I think that's a J. Russell Green River trade knife (named after the Green River shop in Massachusetts, est. in 1836). It's a cattle skining knife, super popular with hunters and outdoorsmen. A lot of those were re-handled by the users after the scales wore out. You can still buy that knife today under the Dexter Russell brand mane.
Green River pattern knives were much larger than the Nessmuk pattern, reflecting the uses you pointed out as a favored style by ranchers and buffalo hunters. I had a Damascus custom Green River made...but it was far too large for my needs.
What is the time stamp for said Green River knife? I have four Green River knifes myself. A small "Fish" knife, the Hunter/Traditional with a 5 inch blade, a Butcher knife with 6 inch blade, and a big one with a 12 inch blade. I've used all four in the kitchen for years.
Happy birthday! I celebrated my 80th also on the third. I also love the very versatile Nessmuk style. I carry a Fire Creek Forge ‘mini’ Muk with a 3.5inch blade in my pocket. Best of luck in the coming years from Hokes Bluff, Alabama USA.
Very well put together video sir. To your viewers- kephart, 10c’s and the like are only a guide for the ignorant, ie , newbies. They should never be considered have - to’s. Mr. K lived in a different era, had different skills, comes from a different culture. I read a ton of survival , camping, hunting , and bushcraft books. What I found in my research is that the 10c’s, two is one , or any - you must carry this or that, is the cause of people getting into survival situations. You on the other hand have information, and examples of why you choose or do this or that. Awesome! Great job sir 🫡
Just found your channel, new subscriber.... Great video. I love your Frost River Nessmuk Pack in the background. I have one plus the Cliff Jacobsen Signature Pack. Fantastic day packs.
@@michaelyoumans2113 thank you! I wondered if anyone would pick up on the Nessmuk pack! Good eye! Thank you for subscribing and commenting, really encouraging to have some positive feedback! All the best, Tom.
As a custom knife maker, I make a couple versions...a 3 finger small one which is popular with hunters for skinning & cleaning game, a mid sized one, and a larger one resembling the Canadia survival knife. All made with 1/8" stick and high grinds, making them very slicy. I make mine of S35Vn, Magnacut & AEB-L. Handles mostly Micarta with liners.
I totally agree with your assessment of Nessmuk's BUSHCRAFT AND CAMPING. I have read it through more than once and reread parts of it periodically. I have had two knives of his pattern custom made. Nessmuk was wiry and of moderately good health. He was unable to take heavy loads into the woods, so he pioneered 'go-light' camping/backpacking. His readers today will know he describes lots of hunting in deer camps or trout fishing. A Scandi grind did not suit his needs at all. Probably most of his time was spent slicing bacon and being 'camp cook'. My Nessmuk knives were made with high convex grinds and sturdy spines.
Enhancing the Nessmuk design for bushcraft is a great idea! I agree with the “Trinity” of tools for bushcraft! But the search for the “one tool” option goes on!
@@TheDavewatts thank you for your comment. Agreed that I have seen some very poor examples that are as you say can useless for Bushcraft. However I have also had the pleasure of using some that are genuinely excellent all rounders and very capable. Even the 6mm thick knife here is more than capable of fine tasks due to excellent balance, comfortable handle design and Having good bevels/edge geometry and heat treatment. Having tools that are focused on one role makes them very good at that task, eg a splitting axe for splitting, but there is something to be said for a tool that can do multiple roles. I often opt for a tool heavy approach when possible consisting of an axe, a saw, a strong belt knife, a smaller neck knife or pocket or backup knife and then any specific tools like a carving kit or hook knife depending on the activity planned. Having said that as my preference I have used some very good one tool options and would trust the Field and Steel Nessmuk or something like a Wander Tactical Uro any day of the week. All the best, Tom.
@BackGardenBushcraft Maybe a one tool option for bushcraft, but I'd disagree on it being a one tool option for survival, if I had to be stuck with one tool a decent parang would be my choice. There's not much you can't do with one if you're practiced in using one. You use a lot fewer calories taking a tree down with a parang, much more efficient for fire prep, shelter building, I've even skinned small game with a parang. Each to their own I suppose, but if you listen to the world's best survival expert Mr Lofty Wiseman he would tell you the same thing about a parang.👍🏻
I want to say a word for the Marbles Nessmuk I picked up a while back. It is a really good and useful knife and its $20 or so price tag makes it a reasonable option to try out the style. If you like the style you can move up to more expensive options! 😁
I also always thought Sears reprofiled a fat tip butchers knife of the era to match his size and put a proper utilitarian point on it. I've made some very nice ones from old hickory blades, they look right.
Very nice collection! The first time i saw one, it looked like someone started out making a small kukri, then accidentally ground the edge on the wrong side. 😁🙄 Cheers & belated happy birthday! 😁👍🏼🇨🇦
The " Trinity " should be the " Quad". Sheat knife, pocket knife, axe and Saw. Thats what i Carry when spending time in the woods. An axe is inefficient, noisy and somewhat unsafe for cutting firewood to length. A saw is more practical. Best Wishes from Montana!
Great content. Until recently, Texas Knife Supply carried a 1095 blank, hidden tang, which, if you could find it again, would work well with a section of antler. I used curly maple for mine.
There was a good reason, knives back in the mid to late 1800's where thin. They did not require as much material to make. Plus where easier to heat treat and temper, and sharpen. I love my Green River knives. And they are all thin stock knives. Plus they have been made in the USA since 1836. But I would like to get a decent quality Nessmuk, I just do not have a lot of cash to spend on one. Any idea's?
I've read Nessmuk and I've spent considerable time in the wild. He captured the enteral plight of the Anglosaxon in wanting to reconnect with nature after having done everything in his power to harm nature. You will find more useful information in Indigenous tribe documented accounts and the problem is most are also written by Metis People, so the true knowledge is close to being lost.
@@stephencarmichael5156 indigenous peoples always have incredible knowledge and we have much to learn that is for sure. Thanks for watching and commenting Atb Tom
Enjoyed every minute here in the pacific rim ( Northern California and southern Oregon) IMO , new is not always better. 150 years ago a knife was something they used many times a day as a tool. Keep up the good work. Just not the measurement over and over again like most.😊
There's been an incredibly stupid trend the last 2-3 years of making a Nessmuk in scandi grind. It's only preying on the stupid who follow trends without knowing what they're doing. They think it looks cool, they hear "father of modern bushcraft" and start batonning with an irrationally thick Nessmuk, oblivious to any sense of reality regarding the man. A Nessmuk is a skinner and a scandi is a terrible choice for that. Sears never would have used a scandi. The purpose of a Nessmuk hasn't changed, it's just been covered up by bushcraft grifters on RUclips channels and knife makers taking advantage of the....not so intelligent and duped them into buying what I consider virtually useless knives that don't even excel at one task like a traditional scandi.
I agree. If you recall, after Nessmuk came Horace Kephart, who basically liked the same type of knife as Nessmuk, but wanted more people to get out and enjoy the woods. As people started getting out and experiencing the wilderness, then came along Mors, who only used a scandi. From then on, it seems that the scandi was the go to grind for a bushcrafter and consumerism took advantage of it because there was a demand. With that said, the majority of bushcrafters, at least the ones I know do not care about skinning an animal as much as just getting the meat from it, so they will usually carry a small gutting-skinning knife as well as their "bushcraft" belt knife. Batoning wood also came from Mors, and I think that is the dumbest thing I have ever seen, but I wood put any knife in his hands and he would make it work.
@@Swearengen1980 guess that's why they make it for different people's opinions and tastes/preferences and as I said was Nessmuks opinion too. I personally like the versatile nature of a stout blade and have used the tools in this video for a whole range of things, so are still useful tools if not specialized in one area. Certainly not useless, just different. Best wishes, Tom
@@BackGardenBushcraft What I meant by useless was specific to a scandi, stout, Nessmuk style blade. It's just silly. My favorite skinners are both small-ish, thin, slicey, in the Nessmuk style. One being the MKC Stonewall skinner in magnacut. That knife will do any basic chore, but specifically takes advantage of the belly to properly skin an animal. I get it, people have different goals; most bushcrafters are just weekend guys who sit around a campfire and playing survival. My point being, the Nessmuk specifically offers no advantage as a stout blade. I don't mind a stout blade in some cases, my favorite all purpose blade is a Reiff F6 3V, at 3/16" spine it's the stoutest I have and it's a beast. But the style is more conducive to utility.
@@JO-rk5gu Indeed. I've read Nessmuk and Kephart. I have knives in both their models, though partially for historic value. My parents live in the Appalachians near where these men spent their time, it's nice to go out there and use a Kephart to camp and have fun. Around here, those I know, scandi is hit or miss. Many went through a phase, fell for the fad/grift, and went back to a saber or flat grind. But they are often also hunters and do skin. We do use the hides as well. One difference is, as I said in the other reply, most bushcrafters are city slickers who play survival sitting around a campfire on the weekend. Then there's us country folk who have done stuff like this all our lives and have uses for the hides. Regardless, getting the meat is easier if you can efficiently and smoothly skin an animal (of any size) and that's done with a thin slicey blade, not a scandi or stout blade. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it's the ideal way. I've always carried my own version of the Nessmuk trio and my skinner does nothing but skin and cook. One "survival" option is just unrealistic.
@@Swearengen1980there's a fine line between bushcraft and survival....some cases a big fat line. As a child growing up on a rural farm in East TN , I guess I practiced "bushcraft " in the woods daily. I called it playing. Nessmuk used his famous knife , a pocket knife and a hatchet. He was trying for a one tool does all. As a blacksmith and knife user , there's little I've done with a Scandinavian edge. It's not practical for a lot. I've made a couple of Nessmuk both in a Scandi and one in a thinner Saber. I made the Scani for someone. It looked cool . I never used it. The style is a skinning knife. I love my Kepart blades though. I have several. My grandparents have family in the same cemetery as Kepart. You mentioned the area I believe. It's a nice area. I really like to camp /trout fishing around the TN/NC border.....I don't call anything I do bushcrafting 😂. I can whittle at home. I'd rather be catching those trout 😅.
In the past during the life of men of the 17th-19th centuries the mountain men, the cowboys the Indians knives were used for different purposes. Knives during those periods were used for hunting and for fighting for cutting rope and other daily cutting thinner knives were just fine for what Nessmuk and others used the Bowie knife was designed as a fighting knife though it still was useful for other cutting needs on a ranch or mountain use. I never have seen a movie or mention of the old west men using thick blades for baton use banging on a blade to split wood they always used an axe or small hatchet or tomahawk. Today times have changed and people camping do more wood craft using thicker blades for what an axe was designed for. Also gear changed for the better too we have Bic lighters and ferro rods which I am sure they would of loved to have back in the old West period and earlier in history. Different centuries different uses of tools nothing wrong with either method you like. Many traditionalists still like the challenge of reliving the past using old methods to test their survival skills. I still prefer traditional non locking pocketknives over modern folders like Great eastern cutlery or Case slip joint folders. And look how much different locking mechanisms have evolved in modern folders and super steels which I do not care for. Many choices today use what you like what works for you.
Absolutely 💯 very good comment and links to what I was saying about our developing and changing uses of tools. Thank you for watching and writing such a detailed comment. Best wishes, Tom
I can aee a large chopper knife being between 4 and 5 mm thick but nit a small knife. That only needs to be between 2.5ish to a shade over 3 mm thick. The cold steel Pendleton lite hunter or the condor kephart are practical. The condor can baton decently as well as the cold steel knife. A mora can be used for bushcraft. As for large choppers i can see rtak2, jarosz choppa or the like. I like large choppers but i think for a 4 to 4.5 in blade it should be thin, light, and kind of sturdy. A bk 19 is the best Becker tweener but in my opinion it too is slightly over built.
@@navigator1372 yeah each to his own personal preference. My most commonly used tools are mainly 4inch 4mm scandis grinds. But I like using a variety of tools, some of my pukkos are very capable and 2-3mm thick. A Mora is more than enough tool for most tasks. I do enjoy things that are overbuilt for their own unique way of doing things, just as I like other tools such as dainty carvers or big choppers. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best wishes, Tom.
@BackGardenBushcraft the logic is that you won't be chopping with a small knife and for the thickness of the wood you can span it doesn't need thickness in the blade
@@navigator1372 you'd be surprised what that knife can do to be honest and it's nicely compact. Feels similar to an Esee 5 but it slices better. I have larger choppers if that's the style I'm going for and smaller lighter knives too. All good options.
I never been a fan of nesmuck style knife. Now listening to his idea behind the knife i under why i never felt its appeal. I was brought up with hunters and fisherman that were ww2 veterans. Most used butcher knives or buck knives. I don't believe any knife is a one tool option. Ive looked since boyscouts. I find the only time one knife is useful is when thats all you have. I prefer a puukko design myself. The one knife I used in boyscouts was a candian belt knife that's a great design. But back in the late 80s through 90s i used a buck clone from schrade or kershaw in many survival classes in the military. I didn't carry a fixed blade because I was lefthanded and it wasn't easy to find a lefthanded sheath plus never wore a belt. Anyway i believe find something you like then use it until it becomes second nature. People tend to over think things. Your love of your knives almost made me want one. Great video brother.
Thank you very much and I really like your ethos! I think training with a tool until it is second nature is very important and I try to familiarise myself with different styles to become more proficient. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. All the best, Tom.
"I'll use it to dig, I'll use it to pry..." WTF would you do that instead of using it to make a tool to dig or pry or hammer or whatever non knife task you have at hand?
Well as you say to dig and hammer, I agree in 9/10 cases I would likely make a tool for it from wood, and do frequently make digging sticks and mallets using these tools. But if I had to I would happily use these for anything required, including prying wood apart to make other items etc. I said that merely to illustrate the point that these are very capable and strong tools and that I have used them for a lot of heavy tasks. Hope that clarifies what I said a little bit. I also like using a short belt axe, hatchet or hawk as you said in your other comment.
You could likely have one made. Lucas Forge makes an excellent traditional Nessmuk as well as some variants and he stays true to the style and intent, none of this scandi or thick nonsense. It's a true skinner and camp knife, the way Sears intended. Each one is made to order, so it's possible he'd do the crowned stag handle (he does a modern take on the stag handle, but he does note that a crowned antler handle means it's not a full tang, which is a terrible idea if you're going to really use it).
I think Nessmuk used his pen knife for Whittling,... say figure 4 Traps tent stakes and stuff like that. His Axe was to process wood and for shelters,.....and to process deer bones. His fixed blade knife made a hearth board perfect by its shape,....Process meat and fish. Could Nessmuk make it on alone,......nope he was an enthusiast and his Indian friends had to rescue him like 3 times. And the difference between him and alone he was always prepared as much as possible he was an amazing cobbled up old man,.....read his Book Wood Craft and Canping,.....Dover Publication's I paid $9.95
I think originally batttoning knives was just done on small pieces of wood for kindling. But in today’s world people have gone to the extreme with it trying to split logs with their knives.
I have an axe. In fact an axe is my favorite tool and in my opinion the most useful and efficient tool there is. However... I know some people disagree on this technique and that's fine, everyone has their own OPINION and that's fine. Batoning is a very useful, safe and efficient method and one taught in most top Bushcraft schools. If you don't use it as a method that is your choice, but sometimes carrying a small saw and a belt knife is all we have and it's good to be able to know how to use them to achieve different outcomes. You also don't necessarily need a cut log to baton, you can break wood if you don't have a saw. My 2$.
The shape of the Nessmuk knive is inspired by the butchers knives of that era. Green river knives are still manufacturing those knives. Check them out.
I think that's a J. Russell Green River trade knife (named after the Green River shop in Massachusetts, est. in 1836). It's a cattle skining knife, super popular with hunters and outdoorsmen. A lot of those were re-handled by the users after the scales wore out. You can still buy that knife today under the Dexter Russell brand mane.
@@Eezyriderr1 good knowledge - I will check it out! Thanks 🙏
Green River pattern knives were much larger than the Nessmuk pattern, reflecting the uses you pointed out as a favored style by ranchers and buffalo hunters. I had a Damascus custom Green River made...but it was far too large for my needs.
What is the time stamp for said Green River knife? I have four Green River knifes myself. A small "Fish" knife, the Hunter/Traditional with a 5 inch blade, a Butcher knife with 6 inch blade, and a big one with a 12 inch blade. I've used all four in the kitchen for years.
Happy birthday! I celebrated my 80th also on the third. I also love the very versatile Nessmuk style. I carry a Fire Creek Forge ‘mini’ Muk with a 3.5inch blade in my pocket. Best of luck in the coming years from Hokes Bluff, Alabama USA.
@@GeorgeCCourtBartlum thank you very much! All the best, Tom.
I use a three tool kit, larger folder, a belt knife and a folding saw.
@@billclancy4913 sounds like a great combination. All the best, Tom.
Great video very informatice ❤
One of my favourite reads, I love his "crusty old man" style of writing 😅 Happy birthday 😊
@@VortymLichbane thank you! Me too haha so nostalgic
Very well put together video sir.
To your viewers- kephart, 10c’s and the like are only a guide for the ignorant, ie , newbies. They should never be considered have - to’s. Mr. K lived in a different era, had different skills, comes from a different culture. I read a ton of survival , camping, hunting , and bushcraft books. What I found in my research is that the 10c’s, two is one , or any - you must carry this or that, is the cause of people getting into survival situations.
You on the other hand have information, and examples of why you choose or do this or that. Awesome! Great job sir 🫡
@@ulbushcrafting6592 thank you very very much! Very kind! 😊 Best wishes, Tom
Extremely well presented. Your subject was well researched
Thank you very much! That means a lot to me. All the best, Tom
Grohmann #4 is a perfect one . Simple and good Nessmuk😊
@@swamp.rats.survival I will check it out thank you
Great video buddy! Love a nesmuk, especially the stoney path ❤️💪
@@PrimalNomad Stoney Path makes such insane tools - so good honestly
I have a nessmuk style knife . The camp creek by tops . A very versatile tool . We are blessed by quality steel and good sharpening tools .
@@davidheath2427 sounds fantastic! Thanks for watching and commenting all the best Tom
Just found your channel, new subscriber.... Great video. I love your Frost River Nessmuk Pack in the background. I have one plus the Cliff Jacobsen Signature Pack. Fantastic day packs.
@@michaelyoumans2113 thank you! I wondered if anyone would pick up on the Nessmuk pack! Good eye! Thank you for subscribing and commenting, really encouraging to have some positive feedback! All the best, Tom.
Really informative loved it and a great cook up too cheers for sharing mate
@@freddyoutdoors thank you mate 🙏
Brilliant that buddy really enjoyed that might get my self that book . Keep up the fantastic vids take care and happy new year 🎉 👍
@@darrengreaves3068 thank you very much mate 😊 glad you enjoyed
Really enjoyed that buddy, very informative. Cheers dude. 🙂⛺️🔥
@@paulliddle8008 thank you mate 🙏 x
As a custom knife maker, I make a couple versions...a 3 finger small one which is popular with hunters for skinning & cleaning game, a mid sized one, and a larger one resembling the Canadia survival knife. All made with 1/8" stick and high grinds, making them very slicy. I make mine of S35Vn, Magnacut & AEB-L. Handles mostly Micarta with liners.
@@billclancy4913 they sound excellent 👌 thank you for watching!
I doubt that Emma could care less about Nessmuc knives.
Best Wishes from Montana!
@@Mike-zw7fq 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Or burnt bitter garlic
@@peetsnort 🤣 fun at parties
Happy new year mr & mrs king 🥂 nice review of your nessmuk knives tom 🍻
@Gunslinger-1962-martin thank you mate 🙏 happy new year 🎊
I totally agree with your assessment of Nessmuk's BUSHCRAFT AND CAMPING. I have read it through more than once and reread parts of it periodically. I have had two knives of his pattern custom made. Nessmuk was wiry and of moderately good health. He was unable to take heavy loads into the woods, so he pioneered 'go-light' camping/backpacking. His readers today will know he describes lots of hunting in deer camps or trout fishing. A Scandi grind did not suit his needs at all. Probably most of his time was spent slicing bacon and being 'camp cook'. My Nessmuk knives were made with high convex grinds and sturdy spines.
Great comment thank you - totally agree and like your outlook. Thanks for watching, all the best, Tom.
Enhancing the Nessmuk design for bushcraft is a great idea!
I agree with the “Trinity” of tools for bushcraft!
But the search for the “one tool” option goes on!
@@jamesnelson1443 thank you for your support
I prefer the "Simon Kenton" woodcraft approach. Pocket tools, belt hawk (short axe in my case) and as many loaded guns as you can carry.
I like a short axe hatchet or hawk as well most of the time. Atb, Tom
Normally when people try and make a one tool option type knife they end up being good for nothing.
@@TheDavewatts thank you for your comment. Agreed that I have seen some very poor examples that are as you say can useless for Bushcraft. However I have also had the pleasure of using some that are genuinely excellent all rounders and very capable. Even the 6mm thick knife here is more than capable of fine tasks due to excellent balance, comfortable handle design and Having good bevels/edge geometry and heat treatment. Having tools that are focused on one role makes them very good at that task, eg a splitting axe for splitting, but there is something to be said for a tool that can do multiple roles.
I often opt for a tool heavy approach when possible consisting of an axe, a saw, a strong belt knife, a smaller neck knife or pocket or backup knife and then any specific tools like a carving kit or hook knife depending on the activity planned. Having said that as my preference I have used some very good one tool options and would trust the Field and Steel Nessmuk or something like a Wander Tactical Uro any day of the week. All the best, Tom.
@BackGardenBushcraft Maybe a one tool option for bushcraft, but I'd disagree on it being a one tool option for survival, if I had to be stuck with one tool a decent parang would be my choice. There's not much you can't do with one if you're practiced in using one. You use a lot fewer calories taking a tree down with a parang, much more efficient for fire prep, shelter building, I've even skinned small game with a parang. Each to their own I suppose, but if you listen to the world's best survival expert Mr Lofty Wiseman he would tell you the same thing about a parang.👍🏻
@TheDavewatts I think that a compact axe would also be a good option, like a small forest axe. Parangs are also very good 👍
Great video 👍🏻
Thanks very much
My favourite modern Nessmuk knife is the TOPS Camp Creek.
@@davidcallan7844 good blades!
@@BackGardenBushcraft i don't leave home without my camp creek .
Great video 👍👍
@@kurts64 thank you very much mate
Great video, my friend! I just subscribed.
Billy from Kansas.
@@williammcginley3448 thank you very much
I love the last knife the little one
Good vid. Steve makes great knives. I have a few. 👍🏼
@@prepperinthewoods thank you- he really does make class tools
wow, great review, wonderful dinner, best wishes to you both. re
@@redelk2974 thank you so much. Really appreciate the positive comment! Best wishes, Tom.
I want to say a word for the Marbles Nessmuk I picked up a while back. It is a really good and useful knife and its $20 or so price tag makes it a reasonable option to try out the style. If you like the style you can move up to more expensive options! 😁
@@dougdumbrill7234 good tip! Thanks for the comment - all the best, Tom
Nezzmuk 😮 Nessmuk. Nice knives and reviews 👍
@Robert_Thomas832 thank you
I also always thought Sears reprofiled a fat tip butchers knife of the era to match his size and put a proper utilitarian point on it. I've made some very nice ones from old hickory blades, they look right.
@@camojoe83 good stuff! I bet they are great!
Very nice collection! The first time i saw one, it looked like someone started out making a small kukri, then accidentally ground the edge on the wrong side. 😁🙄
Cheers & belated happy birthday! 😁👍🏼🇨🇦
@@TheScoundrel70 thank you for watching
The " Trinity " should be the
" Quad".
Sheat knife, pocket knife, axe and Saw. Thats what i Carry when spending time in the woods.
An axe is inefficient, noisy and somewhat unsafe for cutting firewood to length. A saw is more practical.
Best Wishes from Montana!
@@Mike-zw7fq great combo! Best wishes, Tom
Awesome video 📹 😊
@@runningriverbushcraft thank you 🙏
Great content. Until recently, Texas Knife Supply carried a 1095 blank, hidden tang, which, if you could find it again, would work well with a section of antler. I used curly maple for mine.
@@keithappler5291 thank you for watching and your comment. I bet that's a lovely knife. All the best, Tom
For anyone interested Woodcraft and Campig is available online as a free pdf download.
@alexpervanoglu7420 great tip! Thanks 😊
There was a good reason, knives back in the mid to late 1800's where thin. They did not require as much material to make. Plus where easier to heat treat and temper, and sharpen. I love my Green River knives. And they are all thin stock knives. Plus they have been made in the USA since 1836. But I would like to get a decent quality Nessmuk, I just do not have a lot of cash to spend on one. Any idea's?
@@longrider42 good point! There are some other ideas in the comments that people have recommended. Esee also makes one
Looking at antique and reproduction dining knives of the 18th, 19th centuries, with the curve up, etc, it seems clear where the "nessmuk" evolved from
I've read Nessmuk and I've spent considerable time in the wild. He captured the enteral plight of the Anglosaxon in wanting to reconnect with nature after having done everything in his power to harm nature. You will find more useful information in Indigenous tribe documented accounts and the problem is most are also written by Metis People, so the true knowledge is close to being lost.
@@stephencarmichael5156 indigenous peoples always have incredible knowledge and we have much to learn that is for sure. Thanks for watching and commenting Atb Tom
@@BackGardenBushcraft Penobscot Man by Speck is a better book for the big woods
@stephencarmichael5156 I will check it out thank you 🙏
This is an absolutely fantastic video and I'm not one to give away compliments.
Where abouts in the UK are you foresting?
@@BravingTheOutDoors I'm in Sussex mate. Thanks for watching and commenting 😁
Enjoyed every minute here in the pacific rim ( Northern California and southern Oregon) IMO , new is not always better. 150 years ago a knife was something they used many times a day as a tool. Keep up the good work. Just not the measurement over and over again like most.😊
@@Ralphbo-u6l thank you! All the best, Tom.
There's been an incredibly stupid trend the last 2-3 years of making a Nessmuk in scandi grind. It's only preying on the stupid who follow trends without knowing what they're doing. They think it looks cool, they hear "father of modern bushcraft" and start batonning with an irrationally thick Nessmuk, oblivious to any sense of reality regarding the man. A Nessmuk is a skinner and a scandi is a terrible choice for that. Sears never would have used a scandi. The purpose of a Nessmuk hasn't changed, it's just been covered up by bushcraft grifters on RUclips channels and knife makers taking advantage of the....not so intelligent and duped them into buying what I consider virtually useless knives that don't even excel at one task like a traditional scandi.
I agree. If you recall, after Nessmuk came Horace Kephart, who basically liked the same type of knife as Nessmuk, but wanted more people to get out and enjoy the woods. As people started getting out and experiencing the wilderness, then came along Mors, who only used a scandi. From then on, it seems that the scandi was the go to grind for a bushcrafter and consumerism took advantage of it because there was a demand. With that said, the majority of bushcrafters, at least the ones I know do not care about skinning an animal as much as just getting the meat from it, so they will usually carry a small gutting-skinning knife as well as their "bushcraft" belt knife. Batoning wood also came from Mors, and I think that is the dumbest thing I have ever seen, but I wood put any knife in his hands and he would make it work.
@@Swearengen1980 guess that's why they make it for different people's opinions and tastes/preferences and as I said was Nessmuks opinion too. I personally like the versatile nature of a stout blade and have used the tools in this video for a whole range of things, so are still useful tools if not specialized in one area. Certainly not useless, just different. Best wishes, Tom
@@BackGardenBushcraft What I meant by useless was specific to a scandi, stout, Nessmuk style blade. It's just silly. My favorite skinners are both small-ish, thin, slicey, in the Nessmuk style. One being the MKC Stonewall skinner in magnacut. That knife will do any basic chore, but specifically takes advantage of the belly to properly skin an animal. I get it, people have different goals; most bushcrafters are just weekend guys who sit around a campfire and playing survival. My point being, the Nessmuk specifically offers no advantage as a stout blade. I don't mind a stout blade in some cases, my favorite all purpose blade is a Reiff F6 3V, at 3/16" spine it's the stoutest I have and it's a beast. But the style is more conducive to utility.
@@JO-rk5gu Indeed. I've read Nessmuk and Kephart. I have knives in both their models, though partially for historic value. My parents live in the Appalachians near where these men spent their time, it's nice to go out there and use a Kephart to camp and have fun. Around here, those I know, scandi is hit or miss. Many went through a phase, fell for the fad/grift, and went back to a saber or flat grind. But they are often also hunters and do skin. We do use the hides as well. One difference is, as I said in the other reply, most bushcrafters are city slickers who play survival sitting around a campfire on the weekend. Then there's us country folk who have done stuff like this all our lives and have uses for the hides. Regardless, getting the meat is easier if you can efficiently and smoothly skin an animal (of any size) and that's done with a thin slicey blade, not a scandi or stout blade. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it's the ideal way. I've always carried my own version of the Nessmuk trio and my skinner does nothing but skin and cook. One "survival" option is just unrealistic.
@@Swearengen1980there's a fine line between bushcraft and survival....some cases a big fat line. As a child growing up on a rural farm in East TN , I guess I practiced "bushcraft " in the woods daily. I called it playing. Nessmuk used his famous knife , a pocket knife and a hatchet. He was trying for a one tool does all. As a blacksmith and knife user , there's little I've done with a Scandinavian edge. It's not practical for a lot. I've made a couple of Nessmuk both in a Scandi and one in a thinner Saber. I made the Scani for someone. It looked cool . I never used it. The style is a skinning knife. I love my Kepart blades though. I have several. My grandparents have family in the same cemetery as Kepart. You mentioned the area I believe. It's a nice area. I really like to camp /trout fishing around the TN/NC border.....I don't call anything I do bushcrafting 😂. I can whittle at home. I'd rather be catching those trout 😅.
Have you heard of a "JESSMUK" knife by Chris Tanner? It's a bit different twist on a Nessmuk... I wonder how would it compare to classic Nessmuks
@@ryc3rz I haven't! I will check it out, thank you
You know, BTW, that the Nessmuk design is the FB Muskrat right?
Ironically, the things he changed are the things that didn't stick!
@@BravingTheOutDoors I will look into that up! Thanks for the tip 😁 best wishes Tom 🙂
In the past during the life of men of the 17th-19th centuries the mountain men, the cowboys the Indians knives were used for different purposes. Knives during those periods were used for hunting and for fighting for cutting rope and other daily cutting thinner knives were just fine for what Nessmuk and others used the Bowie knife was designed as a fighting knife though it still was useful for other cutting needs on a ranch or mountain use. I never have seen a movie or mention of the old west men using thick blades for baton use banging on a blade to split wood they always used an axe or small hatchet or tomahawk. Today times have changed and people camping do more wood craft using thicker blades for what an axe was designed for. Also gear changed for the better too we have Bic lighters and ferro rods which I am sure they would of loved to have back in the old West period and earlier in history. Different centuries different uses of tools nothing wrong with either method you like. Many traditionalists still like the challenge of reliving the past using old methods to test their survival skills. I still prefer traditional non locking pocketknives over modern folders like Great eastern cutlery or Case slip joint folders. And look how much different locking mechanisms have evolved in modern folders and super steels which I do not care for. Many choices today use what you like what works for you.
Absolutely 💯 very good comment and links to what I was saying about our developing and changing uses of tools. Thank you for watching and writing such a detailed comment. Best wishes, Tom
Happy New Year.👍🌲🌳🔥
@@cedricdeheynwoeste thanks! Same to you!
I can aee a large chopper knife being between 4 and 5 mm thick but nit a small knife. That only needs to be between 2.5ish to a shade over 3 mm thick. The cold steel Pendleton lite hunter or the condor kephart are practical. The condor can baton decently as well as the cold steel knife. A mora can be used for bushcraft. As for large choppers i can see rtak2, jarosz choppa or the like. I like large choppers but i think for a 4 to 4.5 in blade it should be thin, light, and kind of sturdy. A bk 19 is the best Becker tweener but in my opinion it too is slightly over built.
@@navigator1372 yeah each to his own personal preference. My most commonly used tools are mainly 4inch 4mm scandis grinds. But I like using a variety of tools, some of my pukkos are very capable and 2-3mm thick. A Mora is more than enough tool for most tasks. I do enjoy things that are overbuilt for their own unique way of doing things, just as I like other tools such as dainty carvers or big choppers. Thanks for watching and commenting. Best wishes, Tom.
@BackGardenBushcraft the logic is that you won't be chopping with a small
knife and for the thickness of the wood you can span it doesn't need thickness in the blade
@@navigator1372 you'd be surprised what that knife can do to be honest and it's nicely compact. Feels similar to an Esee 5 but it slices better. I have larger choppers if that's the style I'm going for and smaller lighter knives too. All good options.
I never been a fan of nesmuck style knife. Now listening to his idea behind the knife i under why i never felt its appeal.
I was brought up with hunters and fisherman that were ww2 veterans. Most used butcher knives or buck knives.
I don't believe any knife is a one tool option. Ive looked since boyscouts. I find the only time one knife is useful is when thats all you have.
I prefer a puukko design myself.
The one knife I used in boyscouts was a candian belt knife that's a great design. But back in the late 80s through 90s i used a buck clone from schrade or kershaw in many survival classes in the military.
I didn't carry a fixed blade because I was lefthanded and it wasn't easy to find a lefthanded sheath plus never wore a belt.
Anyway i believe find something you like then use it until it becomes second nature.
People tend to over think things.
Your love of your knives almost made me want one.
Great video brother.
Thank you very much and I really like your ethos! I think training with a tool until it is second nature is very important and I try to familiarise myself with different styles to become more proficient. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. All the best, Tom.
"I'll use it to dig, I'll use it to pry..."
WTF would you do that instead of using it to make a tool to dig or pry or hammer or whatever non knife task you have at hand?
Well as you say to dig and hammer, I agree in 9/10 cases I would likely make a tool for it from wood, and do frequently make digging sticks and mallets using these tools. But if I had to I would happily use these for anything required, including prying wood apart to make other items etc. I said that merely to illustrate the point that these are very capable and strong tools and that I have used them for a lot of heavy tasks. Hope that clarifies what I said a little bit.
I also like using a short belt axe, hatchet or hawk as you said in your other comment.
very cool :)
@@joepublic573 thank you. Atb, Tom.
Great content. I got a TA axe from TA Outdoors so I don’t half to baton my knives unless I’m in a pinch. See ya bud
@@scrick7112 great stuff mate! I also carry an axe most of the time
SOME OTHER GREAT NESSMUK KNIVES ARE :
BRISA NESSMUK
LT WRIGHT CAMP MUK
CONDOR NESSMUK
CT FISCHER NESSMUK AND
JOKER NESSMUK
@@larrybadman9965 I will check them out! Thanks 🙏
I wish I could find a Nessmuk like the one pictured in the book, the crowned stag handle!!!! I cannot locate one anywhere!!!
@@Echo5-Tango I would also love to handle one like that!
You could likely have one made. Lucas Forge makes an excellent traditional Nessmuk as well as some variants and he stays true to the style and intent, none of this scandi or thick nonsense. It's a true skinner and camp knife, the way Sears intended. Each one is made to order, so it's possible he'd do the crowned stag handle (he does a modern take on the stag handle, but he does note that a crowned antler handle means it's not a full tang, which is a terrible idea if you're going to really use it).
I think Nessmuk used his pen knife for Whittling,... say figure 4 Traps tent stakes and stuff like that.
His Axe was to process wood and for shelters,.....and to process deer bones.
His fixed blade knife made a hearth board perfect by its shape,....Process meat and fish.
Could Nessmuk make it on alone,......nope he was an enthusiast and his Indian friends had to rescue him like 3 times.
And the difference between him and alone he was always prepared as much as possible he was an amazing cobbled up old man,.....read his Book Wood Craft and Canping,.....Dover Publication's I paid $9.95
@@LETME-kl9jg yes absolutely 👍 he had his trip of tools, each with specific purposes. Woodcraft and Camping is a great book. Thanks for watching
I use a Ka-Bar Becker BK19…
How do I get to buy it
@@jacobvasco990 stoney path is on Etsy and insta, willowwood and field and steel have Instagram and websites where you can buy or order knives
@BackGardenBushcraft thank you
Have you seen the Condor Lochnessmuk? It is a Nessmuk on steroids.
@@inregionecaecorum I have! Very cool, quite like a parang! I haven't used a condor one though. All the best, Tom.
Just add drop of pastis and it’s perfect.
For camembert !
@@cedricdeheynwoeste ooooo yum 😋
I’m famous!!
Lovely vid Tom
@@MrMjt888 hahaha 🤣 thanks once again mate 🙏 such a great classic book
joker nessmuk with stag handle 14c28n sanvik steel
@@pleistorossica7362 very nice!
Folks want the crown on it (although I don't think they realize that means it's 99% not full tang).
I wouldn’t waste calories using a knife as an axe or battening with it.
I think originally batttoning knives was just done on small pieces of wood for kindling.
But in today’s world people have gone to the extreme with it trying to split logs with their knives.
This is arguably the ugliest knife design ever created in the US of A.
@@argokuusk guess it's all personal taste and opinion, I personally like the design. Thanks for watching and all the best
Just UGLY looks like a 3rd graders first knife 😂
@@TrentCostello-s4h 🤣 thanks for your opinion
Iff u have to bash a knife through already cut log !! E.g.batoning , yr bloody stupid , , get an axe ..," !!!!????? .. silly 😮 ...
I have an axe. In fact an axe is my favorite tool and in my opinion the most useful and efficient tool there is. However... I know some people disagree on this technique and that's fine, everyone has their own OPINION and that's fine. Batoning is a very useful, safe and efficient method and one taught in most top Bushcraft schools. If you don't use it as a method that is your choice, but sometimes carrying a small saw and a belt knife is all we have and it's good to be able to know how to use them to achieve different outcomes. You also don't necessarily need a cut log to baton, you can break wood if you don't have a saw. My 2$.
The shape of the Nessmuk knive is inspired by the butchers knives of that era. Green river knives are still manufacturing those knives.
Check them out.
@@kingarthur488 will do! Thanks 🙏