This dover edition, first published in 1963, is a slightly abridged and edited republication of the work published by forest and stream publishing company, new york, in 1920. Under the name nessmuk sears wrote about his observations on nature and outdoor life for spirit of the times and the atlantic magazines in the 1860s and for the tioga county agitator in the 1870s. In order to appreciate the knife that is the subject of this essay, you must first understand. My first inclination would be to get an old hickory butcher knife from walmart for 4. Nessmuk is a pen name of one of the great person of 80s. Woodcraft by nessmuk used books and rare books from. Three more were made in 2000, and about 17 in 2001. Find great deals on ebay for nessmuk knives and kephart knife. I started nessmuk s book let yesterday as it came in first. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands. Its nessmuk style blade features a symmetric, sweeping ulubased edge that offers added cutting power and utility in the field. Ive heard the condor is a good one, it has been on my radar for awhile, too. He informed me that he envisioned a double bladed hand axe, and large sized fixed blade knife and a multitool as a modern, 21 st century take on a nessmuk trio. The knife is a superb tool when game dressing, chopping wood or even just slicing tomatoes.
Woodcraft and camping by nessmuk dover publications, inc. The sheath knife 7th jun 2014 as we said in our last post, we can learn much from the trio of woodcraft tools carried by george washington sears a. The nessmuk ideal a knifes history knives illustrated. The nessmuk knife george washington sears 18211890, under the pen name of nessmuk, wrote many letters to forest and steam magazine in the 1880s.
Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers. Make a nessmuk style knife from an old hickory skinning knife. Frankly, of the three you named, he gets the least respect from me, both as a person and as a skilled woodsman. Nessmuks small stature and compromised health made him a proponent of lightweight backpacking and canoe travel with only essential gear, a lesson still relevant today. These are of prime necessity, and should be of the best, both as to. Nessmuk wasnt a survivalist, he was an outdoorsman, he went camping and hunting not surviving and his knife reflects this. This nessmuk is made from 1075 high carbon steel, and it features an edge that has been hand finished to razor sharpness. His tiny canoes,worked for him, since he was a very small man. Backwoodsmans magazine has had a couple of articles on it. The description that sears provides for this knife is the one shown in the cut is thin in the blade, and handy for skinning, cutting meat, or eating with. It has a 18 inch thick 1075 steel blade with a bead blast finish and satin finished scandi grind. The most common nessmuk knife material is carbon steel. I know a lot of folk use the butcher knife and modify it into a kephart knife. Generally clean and bright throughout with just the very odd spot.
The point of the nessmuk blade is actually down in the center line, if you look at the picture. Brisa nessmuk knife kit brisa nessmuk 125 green micarta. Considering how popular the pattern has become, sears wrote surprisingly little about the knife in his book woodcraft and camping free ebook. What is the attraction to the nessmuck pattern blade. Wildertools rick marchand knows the canadian bush first hand. For a little background here, george washington sears, 18211890, is better known by his pen name of nessmuk. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. He wrote one of the first wilderness survival books, woodcraft, in 1884 and was a regular. Nessmuk was a style of bush craft knife that i had seen online and in magazines. Kitchen knife, chef knife 8 inch professional chefs knife german high carbon stainless steel best.
These popularized canoeing, the adirondack lakes, selfguided canoe camping tours, the open, ultralight single canoe, and what many today call environmentalism. He took his pen name from a native american friend of the nipmuc tribe,who in sears younger years had taught him many of his hunting, fishing and camping skills. George washington is a writer off a popular magazine of 1880. This model was inspired by the classic design from george washington nessmuk sears. The condor nessmuk knife stems from knives used in traditional camping. Sears wrote a book about woodcraft a longtime ago and that book has had a lot to do with encouraging people to learn woodcraft bushcraft skills in america. These popularized canoeing, the adirondack lakes, selfguided canoe camping tours, the open, ultralight single canoe, and what many today. Nessmuk knife info plainsmans cabin discussion areas. This connection and an early exposure to books on native american culture left sears with a lifelong love and appreciation for survival skills in the forest and adventureseeking in the natural world. A drawing of the original nessmuk knife from the book. Wide selection of materials and tools including knife blades, knife steels. Dec 17, 2017 a drawing of the original nessmuk knife from the book, woodcraft and camping by george. Get the best deals on nessmuk knife when you shop the largest online selection at.
Notes on hatchets and handles additional text by steve watts by master woodsman on february 22, 2014 in books, classic camping, master woodsman, woodcraft the first camp i ever made was built exactly after the nessmuk pattern, shantytent, campfire with butternut backlogs, and all. Perfect for carving wood and other small camp tasks. Ive had my eye on theses for a while due to the history behind and my ever growing obsession with old style blades. Brisa nessmuk 125 80crv2 scandi zero green micarta kit pre shaped scales brass corby rivets stainless, copper or aluminium at your choice red polypropylene leather sheath included. I think that the actual nessmuk is really thin, maybe even made off of a broken butchers knife. Have not read it yet as i have been on holiday but first impressions are good. Belt knifemuch has been written about this nessmuk pattern knife, and people have tried to apply its shape to just about every use, from wood carving to any other general bushcraft use. I began selling factory knives in 1998, and finished my first handmade knife in the summer of 1999.
Whether you are into bushcraft, hunting, clearing brush, hiking, or a. Written in 1884 under the pen name nessmuk, woodcraft and camping is the classic and timeless guide on roughing it by expert woodsman george washington sears. George washington sears, 18211890, is better known by his pen name of nessmuk. The handle features riveted hardwood scales with contoured edges. Custom sears nessmuk, sears nessmuk, custom hunting knives, custom pack knives, camp knife, lucas forge, custom sears nessmuk knife. George washington sears december 2, 1821 may 1, 1890 was a sportswriter for forest and stream magazine in the 1880s and an early conservationist. Nov 2, 2017 a drawing of the original nessmuk knife from the book, woodcraft and camping by george. One of americas most famous woodsmen and nature experts provides classic instructions for roughing it. A look at the hatchet, folding knife, and hunting knife and what the. So when i saw a nessmukstyle knife advertised by c. Sears also wrote a general book on camping, woodcraft, 1884, which has. Sears nessmuk woodcraft and camping first edition by george w.
Born the eldest of ten children in massachusetts in 1821, sears took the pen name nessmuk from a native american who befriended him as a child. The belly of this blade makes it a highclass skinner and slicer, and the full tang handle makes it tough enough for any camp chore. If youre new to nessmuk knife world you should probably know the history about the knife youre going to fall in love with. Its a camp knife, its good for skinning, cooking and even eating off of.
Nessmuk thought the sheath knife should be of the best quality, well suited for skinning and field dressing game, and could be used as an eating utensil. First of all, condor makes awesome value priced knives that will impress most sportsman. Designed by chris tanner preparedmind101, the jx2 jessmuk is a unique combination of several different knife styles. There is a reason why woodcraft and the slightly abridged, woodcraft and camping, have been continuously in print since its original publication. This dover edition, first published in 1963, is a slightly abridged and edited republication. When i first read woodcraft and camping by geargo washington sears aka nessmuk, much like most people who read the book, i was inspired by the beautifully written accounts of his trips and the woodsmanship displayed by the characters in the book. It looked like a 100 page mini guide from the picture but its almost 2 inches thick. Fischer knives, based in elk city, idaho, i just had to try one out. He was fascinated by the few books about indians that his family possessed that left him with an abiding interest in forest life and adventure. He wrote one of the first wilderness survival books, woodcraft, in 1884. The nessmuk knife is famously known as a style of knife favored by many outdoorsmen, as its small blade is designed for optimal cutting. An early and ardent conservationist and innovative backwoods rambler, sears continues to exert an influence today on enthusiasts of lightweig. His stories, appearing under the pen name, nessmuk popularized selfguided canoe camping tours of the adirondack lakes in open, lightweight solo canoes and what is today called ultralight camping or ultralight backpacking.
He had strong opinions on survival gear, and designed several pieces, including this type of knife. Jeff white handcrafted nessmuk knife with leather sheath. Many knife makers rendition it as a doall blade, making it 18th thick or more. Ive been eyeing the condor tool nessmuk, but may want something custom. The hidden mystery behind nessmuk knife george washington. This book is a joy to read, funny at times, and on the whole entertaining, but to be appreciated, it requires you to sit down and read its pages.
Skinning knife tool steel knives and swords tactical knives custom knives classic books knife making leather belts. Named after the chap who popularized it, george washington sears, the muk is still unique over a century after it first appeared. What follows is a basic biographical sketch of the 19thcentury american outdoorsman. The carbon 80crv2 steel really comes to its full potential in the nessmuk. A drawing of the original nessmuk knife from the book, woodcraft and camping by george. George washington sears, under the pen name of nessmuk, wrote many. And also imho, its a good idea to carry several different knives for. A period of factory labor while still a child left him with a fondness for the writing of charles dickens. We developed our nessmuk knife to inherit the features from the original george washington sears blade but still give a modern appearance and feel. The knife george washington sears aka nessmuk used is essentially nothing more than a skinning knife. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The project gutenberg ebook of woodcraft, by nessmuk. Tim handed me a modern reprint copy of nessmuks book and told me to read up. It may be possible to modify something like an old hickory buffalo skinner or sheep skinner or cabbage knife or 7 inch butcher knife to a nessmuk.
Seems like his knife looked like the front 4 of a butcher knife. George washington sears, widely known through his extensive popular writings as nessmuk. The blade has also been heat treated for additional strength. Dec 8, 2017 a drawing of the original nessmuk knife from the book, woodcraft and camping by george washington sears who wrote using the pseudonym. Consequently, that motivated me to look at the author. Nessmuk was a good writer, treated his wife and children poorly, and spent a lot of his woods time mooching around resorts. The adirondack letters of george washington sears adirondack museum books. But we both agree on the value of a sturdy sheath knife. The hatchet and knives shown in the engraving will be found to fill the bill. Condor nessmuk knife fixed blade w sheath 4 bead blast.
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