Bushfract - Condor Nessmuk VS Hivernant

[RedneckBear]

Hi,

I'm considering a new bushcrafting / general camp chore knife. I would like to try something more nessmuky, so - I ended up with the 1075 Condor Nessmuk and a 440C Condor Hivernant.

I like everything about the Condor Hivernant (especially the shape and grind, also the fact my "Nessmuk trio" folder is a stainless steel Victorinox Walker which goes well with the stainless Hivernant). But I'm not sure about the very fact it is stainless. I mean - it's not Nessmuk period-accurate (I may get a carbon steel folder in the future) and there's no chance to make sparks from a flint.

The Condor Nessmuk seems quite nessmuky, but on the other hand is perhaps too thick for a true Nessmuk knife. And the obtuse convex grind it has is probably not that appropriate for food stuff. Benjamin from Baryonyx kindly offered to regrind the Nessmuk for me but unfortunately with the import fees the knife is too pricey for me.

Now, to get to the point - if you would like almost everything about the Hivernant, except for the steel, which one would you get for bushcraft and camp use, please?

Or, in general - which one would you choose, and why?

PS: Because of the price, custom knives from the US are a no go for me (if it wasn't I would get Lucas Forge Vintage Nessmuk for sure). I may still contact knifemakers here in Czech Republic, but for now I'm just sticking to the Hivernant VS Nessmuk dilemma.

 

[C_Claycomb]

For bushcraft I cannot see the out of the box Hivernant being a good choice since it is lacking two of the features I consider crucial to a bushcraft knife; good handle ergonomics, and enough of a point to do fine work, bore holes and make tight curved cuts. That it is 440C would not worry me. I have cheerfully used AUS10, ATS34, RWL34, and 12C27 in fixed blades for bushcraft, all in 3mm to 3.2mm thicknesses. I have battonned all of them through green wood and to split straight dry wood, so as long as the 440C is not so hard as to be brittle, I would expect it to be fine. The Nessmuk looks like a better shape for wood working.

For general camp work, particularly food prep, the Hivernant looks like it would be far better than the Nessmuk, the flat grind and position of the handle in relation to the blade and belly will make it a much better food cutter, especially against a cutting board.

If I had either one I would be reshaping some part of them. Making the Nessmuk's grind higher so it would slice better, maybe making it pointier, and working on the Hivernant's handle and tip profile. Which one I would choose would come down to whether I thought I would be doing more food preparation, or more wood cutting during my time outdoors.

 

[RedneckBear]

Thank you for your answer!