My Nessie is coming along quite nicely... seems my strand of bad luck has run out.I like it so far. It´s not perfect, as usual, but I have given up on the perfectionist´s stance. Blade and handle have yet to see some finishing work. It´s also realitively close to the original. The illustrations in the printout are from Nessmuk´s book, in case you ask:-), but most of you know it well. For those who don´t, here´s an excellent post on Nessmuk and most of the other important and bushcraft- related authors on Karl´s Ranging and pathfinding blog. Thanks, Karl, for inspiring me!
I set this decorative rune-engraved disc into the antler crown. Still some glue that has to be removed, but almost there.
For some reason, this knife feels right. It feels right to make, and to use. I like it a lot, and it gives me this "utility" feeling. Can´t tell it in another way. It just feels solid and reliable. I don´t know at all if it is. Did some testing on the blade (whacked the flat side on the anvil´s horn, carved mild steel rods with it, let it drop tip first on a concrete floor from a height of 1,80 m, let it drop flat from the same height, clamped the first third of the blade in a vise and whacked it with a 1,8 kg hammer, and did a magnifying glass visual check after that) for the steel is outright problematic to properly heat-treat, and it came out unscathed, so I guess it will do;-), but that feeling´s not a rational one. It´s just like "pack this knife and some utilities that fit in a ditty and go out for an overnighter". Now I don´t know if it has got something to do with the blade shape. I have never been a big fan of the Nessmuk style of blades - up to this day. I was brought up with clip point hunting knives with a leather handle or the "Jagdnicker" variety. Those were my first knives. Later I stuck to Scandi blades, and I like them still. They all are simply great. But this knife gives another feel to it, and it´s hard to pin that. Might as well be the heft of the beast, for it´s quite heavy. Or the rustic finish. Or the steel. Or all of it. But it´s a good thing, and there might as well be a thing as too much of a reflective mind.:-)
I look forward to it.
Those are the adventures of Mr. Fimbulmyrk, in bushcraft and blacksmithing, mountainbiking and hiking, reenactment, writing, singing, dancing, stargazing and having a piece of cake and a coffee. Pray have a seat and look around you, but be warned - the forest´s twilight is ferocious at times.
Beliebte Posts
-
The other day I came across some beautiful rosebay Willowherb/fireweed , Chamaenerion Angustifolium, in German: Weidenröschen, and decided t...
-
On Solingen knife expo I had the privilege to meet with Lukas Mästle - Goer, a tutor in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), workin...
-
The other day there arrived a package from Nordisches Handwerk, a supplier of knifemaking goods, knives and bushcraft gear in Germany whic...
-
This is part of my not exactly tiny collection of German hunting knives, representatives of a very distinct and ancient style of knife. Y...
-
I knew I had it somewhere, and after the meeting with Gabriele on the expo I began to look for´t thoroughly. I bought this knife years ago...
-
On Friday I had an appointment with Nick at the smithy, and some work to do. So I rode out to Witten. The sun was shining brightly, and I...
-
This is somewhat of an edit of an ancient post from way back then. But as is, the times have changed a lot, and so has my persp...
-
Then I met with Peter Pfaffinger, and this was a right pleasure and a privilege to boot. Peter makes "Drudenmesser", tradi...
-
This is something I have in the works at the moment with some thoughts on knife design. The lecture on Puukko design by Anssi Ruusuvuori ...
-
Now this is the blade I featured some time ago, a not-so-authentic version of the Daco-/Gallo-/ Roman sica knife. Arguably not so authenti...