Help me understand the nessmuk blade design
- Thread starter peripatew
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2007
- Messages
- 5,846
it depends on how "pure" you are being. The long thumb ramp and good belly of a lot of nessie designs are really useful. the dropped edge nessmuk styles that we see more and more these days are just about the only knives that have the forward balance, light weight, long thumb area and dropped edge.
Then again, there's a LOT of different nessmuks out there.
Then again, there's a LOT of different nessmuks out there.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2001
- Messages
- 1,236
I bet it was some sort of small bowie knife that the tip broke off and the rest of the blade was still in good condition so he ended up grinding it. It could have been a skinner type of knife with completely round head and he decided to give it a tip. In any event, I don't know what is it about these small knives, but I must admit ever since I found out about these knives I've always lusted for them. They have natural beauty to them that you don't get in other knives imo. I was planning to make one, but a last I'm too darn lazy.
I've never understood the design myself.
It seems like one of those things that because somebody famous used it, and swore by it, it becomes a cult object. Never mind that it most likely is no better than many other designs for general camp and game use.
I think the more modern times produce more young people who did not have a background in the outdoors by the time they got to adulthood, and so they read and copy what others used before them. Thats okay, got to start someplace. But keep in mind, just because a guy in the late 1800's swore by it, don't make it perfect for you. In fact, in George Sears did not really come up with the design, its basicly a slightly rounded off sheep skinner, a knife that was around long before the Nessmuck thing.
George Sears was a bit excentric, as was Kephart, and others. Thier choices in gear were good for them, but that may not be for everyone, nor does it mean they made the perfect and right choice. Lots of buffalo skinners used out of the box Russells Green River butcher knives, and got by very well with them.
I do think his choice of a sheath knife and small hatchet are almost the perfect companions for 99% of woods situations, but theres a wide choice of designs and brands to choose from that will all work as good as any other choice. A mora and a GB, or an Old Hickory in a homemade sheath teemed up with a Fiskars hatchet will do to.
I've never understood the cult worship of a modified sheep skinner.
Truth is, most any decent knife and good hatchet will do the job equally well.
It seems like one of those things that because somebody famous used it, and swore by it, it becomes a cult object. Never mind that it most likely is no better than many other designs for general camp and game use.
I think the more modern times produce more young people who did not have a background in the outdoors by the time they got to adulthood, and so they read and copy what others used before them. Thats okay, got to start someplace. But keep in mind, just because a guy in the late 1800's swore by it, don't make it perfect for you. In fact, in George Sears did not really come up with the design, its basicly a slightly rounded off sheep skinner, a knife that was around long before the Nessmuck thing.
George Sears was a bit excentric, as was Kephart, and others. Thier choices in gear were good for them, but that may not be for everyone, nor does it mean they made the perfect and right choice. Lots of buffalo skinners used out of the box Russells Green River butcher knives, and got by very well with them.
I do think his choice of a sheath knife and small hatchet are almost the perfect companions for 99% of woods situations, but theres a wide choice of designs and brands to choose from that will all work as good as any other choice. A mora and a GB, or an Old Hickory in a homemade sheath teemed up with a Fiskars hatchet will do to.
I've never understood the cult worship of a modified sheep skinner.
Truth is, most any decent knife and good hatchet will do the job equally well.
- Joined
- May 2, 2002
- Messages
- 407
One advantage it *may* have is that you can choke up on the tip of the blade while skinning. Having all the metal up front gives you something to hold onto. This allows a more careful guiding of the edge while separating the skin from the meat and bone.
I'm thinking along the lines of the way one would use a 'Wyoming Knife" or an Ulu.
I'm thinking along the lines of the way one would use a 'Wyoming Knife" or an Ulu.
- Joined
- May 27, 2007
- Messages
- 4,209
Sears obviously had much more limited choices than we have today, and likely chose designs that he had available to him at the time.
Given the tremendous amount of choices we have, Sears may have chosen differently... who knows??? It is indeed a strange design.
The double-bit hatchet is also a bit odd.
Given the tremendous amount of choices we have, Sears may have chosen differently... who knows??? It is indeed a strange design.
The double-bit hatchet is also a bit odd.
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2004
- Messages
- 4,169
Sears described his knife as "thin in blade, and handy for skinning, cutting meat, or eating with". He didn't like the thicker blades of the Bowie knife or the current selection of hunting knives.
I think, whether he meant to or not, was onto something that even we often forget. A wide blade profile can be quite thin yet still sufficiently strong; and since he had his hatchet to do the heavy chopping, his sheath knife was his primary cutting/slicing tool.
I could only imagine that the hump of the Nessmuk knife could be chocked up on and act as an ulu when skinning. We could debate its origin for hours, but the design does have some merit along with the nostalgia for the lifestyle that George Sears lived.
I like to think of it as our early American bushcraft blade
ROCK6
I think, whether he meant to or not, was onto something that even we often forget. A wide blade profile can be quite thin yet still sufficiently strong; and since he had his hatchet to do the heavy chopping, his sheath knife was his primary cutting/slicing tool.
I could only imagine that the hump of the Nessmuk knife could be chocked up on and act as an ulu when skinning. We could debate its origin for hours, but the design does have some merit along with the nostalgia for the lifestyle that George Sears lived.
I like to think of it as our early American bushcraft blade
ROCK6
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2004
- Messages
- 775
I don't think it had anything to do with design, or wanting a knife that could do this or that,
That shape is what most of our first forged blades look like, it is a shape that just happens as you hammer in beveles and concidering the time I think that a lack of the 2 hp grinders to make it pretty, the smith probly spent about a half hour making the blade, look at the green river buffaloskinners it is the same idea, design comes from a desire to save fuel, it has a bevel , it works, use it .
No secert, no hidden design funtions, just simply getting what the blacksmith could make before you left.
thats my guess
cya
jimi
That shape is what most of our first forged blades look like, it is a shape that just happens as you hammer in beveles and concidering the time I think that a lack of the 2 hp grinders to make it pretty, the smith probly spent about a half hour making the blade, look at the green river buffaloskinners it is the same idea, design comes from a desire to save fuel, it has a bevel , it works, use it .
No secert, no hidden design funtions, just simply getting what the blacksmith could make before you left.
thats my guess
cya
jimi
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2005
- Messages
- 19,687
Its a pretty useful hand filling handle shape, and if you haven't used it, you're not going to get it. Plus, its different. Thats good in and of itself.
We get these threads every once in a while.
We get these threads every once in a while.
powernoodle
Power Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2004
- Messages
- 11,951
Its sorta like the Busse cult, except its way less spendy, and we don't have to call ourselves animals names to build camaraderie.
[joking]
Pic stolen from Dan Koster. The Walnut-flavored Nessie pictured, along with a couple of others, are mine. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
- Messages
- 9,786
The design has some pleasing aesthetics to it. My first reaction to the design was that I thought it was weird. Then, like all things, as you get accustomed to seeing the design show up over and over again as well as begin to recognize variations on it you start to appreciate a modern nesmuk for 1) the essence that makes it nessmuk-like and 2) the design attributes imparted to it by the individual maker.
Part of the fun of these knives is that there are relatively few production models but a lot of custom versions of it. So it is kind of interesting to see those little personalities of the different makers showing up in the basic knife. One thing about the Nessmuk, is that the design does offer makers a lot of flexibility in creativity. On something like a bowie or kephart, the creativity is often more restricted to handle design, or in the case of the bowie often the guard + handle. Nessmuk's are one of those designs where the blade itself is the design feature that can be played with.
Part of the fun of these knives is that there are relatively few production models but a lot of custom versions of it. So it is kind of interesting to see those little personalities of the different makers showing up in the basic knife. One thing about the Nessmuk, is that the design does offer makers a lot of flexibility in creativity. On something like a bowie or kephart, the creativity is often more restricted to handle design, or in the case of the bowie often the guard + handle. Nessmuk's are one of those designs where the blade itself is the design feature that can be played with.
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2007
- Messages
- 3,018
+1 on Rock6, Fiddleback and kgd.
One bonus about these knives, living in New York, if you walk around with a fixed blade knife, you're immediately equated with a serial killer. If you're out and about in the public lands, and you pull out a bushcrafter, or even worse, a bowie, you're going to get looks and possibly mentions to the nearest ranger. Nessmuks are, in general, a more friendly looking knife than the "murderous looking bowies" that Sears references.
Plus, it's a great kitchen slicer. My father-in-law, who's spent plenty of time in Italy, said when he saw it, that a similar blade is common kitchen cutlery in Tuscany - great for cutting up wild boar and Fiotentino steaks (mmmm, boar).
One bonus about these knives, living in New York, if you walk around with a fixed blade knife, you're immediately equated with a serial killer. If you're out and about in the public lands, and you pull out a bushcrafter, or even worse, a bowie, you're going to get looks and possibly mentions to the nearest ranger. Nessmuks are, in general, a more friendly looking knife than the "murderous looking bowies" that Sears references.
Plus, it's a great kitchen slicer. My father-in-law, who's spent plenty of time in Italy, said when he saw it, that a similar blade is common kitchen cutlery in Tuscany - great for cutting up wild boar and Fiotentino steaks (mmmm, boar).
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2006
- Messages
- 7,035
First time I saw it, I thought "It's a skinner." Seems from his book, that's exactly what he used it for mostly, day to day chores being done mostly with the folder, and the heavy work with the hatchet.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2003
- Messages
- 13,182
Its sorta like the Busse cult, except its way less spendy, and we don't have to call ourselves animals names to build camaraderie.
LMAOThe blade shape is such that when you are out in the woods if you catch yourself and the woods in the reflection is can act as sorty of a scrying mirror which allows you to contact the spirit of the "Old Woodsman" who has been known by many names in many cultures and through the use of certain archaic ritual inebriants one can enter a state of consciousness known to those in the know as "smoothing" it.
By hollowdweller, shot with EX-Z75 at 2008-11-07
Last edited:
mymindisamob
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2005
- Messages
- 15,086
I love the Nessmuk design as far as aesthetics go. I haven't found the one that works for me yet, but keep trying. It is very useful for most mentioned ways in almost all incarnations. I just have to find the one.
BTW, if us HOGs from the Busse Cult don't have a sense of humor about all the names and such, we have no business posting in public. The only time I get testy is when the personal attacks start. I'm pretty thick (pig)-skinned.
BTW, if us HOGs from the Busse Cult don't have a sense of humor about all the names and such, we have no business posting in public. The only time I get testy is when the personal attacks start. I'm pretty thick (pig)-skinned.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2003
- Messages
- 13,182
To get serious for only 1 moment Nessmuk mentions eating off of his knife and that I think is at least part of the idea behind the wide blade and spoonish shape.
- Status