Nessmuks available?

[tombear]

Although I am still enamoured of my Grohmanns I have been considering trying out a Nessmuk style knife for a while. With the curved blade and curvey grip I have seen on some folks creations I can't help but think that the Nessmuk influenced Russell when he designed his belt knife.

What I am looking for is a no frills but well finished working knife (partly through taste, partly as naturally the more work that go's into a knife the more the maker rightly expects to get for it!) ideally with a full tang and a grip that is swept back and curvey at least as much as the Canadian belt knife.

Anyroad, if anyone has any suggestions from their own experiance ( before anyone suggests it although I could just about shape a blade, after a fashion, the selection of the steel and tempering is beyond me and to be honest I fancy buying myself a x-mass present for once!), could they let me know?

All the best

Tom

 

[FGYT]

ive made several now in differnt sizes and handle styles and grinds
they all feel and work diffently

JoJo makes a good nessy

ATB

Duncan

 

[Chainsaw]

I got a couple of CBK blades from Stu Barker I really like the shape too and got a couple for handling up. Less nessmuky and more CBK'y but???

Cheers,

Alan

 

[xavierdoc]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Nessie's as users. I find them aesthetically pleasing, but the curve and belly of the blade make some tasks difficult compared to a straighter edged knife. The shape of the blade would be good for chopping if it was longer; looks more like a skinner at the length they usually occur. I have used them skinning deer but since most of that task is accomplished without knife use, it seems like a poor trade-off.

There's a bit of discussion here.

I bought the top one in the shot below from an accomplished maker on this forum (Jojo). The sharpened edge comes right up to the handle, which I like.

However, although the swoopy lines were beautiful, I slipped onto the blade a couple of times (wet), prompting a carefully-cooled reprofiling. Spoils the shape but made it a little more practical.

The Scandi grind on a heavily curved knife is harder to maintain than a straighter edge, but it certainly gets sharp:

Quite a different style blade from Stu Barker. I handled this in Glo-in-the-dark for a giggle (It is a vile material and will be rehandled in something more appropriate to Stu's lovely blade!)

This is a less curved style and has a longer straight edge than the "swoopy style". The offset of handle to blade edge allows it to double as a kitchen knife, giving knuckle clearance when chopping onto a board. This knife has a convex edge, easier (I find) to maintain on a heavy curve than scandi, but not so good for wood. It isn't as pretty a shape as the other and it doesn't really look like the pic in Nessmuk's book but works better for most of my needs.

As has been said before, the knife is to compliment a small whittler/folder and a hatchet/axe. So perhaps I am being a little harsh on it.

I'd ask yourself what you want from a Nessmuk-style knife. There are lots of variations on a theme -some examples here!

Plenty of folk round here who would make you one to your spec and there are some commercially available ones (Bark River for eg.)

Best wishes,

 

[redandshane]

Check out Stu Barkers work thats one of his in my avatar dressed in Kydex by rapidboy


http://barkerknives.co.uk/index.html

He does a canadian belt knife

 

[Everything Mac]

ive made my own a few times. - but i've gone for a less traditional shape. damn fine knives though.

andy

 

[Jaysurfer]

I got a great Nessemuk from Lance / Driftwood...
I think he has pics of it on his site, it was finished off with Bethlehem Olvie Wood (Holy wood) which was a bit of a pain to get hold of but worked really well and looks great.

J

 

[Ratbag]

Tom
Can you PM me - I may be able to help
Cheers
Rat

 

[tombear]

Rat: Pm sent.

Thanks all thats the sort of info i need.

Having given it some thought I'm looking for something at the bigger end of nessies, almost a short parang, to replace a MoD type D for chopping, to be carried along side a Grohmann Bird and Trout for the fiddly bits.

Years ago the wife, bless her, bought me a Oakwood, but it is excessive (and people point and laugh ;-{D) and I don't care for axes but do need something for chopping that isn't a machete.

A heavy, large nessmuk would seam to just the job for what I want to do. I do have a Grohmanns survival but it doesn't quite do it.

Oh, and the aesthetics of the Nessmuk really appeals!

ATB

Tom

 

[FGYT]

i have made a 12" one based on Nesmuks shape and a fake antler crown (couldnt find the right shape)

its in 3mm and makes an interesting knife

for what you want i would suggest something in 3/16" (4.76mm) with a thick sabre grind and a high secondary
i wouldnt go thicker as the blade shape already has a lot of front weight in it and a full non tapered tang to get some balance in it

this is what i consider a std size correctly proportioned Nessy and it has a thin sabergrind on 3mm making a great kitchen knife

heres my modern version same blade shape top one is the same size blade as the kitchen nessy above but a better IMO handle and NOT sharpened to teh handle
the 3/4scale 3 finger smallest version still has a bigger blade than a fullsize Woodlore

 

[Klenchblaize]

My take on it or was it Loveless:

Cheers

 

[tombear]

Hi FYGT
very roughly how big do you think a 3/16" blade like you suggest can go before it became unballenced and for want of a better word, silly?

In my search for a big chopper I don't want to lose the Nessieness of the design/type.

Cheers!

Tom

 

[FGYT]

Hi FYGT
very roughly how big do you think a 3/16" blade like you suggest can go before it became unballenced and for want of a better word, silly?

In my search for a big chopper I don't want to lose the Nessieness of the design/type.

Cheers!

Tom

depends on your preference and exactly what tasks its for a really fwd balance is fine for a dedicated chopper etc but can be a pain (litrallly) if your using it for finer tasks

my profile is as the Nessy book but if you want bigger i would suggest its stretched fwds as apose to just scaled up more also a longer handle backwards can give more 'Thwac'k etc the Nessy one is kinda short on handle to blade Ratio

the big one has a 6" blade and 5" handle with the crown being the last 1"

stretch the blade fwds to 8" is that big enough ??

ATB

Duncan

 

[tombear]

Cheers!

8" ?! I wish my drawing was up to sketching a nessie that big so I could do a card mock up to help me get my head around that.

I don't suppose anyone has one that big to show me or is no one else as daft as me?! My old MoD type D is 7 inch and 7mm thick and that's plenty big enough, I could live with 7 inch I reckon if it's more likely to be available.

It's at moments like this I wish I wasn't such a happy slacker and had the money to have a craftsman custom make me one. sigh.

Um, definate food for thought.

ATB

Tom

 

[FGYT]

heres how i would do it

click on for bigger image if you want to print it out reverse the colours to givea white background and size it till teh dimensions are correct

 

[tombear]

Outstanding!, I think I am in love with it!

I dare say I could source the steel (although I'd have to research it) and I could, all be it slowly, cut out the shape/outline/blank, I could even probably make a half decent job of the grip (infact I've a 5" by 1 3/4" by 1 1/4" block of curly birch I got from Ragnar about 12 years back) but doing the sabre grind and the tempering would reduce me to tears!

Anyroad thanks for all the input!

Perhaps I should bite the bullet and put it out to tender!

ATB

Tom

 

[FGYT]

try it Cromwells will do you the steel plus you will get ewnough to do a little knife with it

an angle grinder will help cut out and start the grind and a big file will soon finish it

harden it in the BBQ an wack it in the oven to temper

ATB

Duncan

 

[tombear]

Yeah, its looking like I'm drifting towards DIY despite my best intentions ;-{D)

I can't even clain I don't have the tools as I sort of collect and restore them as a hobby. Perhaps its time to use all those 14" new old Stocks Stubbs files I've hoarded! The only thing I'm short of is a mansized metal working vice (I've a piddling little Record 3" 775 screw on job).

This is looking like turning into a Project.

I've a Axminster bench belt sander thingy, would I need special belts for it to work steel?

ATB

Tom

 

[jojo]

How did I miss this thread The biggest Nessie "inspired" knife I have made had a 6" blade. That was quite a big knife, lightened up by having a flat grind across the blade.

The first one I made was using a photocopy from Nessmuks' book too. But the handle was proportionally a bit small for the 4" blade I wanted, so I re profiled the blade slightly to make it look right, in my eyes at least, with the bigger handle I needed to make a comfortable knife. I have made quite a few sizes now, but they are not enlargements of the smaller one because that would make them too wide, again in my eyes.

Another knife I made some while back was a copy-ish of the Grohman survival knife. The blade is pretty similar to the nessie.

A Nessie with an 8" blade would be quite a beast!

 

[tombear]

Hi Jojo
Now that Grohmann Survival inspired knife is a beaut', a definate improvement on the factory job!

I don't know if I'm inspired or depressed because anything I do will be a abomination compared to that!

ATB

Tom

On the vague note of knives, I've just refound the bloody great bronze magazine knife I won on ebay for no good reason. Maybe I should liquidize some of my pointless aquisitions and get the big nesse made?!