batoning with a knife

[Hedgehog]

Very good article, thanks for that.

The size of the tang should not matter provided the force of your batton blow is transmitted directly through the blade into the target.

A mis hit can effectively mean the force is applied to the blade/tang transition with the blade being supported by the target & the handle by your hand - ping!

You can generally take more liberties with a full tang, perhaps at the expense of learning poor technique though.

 

[heath]

Great link
Thanks for the info
Heath

 

[Karl5]

Beats me

You mean "Battons me", don't you??!!!

 

[mmc1]

I had never given it much thought either until I read that article.
Now I just more or less let the handle float in my hand . Gripping it just enough
to control it. As to why would you baton, it might just be the only way you could get
at dry wood for a fire.

 

[spamel]

I was talking with Bernie about this earlier. I have battoned wood in the past but normally have an axe so use that instead. You can split small diameter branches with an axe, it is just the way you do it that changes froma lrage round that can be stood on a chopping block.

That's not to say I don't do it, sometimes I don't take the axe and then I will batton if need be. I don't think it is knife abuse as a knife should be strong enough to take a bit of force. If you are hammering with a hardened faced hammer, than maybe it is abuse but a wooden batton is hardly gonna damage your knife. it just seems like it is a bit more expenditure of energy than one axe swing and a twist!

I tend to try battoning with new knives though, just to ensure they are up to it! So far, I've never had a problem.

 

[climberslacker]

I just got a new knife, a very beautiful helle. I am having problems getting the courage to baton with it or even do the Mors knife test :yikes: (were you stand on the handle of a knife in a tree) Just seems like bad karma to me

 

[spamel]

I don't see the point in hammering a knife into a tree. That is just gonna cause damage to a tree. It's not as if we are gonna be doing survival like they would in the Canadian backwoods.

 

[gregorach]

That's not to say I don't do it, sometimes I don't take the axe and then I will batton if need be. I don't think it is knife abuse as a knife should be strong enough to take a bit of force. If you are hammering with a hardened faced hammer, than maybe it is abuse but a wooden batton is hardly gonna damage your knife. it just seems like it is a bit more expenditure of energy than one axe swing and a twist!

The time I find battoning most useful is when you want to split small kindling from dry heartwood. By the time you're splitting sticks less than an inch across, particularly if they've got a nice straight grain (and they should have if you've selected your wood properly) then I find the only way to use an axe is by tapping it down whilst holding the stick in your other hand. Fine if your axe is blunt, but with a razor-sharp axe it's just asking for trouble. I've nicked myself a few times doing that... Maybe it's poor axe technique on my part.

Whereas with a knife, it's much safer and more controlled. Lay the knife across the top of the stick, administer one sharp tap with the batton, and twist. Job done, and no risk of cutting yourself.

 

[big_swede]

You mean "Battons me", don't you??!!!

You've just earned big swedes guffaw of the week™!

 

[Dave Budd]

The time I find battoning most useful is when you want to split small kindling from dry heartwood. By the time you're splitting sticks less than an inch across, particularly if they've got a nice straight grain (and they should have if you've selected your wood properly) then I find the only way to use an axe is by tapping it down whilst holding the stick in your other hand. Fine if your axe is blunt, but with a razor-sharp axe it's just asking for trouble. I've nicked myself a few times doing that... Maybe it's poor axe technique on my part.

Whereas with a knife, it's much safer and more controlled. Lay the knife across the top of the stick, administer one sharp tap with the batton, and twist. Job done, and no risk of cutting yourself.

try holding the stick to be split steady with a second stick and just swing your axe as normal. that way you split the wood without cutting your fingers