Nessmuck design...what are its advantages?

[Agent Iron]

I really love the look of the Nessmuck, and some of the fellas here who make interpretations of them are some of the most beautiful I have seen. But the question is not if I need one....of course I need one, I don't have one. The question is, what are the advantages of this knife design.

I realize that it would probably be quite a good skinner, but other then that I am having trouble seein the benifits. I also know it can be used as a spoon thought I doubt that is a priority for me, and can be used for food prep, but most knives could....

From looking at the design, I would think it would suffer in wood work with the blade dropping below you grip. My way of thinking this would cause you to get more lateral wrist torque the you might otherwise normally have with a conventional blade.


It seems the wide blade might get in the way of detail work.

I would think you would lose your ability to drill holes if needed for starting a fire, or augering out a hole for a peg or something of that nature.

I would think for around the house use the wide blade might get in the way of chores where you need a finer point to slip in to make a cut.

To me....I am having a struggle figuring out what is great about the blade design...help me my brothers!

AI

 

[Rockywolf]

I like it for both it's looks and personality. I won't be spending long hours carving anything-instead I will spend a bit of time here and there using it, then moving on to something else. I like that it can be gripped by the hump and used as a scraper, mine has enough point to drill holes, and I have used it as a spoon. And it makes a heck of a peanut butter spreader!

Mine is made by Mark of Charlie Ridge Knives

 

[Wabajack]

Pro's - Butchering, skinning, cooking.

Con's - Carving, woodwork, bushcraft.

Sears used his sheath knife for game and food and his slip-joint for woodwork. Too many modern "interpretations" are just silly though, they try to turn a skinning knife into something built for bushcraft, making something that fails on both fronts IMO.

 

[hollowdweller]

The Nessmuk is not a bushcraft knife.

The advantage is the thin blade.

Another advantage is the curve to the cutting edge which gives torque although some makers do not make it with a curved cutting edge.

Nessmuk wasn't a bushcrafter. He was a hunter and a fisherman.

I've heard a lot of speculation on the design but nothing really solid, or documented.

So I guess it's OK for me to speculate My speculation is he wanted a thin blade because you can cut bread with it and peel potatos (he mentions taking both with him on his trips) It has sort of a skinner shape but with a sharper point so it can serve the dual purpose as a game cleaning and skinning blade since Nessmuk did kill deer on his tramps. Finally not my specualtion but I read somewhere someone who claimed (without real documentation) that the hump was in part to rest on the muscle when skinning a deer and to avoid dragging the tip in the meat. That seems to make sense.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

HD said it well.

Just to add my agreement: It's a hell of a food prepper, be it game skinnign and butchering, or cutting things up for the pan. Check out Nessmuk's "Woodcraft and Camping" book (search for it online, there's a free PDF version you can download), and you'll find that's exactly what he used it for.

He also talked a lot more about his axe than either of his knives. I'm surprised there isn't more talk here about the axe than the knife.

<cough, cough> There's a few guys with the Reeve's version here <cough, cough>

 

[tacticalsteel]

If you decide to get a Nessmuk, get one with a CURVED handle such as the one pictured in Nessmuk's book. Some makers make straight handled versions and you will quickly find out that they hamper your efforts when you try to do fine work by placing your index finger over the "hump". The handle should follow the contour of your arm.

The Nessmuk makes a good allround hunting knife.

 

[hollowdweller]

He also talked a lot more about his axe than either of his knives. I'm surprised there isn't more talk here about the axe than the knife.

<cough, cough> There's a few guys with the Reeve's version here <cough, cough>

Sorry, missed my cue


Notice the change in the handle color in 4 years.

 

[Frostyfingers]

The Nessmuk pattern is indeed less than ideal for woodwork, but remember that Nessmuk himself carried a trio, and probably used his axe and folder (narrower, pointier blade) for woodwork, and kept his fixed blade as a dedicated skinning/cleaning/camp knife. It works excellently for these purposes. :thumbup:

I too have read that the hump is to aid in keeping the point of the knife clear while skinning. No proof, of course, so we'll never know, but it seems to work.

I any case, the pattern is unique, useful, and in most interpretations, pretty darn good looking!!

 

[CarpScot]

I do not know if this was one of the intended uses or not, but I find that I can get great control when scraping hides by gripping "the hump" like I would a Ulu. I also grip the hump with my fingers and the sharpened edge facing my thumb when using the knife to notch or do light carving. It certainly is not ideal for woodwork, but IMO it can still be serviceable.