Big Chris S90V Kephart

I got a knife yesterday from knifemaker Chris Berry of Louisville, KY.

It's a Kephart pattern done up in S90V--a traditional pattern with space age materials. This is, in my opinion, an interesting idea and one that he's done before, (I've seen a Nessmuk in 3V that he did up,) and I think he should probably do again.

I will admit to being more unfamiliar with S90V than I'd like but I do know it's made by Crucible Steel, has 9% Vanadium, and is supposed to be very wear- and corrosion-resistant.

Specs:
.156" thick S90V
60 RC
4.5" blade
9" OAL
OD Green G10 handles over yellow liners
Stainless Pins and lanyard tube

This isn't, however, a post about S90V. It's about the knife (see those yellow liners?)

The Kephart is a pattern that I like because it's so darned useful, the handle is nice and comfy in the hand in a variety of grips, and it balances well. This one by Big Chris is no exception. It'll handle hunting duty, bushcrafting, kitchen work, and more without missing a hitch.

Fit and finish on this one is really good and there are no high or low spots that I can see or feel. It've very comfortable in the hand as I would expect a Kephart to be and the blade is squared where I want it squared and rounded where I want it rounded. Clearly, Big Chris and I are on the same page when it comes to this design.

Now I got this late yesterday so it didn't get put to work (plus I wanted to get some pictures BEFORE I started to get it dirty) but now it's going to have to earn a place on my belt and in my hand. The good news is there is PLENTY of knife work that needs to be done from processing a 12-pound pork belly to opening boxes to the mundane tasks of picking splinters, trimming nails, and opening envelopes.

The best part of the whole package? I think it could well be the fact that it was less than $200 to my door.

High end CPM steel, G10 handles, a hand-stitched leather sheath, and a timeless traditional design...I like it.

Thanks for reading,


B

Meat from the Fatman

Staying on the subject of food, I received a package from Fatman's Beef Jerky yesterday. He uses 100% American beef in his jerky and offers 13 flavors from Lemon Pepper and Original all the way up to Smoky Chipotle and Habanero.

Being in the market for a steady supply of good beef jerky, I grabbed the "Try Them All" variety pack so I could get a taste of every flavor and what I received was 13 one-ounce bags of beefy goodness. I also snagged a bag of the Sweet & Spicy nuggets that barely made it out of the box.

Included Flavors:
Red Chile
Green Chile
Jalapeno Lime
Teriyaki
Lemon Pepper
Salt & Pepper
Cowboy Style
Original
Smoky Chiptole
Habanero
Barbecue
Cajun
Sweet & Spicy

I was actually emailing the Fatman while I was munching down the entire bag of nuggets and he was very responsive . He mentioned on the invoice that the nuggets were not shelf-stable as the jerky was and they should be refrigerated or consumed within 3 days. I assured him that wouldn't be a problem as they were nearly gone. LOL!

Today we'll dig into the jerky and I'll be eating with the kids so we can pick our favorite flavors for a future order.

I'm interested to see if I can line them up from mildest/sweetest to spiciest.

I'll let you know once we've had 'em all!

Thanks for reading,


B

Steve's Original

I've been on a bit of a kick lately to change up what I'm eating, when, and how much and an easy way to make that change came about in the strangest way.

I was reading a post on Bladeforums about calorie dense foods and someone linked to Steve's Original and his Paleo MRE--jerky, nuts, and dried berries in a vacuum-sealed bag with a 2 year shelf life. It sounded right up my alley so I looked around his site further.

What I did was order some of everything (I think) and what I received was a large box of pre-portioned, nutritionally sound, long-term foods that give me plenty of protein and vitamins and few carbs--more like what our paleo ancestors would've eaten and it is YUMMY!

Everything is organic and you can even choose grass fed beef jerky. There is Apple Pie (until December 31,) Coconut, cereal, snack bars, jerky, snack sticks, dried fruit, and the Paleo MRE that originally brought me to the site.

On top of tasting good and making snacking easy, Steve's gives 15% of sales on PaleoKits and PaleoKrunch to Steve's Club which helps kids learn about fitness and nutrition.

Give 'em a look and a taste.



Thanks for reading,


B