Condor Nessmuk Knife Review and George Washington Sears

George Washington Sears who is also known by his pen name Nessmuk wrote a book in 1884, simply  titled Woodcraft.   This book is available for free in either .pdf or e-book format from a variety of sources including the Gutenberg Project.  The book itself is a short read which provides an interesting picture and perspective of this man’s view of life in the outdoors during the late 1800’s.  In many ways, the book reminds me of an 1884 version of YouTube in book form.  Nessmuk writes to chronicle some of his musings of wilderness outings and pokes fun of those who are less experienced than he.  At the same time, however, he provides information and reviews on important matters of woodcraft including details on the gear and equipment he carries, the appropriate types of shelter, how to build a campfire and how meals are to be prepared.  It appears that Nessmuk spent much of his adult life enjoying the outdoors, honing his craft and building upon his knowledge and experience.  Because of this, many consider Nessmuk the father of bushcrafting.  The book is an interesting read, and because it has some valuable information and is somewhat entertaining (and humorous), I would certainly recommend it. 

In tribute to the man Nessmuk and his book, I purchased the Condor Nessmuk.  The Nessmuk knife is a copy of the skinning knife which George W. Sears carried.  It has an odd shape that is specifically designed for skinning animals, however, I have found that the design is equally capable of being used for light bushcrafting and camping tasks.  I purchased this particular knife through Amazon for a very reasonable price.  The Condor brand of knives has a reasonably good reputation although I have read and experienced that their quality control is suspect, at times.  Initially, I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the knife as I received it.  The handle material which appears to be walnut was uneven and the finish was rough.  The blade was not very sharp, however, I was glad that the edge of the blade came close to the handle.  Despite

its initial shortcomings, this knife had tremendous potential.  After a couple hours of work to get the handle smooth and honing the blade razor sharp on my Japanese waterstones, my new Nessmuk knife has become a very serviceable tool.  The 1075 carbon steel blade is easy to sharpen and holds an edge reasonably well.  I also applied several coats of boiled linseed oil on the walnut handle.  Overall, I am very pleased with the results, and quite frankly enjoyed the time I spent getting the knife to its potential.  There is no doubt this knife makes a terrific skinner; but, it is also a great camp knife for food preparation and for light processing of wood for fires.  I have no hesitation in recommending this blade and I plan to carry this knife with me in my pack.  For those who may be interested in purchasing this knife, I would recommend you looking at BaryonyxKnife.com; for a little more than what I paid, you will receive a knife that has been inspected and have an opportunity to choose their special grade option.   By the way, the sheath that is supplied is excellent and compliments the knife very well.  The Condor Nessmuk, a very serviceable knife in tribute to a man and his words.  ~Keep it Sharp.