Nessmuk Knife

The Nessmuk knife was developed in the 1880's by George Washington Sears, an outdoor writer who wrote for FORREST AND STREAM, the predecessor of today's FIELD AND STREAM magazine. Sears wrote under the pen name of Nessmuk, a native american friend and outdoor mentor, specializing in canoeing and camping subjects. Sears was not very satisfied with the large Bowie and sword type knives of the era so he developed a shorter broad blade with a curved edge. This knife excelled at camp chores, skinning and field dressing game, and food preparation.

Although this knife is based on the Nessmuk knife Sears developed, I have taken advantage of modern materials to make it. I start out with a piece of 154 CM stainless steel. 154 CM is one of the premier knife steels made today. It does not tarnish or rust, it is tough and holds an edge very well. The handle, made from black linen Micarta, is one of the best handle materials made. It does not absorb water, crack, chip, swell or flake like many natural materials will. Plus the layers of linen in the Micarta gives it a nice appearance. This is just a tough, attractive, well balanced knife that is nearly maintenance free. I haven't been making these for very long but it has proved to be the most popular knife I've made.

 

I've been including a tooled pancake style leather sheath with this knife. This style of sheath holds the knife tight against the body so it does not flop around. With it being canted back 45 degrees, it holds the knife up out of the way while riding horses or driving but still gives good access to your pocket.