Category: Horace Kephart

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It’s always a joy to add a new member to the Wolf Valley Forge lineup! Each axe brings a special element to the camp, so to speak. If you haven’t met each of our models yet, we’d love to give you a quick introduction! (you can always get to know them better by visiting each model page, or by browsing through the blog)

Let’s start with the big guys.

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The Camp Axe is our largest model, with a head weighing in at 2.5lbs. and a 28-inch handle. It’s ready for some real swinging!
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The Large Double Bit comes in second place in size, with a 2.5lb. head and a 26-inch handle. It combines classic Double Bit-style with Wolf Valley Forge-style, and this one’s ready for the job!
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The Canoe Axe has a 2lb. head and a 26-inch handle. It’s a moderate size for swinging and it’s ready for a big job!
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While the big guys are perfect for very large daily jobs, the Bush Axe is really a perfect fit for semi-large jobs around the camp or homestead. It’s got a head weight of about 1lb.8oz. and a 21 inch handle.
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The Carpenter’s Axe is just smaller (20-inch handle) than the Bush Axe, and just as versatile, but it’s crowning feature is that distinct straight bit. It’s even the spoon carver’s friend!
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The Trekker Axe is a very versatile axe with a sleek design and an 18-inch handle. It’s an excellent choice for camp life, clearing shooting lanes, etc.
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And then there’s the Trail Axe. It’s the largest of our “Belt Axe” category, and one we’ve coined the camper’s friend. This axe is a super handy size, with a 15-inch handle and around 1lb. 4oz. of head weight.
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The Chipper is our medium “Belt Axe” and is a very pleasant axe to use. It has a head weight of around 1lb. 2oz., and a handle length of 13-inches.
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The Timber Pup is such a happy little hand/belt axe. Its compact size makes it super handy to pack and use at the campsite. Its head weight is around 13- to 14-ounces, and the handle length is around 11-inches.
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The Nessmuk Reproduction is inspired by George Washington Sears’ idea of a double blade hatchet. Our Nessmuk has a fully functional double bit head (weighing about 1lb. 4oz.), and several handle length options.
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Our Kephart Reproduction is inspired by Horace Kephart’s “little trick”. It has a head weight of about 8oz. and a handle length of around 12-inches.
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Don’t forget, you can find more photos and information about each model by clicking on the photos on the Axe Models page.

If you have any questions about a specific model, please don’t hesitate to reach out with an email or a phone call. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our axes, and we look forward to adding more to the line-up in the future, Lord willing. Thank you for supporting our small USA-made company!

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Horace Kephart was a famed outdoor writer, who moved to the great Smoky mountains in the early 1900s. He made his home for several years in a little mountain cabin up the Little Fork of the Sugar Fork of Hazel Creek, immersing himself in the culture of the mountain folks there and gaining great understanding of true wilderness treks, and survival and mountain living. He became famous for his writings about the mountain people in Southern Highlanders, as well as his treasured outdoors book Camping and Woodcraft.

“To many a city man, there comes a time, now and then, when the great town wearies him.” Kephart loved the mountains, and through influential articles and his books, he raised awareness of the mountain place and ways that were special to him.

Kephart’s cabin site is reached by a long hike into the remote depths of the mountains. It was here that he could “get away from it all” and learn the ways and trades of a true outdoorsman. The nearby lively Hazel Creek flows through the mountains and later empties into Fontana Lake.

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About one year ago, Ike and Karmen had the pleasure of taking a trip up to the mountains of North Carolina and overlooking the valley where Fontana Lake lies nearby.

And on this trip, it only seems fitting that Ike’s Wolf Valley Forge Kephart Reproduction Hatchet and Lucas Forge Vintage Kephart Knife would make the trek to those mountains and overlook the land that Horace Kephart roamed and loved. These two tools pay tribute to the woodcrafting knife and his “Little Trick” hatchet that he used and wrote about.

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Truly the mountains and hills and great expanse of God’s creation holds so much beauty and wonder for us to enjoy and discover. As Mr. Kephart said, “There is something hidden: go and find it.”