly grouse hunting but a bit of fishing as well. Last year I ran across a road named after him, way back in a hollow.

Becker is an interesting fellow. The cookbook is now in the hands of his son and daughter-in-law, his son being the great-grandson of the original writer Irma Bombauer.
 
Took a few minutes to provide pics of my "get home" from post above... a BK11.

IIRC, this was a limited edition run (due to the serrations) made for Knife Center around 2011 or so. GREAT little all around knife imo.
 

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