Dont batton with your knife

[Hibrion]

My 2c on the subject is that it's no harm to know how to baton if you need to and for whatever reason don't have an axe, but I almost always have an axe when I need to process wood in that manner. I do like my knives to be tough enough to hold up to batoning if required, but I don't see it as a job for a knife and I tend not to it myself.

As Mark has said, if you only need a small amount of material just stretch your legs and find some small branches.

 

[British Red]

What I think I must have missed is, with a round, where do you make the first cut and for something gransfors-wilderness-axe-like (my hultafors long chopping axe (£25ish BARGAIN)) how round is too round?

All eyes and ears, here to learn To seek never-ending improvement

This may help

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21413

 

[Elen Sentier]

it certainly upsets me! If you need to split wood, then use the correct tool for the job: an axe or a froe.

If you really must bludgen your knife through a log, then make sure you know how to do it correctly. Don't hit the tip and don't grip the handle, both of these things put impact stresses on the blade/tang. If you gently support the handle and hit the blade directly above the wood then you can safely split logs using a penknife

Thanks for that, Dave. Being an absolute beginner, as well as clumsy old cripple, I've always felt it would be extremely dangerous for me to try it and the one time I did it really did feel like it (I did NOT use your knife!) and anyway I was useless at it. I can manage quite well with an axe. I'm also glad to know what a froe is ... googled it . Think I'll stick with the axe you're making me

 

[Emdiesse]

This may help

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21413

Oh, spot of Red. Cheers

t'was the other way around but those diagrams still explain everything... I probably didn't have the helve parallel to the floor.
I don't think the log was too round, but perhaps partly where the axe head is embedded causes most of the weight to be near the helve so your advice of having the axe bit off centre to the side where it's a thinner 'diametre' will help a lot!
Maybe also just a little bit of a swing would also create the right inertia to send the log splitting away from the helve but not too much that it uncontrollably flies off away from me!

 

[Elen Sentier]

Chuckle ... off to get meself a spoon

 

[santaman2000]

I still agree with Mary. I think she has explained the advantages of using a knife to baton far more eloquently than I could have. :You_Rock_

Secondly i often smile when I see people carry so many sharps about. Most UK bush crafters do Not require an axe for the style of bushcraft they practice. Generally camping for one or two nights less than 500m from their cars.

The most they use an axe for is a 10 minute burst of log splitting to build a fire. Most of which could have been achieved using a knife or a froe or a few extra minutes on proper wood selection......

True enough as far as it goes. But even without the axe, I still have no need to baton. If I can't break it over my knee or burn it in two or burn it without splitting it, I don't use it. As you said: "proper wood selection."

 

[demographic]

I'm fairly surprised that so many people bit down hard on the particularly stinky bait that the opening post contained.

Almost ten pages.

 

[Jared]

If you are solo camping and a good distance from your car and just need a few sticks for a fire why would you batton anything? No need to split kindling, thats what feathersticks are for

Depends. If its bucketing it down, then inside a larger log is likely to be drier.

 

[Huon]

I'm fairly surprised that so many people bit down hard on the particularly stinky bait that the opening post contained.

Almost ten pages.

Only 3 if you are using a web browser. Perhaps you are on Tapatalk?

 

[sasquatch]

Can people give me some clarity on bushcraft please, I'm after a list of everything I can and cannot do. I'll study it well before I venture outdoors again, I promise!

 

[andyn]

I buy that. I also buy Wayne's view that its a weight saver to only have a knife. I just don't subscribe to the view that a knife is the optimal or most efficient tool

agreed.

and whether a 6" froe is, or a 12" one is, or a hatchet is, or a forest axe is, or a maul is will all depend on a multitude of variations and factors that need to be considered.

The right tool cannot be written down in a forum as it depends

But the view that batoning WILL break your knife is wrong.

I could break your froe or axe splitting wood if I used it inappropriately, doesn't mean we should stop using them, it just means people should learn to use their tools correctly.

 

[Jared]

This is a good post over on BB. Splitting with a humble SAK Farmer.

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?161579-Victorinox-Farmer-splitting-log-and-fire

 

[Toddy]

It is a good post A very good post.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Dave-the-rave]

I've busted a few screwdrivers by whacking em with a hammer but my new Halfords professional screwdrivers have taken a helluva battering and are still good as new and they only cost a tenner for a set. That revelation won't help at all I'm afraid so I'll get me coat. :sulkoff:

 

[forestschoolmatlot]

Thanks for all those who contributed to this forum.

It makes so much sense not too baton, but as someone just starting out I found that every video of a knife/bushcraft online had someone beating out all their pent up frustration on the back of a knife through massive hunks of tree. So through e-peer pressure I thought "This must be one of things (like hats) that I don't understand but just need tp get with the programme on".

Thanks to you all for the re-education and common sense kick.

 

[Toddy]

If they're beating it like that then they're not in control; it's all about control and engaging brain before taking action

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Huon]

Thanks for all those who contributed to this forum.

It makes so much sense not too baton, but as someone just starting out I found that every video of a knife/bushcraft online had someone beating out all their pent up frustration on the back of a knife through massive hunks of tree. So through e-peer pressure I thought "This must be one of things (like hats) that I don't understand but just need tp get with the programme on".

Thanks to you all for the re-education and common sense kick.

Was the consensus not to baton? I've followed this thread and I wouldn't have thought that was the conclusion.

 

[Pterodaktyl]

Was the consensus not to baton? I've followed this thread and I wouldn't have thought that was the conclusion.

I think the consensus was that there was no consensus

 

[Huon]

I think the consensus was that there was no consensus

That was my conclusion too

Personally I've never batoned with a knife but I can imagine situations where I would do so.

 

[9InchNinja]

Nowt wrong with a bit of batoning. It's my knife, and I'll abuse it if I want to