I hike light with a wood stove and don't want to carry my Mora or other knives for bylaw,travel and weight reasons. I have thought if sharpening a short piece of metal that could be spliced lashed into a downed branch in the area and then use that for battoning. I wouldn't be doing much or large branches.Just wondered if anyone had done similar.
Battoning idea
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Carrying a sharpened bit of metal is still technically carrying a knife. Also, I'd have thought a Mora would be lighter if weight is an issue?
Just get a cheap folder so that if it break it doesn't matter too much, can't see the weight been much more and as for bylaws i think if they search you and find a sharpened piece of metal the dibble will problerly be very suspicious of what you were doing with it.
I think you'd end up in more trouble with an improvised shiv than a proper knife. If you are carrying it along with a stove and other outdoor gear then you have a valid excuse. Carrying either in town could potentially get you into trouble
Good comments thanks. What is a froe? The Opinel looks nice and would fit in with my whittling. I do have a few cheap folding knives might just use a few and see how I get on.I have a Bushcooker stove and the Backcountry Boiler, I start with larch twigs if I can get them but find dry split stuff works better afterwards rather than larger twigs which may have been around a bit and not dry enough.
"An improvised shiv" is exactly as the law will see it i reckon. As already said, a small froe or folder will be better.
The Opinel is a locking knife - *don't* try this with a normal slipjoint folder. With a normal folder, if the wood suddenly splits you run the risk of battoning the knife closed on your fingers.
Hold the Opinel handle lightly, don't try to lever it through the wood.
Your other alternative is one of the Mora whittlers such as a 106. The blade is short with a stick tang so its pretty light.
TBH, if I were going for a versatile light kit I'd get a SAK with a saw blade and a medium-sized opinel. Saw sticks to length and split with the opinel.
Hold the Opinel handle lightly, don't try to lever it through the wood.
Your other alternative is one of the Mora whittlers such as a 106. The blade is short with a stick tang so its pretty light.
TBH, if I were going for a versatile light kit I'd get a SAK with a saw blade and a medium-sized opinel. Saw sticks to length and split with the opinel.
A froe is a tool designed to split wood and designed to have a removable / improvised handle
Oh stuff it - go buy one 
Eric Methven gave me mine (thanks Eric!) - really useful tool.
If you want to baton - but a tool meant to be batoned!
Eric Methven gave me mine (thanks Eric!) - really useful tool.
If you want to baton - but a tool meant to be batoned!
A froe is a tool designed to split wood and designed to have a removable / improvised handle
Good traditional tools they are too.
I've heard Andy (everything Mac) of this parish makes em
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIZBYCaYZQ8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
touched by nature
Oh stuff it - go buy one
Actually, they really are a good buy, not expensive at all compared to other tools. I can get one here for what I consider a decent price Froe
Sorry to hijack OP!
Agreed!
How about a splitting wedge - bang it with a handy log maybe. Perhaps a SAK saw to make a notch to start it?
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I think this has been said before, but I'm just wondering if a Putty hacking out knife wouldn't be better? It's designed to be hit on the back edge, it's not pointed as you can see in the pic below, and can be as blunt as you like. I doubt a copper's going to kick off too much as you risk a nasty bruise rather than a cut having one of those in your possession.
Saw this for £6.59 HERE
Saw this for £6.59 HERE
Yeah you don't need much of a blade for a Bushcooker, a little Opinel will do fine for splitting that kind of fuel. I think a froe or wedge is a bit overkill, you might as well carry a multi fuel stove and spare fuel bottles if you're going to lump tools like that around.
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