When studying the greats of outdoor living and wilderness camping, few people come to mind as quickly as Horace Kephart, one of the most prolific outdoor authors of the early 1900’s. Kephart devoted a large portion of his life to documenting the ways and lifestyles of the people of the Blueridge Mountains.
His frequent trips deep into the heart of the Appalachians gained him a great understanding of ins and outs of wilderness trekking and survival. Thorough his years of travel he became quite proficient in choosing his equipment, carrying only what was necessary with as little extra weight as possible. His equipment has been reviewed and analyzed by outdoor enthusiasts ever since his great works of literature art were first published.
The uniquely designed knife made by the Colclesser Bros. that he put forth as being the ultimate woodcrafting knife has often been the base of many modern day survival knives seen on the market today, though a true replica of Kephart’s original can be hard to find.
According to the book Camping and Woodcraft, his little hatchet (made by the same company as the knife) was actually one of his most prized possessions. In his book he writes,
“Among my most valued possessions is a tiny Colclesser tomahawk, of 8-ounce head and 2 ½ inch bitt, which, with hickory handle and home-made sheath, weighs only three-quarters of a pound. I seldom go anywhere in the woods (unless in marching order with a heavier axe) without this little trick. It is all that is needed to put up a satisfactory shelter wherever there is hemlock or balsam, or bark that will peel, while for other service I use it oftener that I do my jackknife.”
Not nearly as much effort has been put into trying to replicate this little hatchet as one might think. Few axes available today are similar to what he describes here.
My Kephart Hatchet
I set about trying to recreate his little hatchet as closely as I could by studying what he describes here and also looking at the original ad from the Colclesser Bros. And as best I can figure Kephart’s “little trick” looked something like this.
The heads are forged from 4142 Chromoly steel, heat treated to hold an edge and be extremely tough. The handles are made of American Hickory, finished with an oil finish, and you can choose from Natural, Chestnut or Chocolate Brown handle colors.
Each little hatchet comes with a leather sheath, handmade and stitched right here in house, featuring a traditional thong closure.
For a cool way to keep up with what “vintage” your little axe is, we stamp the year it is made on the underside of the axe poll (unless a different stamp is requested here).
Here are the specs for my Kephart reproduction:
Handle Length: 12-inches
Head Length: 4-inches
Cutting Edge: 2 ½-inches
Head Weight: 8-ounces
The Wolf Valley Forge Kephart Reproduction Hatchet – $185 plus shipping.
Important! Please note that I require a $25.00 deposit when taking an axe order online. By using the PayPal button below, you will be placing an order and paying the deposit. The current wait time for your axe is about 11 months from order date. An email will be sent to let you know when your order is ready. Thank you!
If you are interested in a Kephart knife patterned after the original, I encourage you to check out my brother’s website, Lucas Forge, for more information. With this set in hand, you can stroll the woods with the same cutlery setup as Kephart did almost 100 years ago.
