How do you cut really square notches quickly and efficiently with belt knife? I'm finding that it takes me quite a while to get a good 90 degree wall.
Thanks
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cutting notches
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It shouldn't take more than a few minutes TC,
I hope you're asking about notches in a hearth board for friction firelighting.
A few deft strokes should be all that's needed. The only thing I can think of that would make the job hard work is if your knife is blunt.
As to the 90 degree thing, I go for an inverted taper so the dust will not catch on the "vertical" sides - it means the apex of the V is deeper on the underside of the board than it is on the top.
ATB
Ogri the trog
I hope you're asking about notches in a hearth board for friction firelighting.
A few deft strokes should be all that's needed. The only thing I can think of that would make the job hard work is if your knife is blunt.
As to the 90 degree thing, I go for an inverted taper so the dust will not catch on the "vertical" sides - it means the apex of the V is deeper on the underside of the board than it is on the top.
ATB
Ogri the trog
I would use a batton. Place knife on stick to be notched, then tap (or hammer 
) on the spine with another piece of wood. That gives the fastest wood removal, as well as being pretty clean. From what I understand, trap triggers should not take long to construct, if they do, either your technique is wrong, or it is a poor trap design. This is based on the need for efficiency and conservation of energy when you are trying to live by what you can catch or forage.
I have hear it suggested that the greatest benefit of some of the triggers which are taught on bushcraft/survival courses is that they get the students to practice their knife skills!
When Mors showed us his try stick notches he did quite a lot using a batton.
) on the spine with another piece of wood. That gives the fastest wood removal, as well as being pretty clean. From what I understand, trap triggers should not take long to construct, if they do, either your technique is wrong, or it is a poor trap design. This is based on the need for efficiency and conservation of energy when you are trying to live by what you can catch or forage. I have hear it suggested that the greatest benefit of some of the triggers which are taught on bushcraft/survival courses is that they get the students to practice their knife skills!
When Mors showed us his try stick notches he did quite a lot using a batton.
Cut straight into the wood and then at an angle from the side, taking a thin sliver each time. You'll end up with a notch that goes straight down and then ramps up at 45 degrees or so. Do the same in the other direction next to the first notch so that you end up with a W shaped affair, but with the two outer arms of the W at 90 degrees to the stick. Then just carve the centre of the W out so that you have a square gap. Sounds like a lot of work, but it is quite quick as you can literally break that centre piece out as it runs with the grain in your favour. When i want to chip a piece like that out, I put my blade in and twist, it snaps the whole piece out.
SimonM
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Just like making tent pegs for the "knive & axe" award in Scouts! Oh to be 12 again!
No mortgage, no worries, camping most weekends!
What kind of wood are you using, with a sharp knife most green woods carve easily in my experience. For small pegs and triggers I would suggest hazel.
Pothunter.
Pothunter.
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