Indeed, as the posh look proliferated, the inevitable counter-reaction set in. Urban life is all about social differentiation. ?And so, a new breed of beastly, poorly pedicured man has emerged. You can identify him by the thick woolens, canvases, and animal skins he wears, as well as by his artfully unkempt beard, all of which signal: “I’m not from around here.” But Pendleton jackets and facial hair are only part of it. The true urban hillbilly must know how to do things—like band-saw his own workbench, cure his own meats, quickly disassemble a downed tree into firewood for the whole block. For this, he needs serious gear—an ax, maybe an arc welder and, because you never know, a shotgun under the bed. This movement was gathering force well before the financial crisis, but the dicey climate has intensified and mainstreamed it. Here, we delineate the group’s specifics, including where to get the obligatory Red Wings, which classes develop the preferred skills, where to go for an Adirondacks-cabin getaway, and what beards really mean. And, appearing throughout, four woodsmen, right off the streets. —Hugo Lindgren