The Cutting Edge. Hello again my friends! I hope this issue finds you well and enjoying the summer getting out on the ground. I have seen many of you at Friendship, The Battle of Monmouth and Guilford Courthouse this year.
Over the years I have narrowed down my camp cutting edges to simple knives and most times I do not take a belt ax, tomahawk, or other hatchet. I see a lot of people expending a lot of energy in camp chopping wood rather than doing other things, even resting for the next days journey. In the woods with a fire, I simply stick the end of a log in, regardless of length and keep pushing it in as it burns. The weight of a belt ax can be replaced with food, water, or any other item of choice. Some will argue they use it to build a shelter. I never have. Tarp, dead logs, small rope in my kit and I’m all set, or flat camp. We did that for 95 days!
When it comes to knives, I’ve narrowed it down to three. First, a heavy duty “work knife” on my belt. I use a loop to hold it and have never been comfortable with just sticking a knife in my belt in the sheath without it being fastened. The one pictured I hand forged as an apprentice under my good friend and Master Knife Maker, Bill Smith of Salado, Texas. The blade is from an original 1800 buggy spring. It is heavy, sharpens easily and has enough weight to do serious chopping in camp.
For finer work, cooking, skinning, and eating I use my neck knife. This knife is a copy of a surviving original Great Lakes Native American neck knife that I made as well. It has a Green River blade, walnut handle and three brass rivets like the original. It is finished off with a sheath and quill work that started out looking “similar” to the original. It is the only quill work I have ever done and most of it is gone. I have a real respect for quill workers! This fella has more than 20 years of use.
Finally, I carry a backup knife in my belt bag. You never know when someone needs to borrow one or you break a blade. This one is an antler handle folder made by my good friend Jim Branson of Texas. It has a razor edge and has served me well for the last 10 years.
The biggest thing about knives is using them and getting extremely comfortable with them for daily use. The more comfortable you are with your blade the faster you can get things done. So, if you are not happy with one, try another until you get the right combination. I have abandoned some knives along the way because their balance, ability to hold an edge or it simply was not comfortable to use.
I sure hope this helps! Stop by to see me at the Gunmakers Fair at Kempton at the end of the month or at the Hawken Classic in Defiance, MO at the end of August! We can swap some stories, enjoy some liquid jollification, and catch up. See you around the fire!
By Gerry “Lucky” Messmer. Reprinted by permission from the September 2023 issue of Muzzle Blasts.
