Woodcraft by Nessmuk

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tomtom

Full Member
Dec 9, 2003
4,283
5
38
Sunny South Devon
can someone do a quick Review of this.. just weather you would advise.. is it Relevant to British Bushcraft.. i know hoodoo will have something to say on the guy :wink:
your thoughs please!
 

boaty

Nomad
Sep 29, 2003
344
0
58
Bradford, W. Yorks
www.comp.brad.ac.uk
It's a lovely book!

It's densely written, so you have to pay attention - there's a lot of easily-missed gems

As with many of the older books the kit sections need to be filtered through modern eyes, though the general principles are sound

It's small, light, inexpensive, and (I'd say) indispensable
 

jamesdevine

Settler
Dec 22, 2003
823
0
48
Skerries, Co. Dublin
What do you mean you haven't already got a copy. :nono:

It's great little book and cheap at twice the proce. You will find yourself coming back to alot as boaty said and everytime find something new.

:wave:

James
 

HAM

Member
Sep 6, 2004
19
0
54
Aberdeen
Tomtom,

Not sure about the best, but I've had good results from a 2nd hand bookseller - www.abebooks.co.uk. They seem to have quite an interesting selection for us, although some items would be shipped from the States. The descriptions they give of the condition of the books are, in my experience, accurate. So you get really good value.
 

Hoodoo

Full Member
Nov 17, 2003
5,302
13
Michigan, USA
Definitely a classic. And while you are at it, make sure you order Canoeing the Adirondacks with Nessmuk. I think that book more than Woodcraft gives you a better insight into the type of person that Nessmuk was. Both are wonderful reads. The sad parts are when he talks about his "consumption" which he died from, and the wilderness that was already vanishing at an alarming rate during his time, the late 1800s.

I think Nessmuk still has a lot to teach us.

BTW, you can read Canoeing the Adirondacks online. It's essentially a collection of Nessmuk's letters to the magazine Forest and Stream.

Nessmuks Letters
 

falcon

Full Member
Aug 27, 2004
1,211
33
Shropshire
Tomtom - I ordered it from Amazon on Thursday night last week, received an acknowledgment on Friday and took delivery on Saturday morning having agreed to pay first class post (as well as Bushcraft by Kochanski). Only skimmed them so far but I think I'm going to be pleased by both of them.
 

moduser

Life Member
May 9, 2005
1,356
6
60
Farnborough, Hampshire
Amazon have just delivered this, along with Woodcraft and Camping by Nessmuk.

Being quite a fan of RM and having owned Lofty Wisemans SAS Survival Handbook since it was first published and the books by Martyn Forrester I pretty much thought I had all the basics covered. How wrong I was.

Kochanski's book is specific to northern forests but what an excellent tomb. I've been using an axe and knife since I was a kid (in those days nobody worried about 12 yr old boys wondering about with a sheath knife on their belt) but I learnt quite a bit I didn't know and now understand better why some of the techniques I use work and others don't.

some may dismiss these chapters as being too much like "teaching your grandmother to such eggs" but where safe handtool use is concerned, theres no such thing as too much knowledge. I also like some of his shelter ideas, something to try next time I have the time to experiment.

highly recommended.
 

bothyman

Settler
Nov 19, 2003
811
3
Sutherland. Scotland.
moduser said:
Amazon have just delivered this, along with Woodcraft and Camping by Nessmuk.
.

Woodcraft and Camping by Nessmuk?? not seen that one.

Do you mean Camping and Woodcraft by Horace Kephart??

I have just sent for Nessmuk's Woodcraft always meant to buy it but kept putting it off, the price went down on Amazon
Also ordered "Finding your way without a Map" by Harold Gatty.
She wanted a book so I offered to make it up so she could get it post free, aren't I generous?? :rolleyes:
 

Hoodoo

Full Member
Nov 17, 2003
5,302
13
Michigan, USA
The Dover editions of "Woodcraft" and "Woodcraft and Camping" are essentially the same book, which was originally published by Forest and Stream back in 1920, and called "Woodcraft."
 

bothyman

Settler
Nov 19, 2003
811
3
Sutherland. Scotland.
Hoodoo said:
The Dover editions of "Woodcraft" and "Woodcraft and Camping" are essentially the same book, which was originally published by Forest and Stream back in 1920, and called "Woodcraft."

Many Thanks for that Hoodoo, thought I'd missed something.

What is the difference between "Canoeing the Adirondacks " the book and the one online keep thinking of buying the book, but how much do they differ is it really worth buying the book after you have read the stuff online.
 

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