Dont batton with your knife

[SJStuart]

Have you tried a froe? I really can't understand how a knife offers more options than a froe - or how it is people can pound on the spine of a knife, but can't pound on the spine of a froe?

Why carry both a knife and a froe when you can carry a knife that does both jobs equally well?

EDIT: Before the deliberate misrepresentation of my words rears its head, let me clarify "both jobs equally well" means that the knife functions as both a knife and a handy splitting tool, where the froe is just... a froe.

 

[SJStuart]

Not many people take a splitting wedge either (which the poster was talking about)

I don't disagree with batoning a knife because its what you have with you

I was surprised by the statement



is all. I believe that a froe would be as quick and with greater accuracy (given the eye orientation gives the ability to direct the split)

It was not me that started the comparison with "any other tool" - I merely queried someone else making it!

The context in which I was stating that was "I'm in the woods, I want/need to split a piece of wood" rather than "I'm at home, I want to split a piece of wood".
At home, I have other tools to hand. For one thing, I can split a piece of wood much more quickly with a bench saw than any manual tool... but I'm not going to be carrying a bench saw and a generator with me in the woods, am I?

 

[ozzy1977]

A knife wont be any use splitting shingles or long lengths, there must be a reason why the froe was invented for splitting

 

[ozzy1977]

A saw is not going to cut a bit of wood faster than a maul and wedges can split the same.

 

[Big Stu 12]

A knife wont be any use splitting shingles or long lengths, there must be a reason why the froe was invented for splitting

Probley the best tool that was found to do the job over the years of experimentation......and experience...

I my opinion, why risk blunt, bend, chip, damage your knife, and use up energy bottoning?, when a small axe will do the job quicker, with less effort.....

 

[hog]

I have battoned with both my Woodlore and my
Condor without mishap but then the Woodlore is about half an inch thick !!

 

[demographic]

Can't say I'm right big on battening but that's cos I don't own any woodland and see it as slightly off to start attacking things which belong to someone else but a knife beside you is a hell of a lot more effective for use when and where you need it than the Froe/axe/sledge and wedges/maul/chainsaw/sawmill that's five miles away.

Conserving your energy is sometimes about having the right tool on you and its sometimes about making use with what you have one you at the time to avoid spending more energy than you need for a piffling task.

 

[rik_uk3]

You want to baton then baton, want to use an axe/maul/froe then fine. Your tools, your choice so sod what others think or do.

 

[mountainm]

You want to baton then baton, want to use an axe/maul/froe then fine. Your tools, your choice so sod what others think or do.

+1 there are no rules. Just experience.

 

[Tat2trev]

I use my MLL wildland built and designed to chop but without the hassle of carrying an axe etc

 

[SJStuart]

You want to baton then baton, want to use an axe/maul/froe then fine. Your tools, your choice so sod what others think or do.

Here, here!

 

[MikeLA]

Last comment says it all.

Wish we could close this one now. 5 pages

 

[ozzy1977]

But a knife is for cutting no battoning, which is a stupid word anyway.

 

[Toddy]

Battoning is using the cutting ability of the knife.
The batton is the stick you use to push the length of the blade of the knife firmly into the end grain of the timber.

That's it really

cheers,
M

 

[Big Stu 12]

I've always thought that the cutting edge of the blade starts the cut initaly until the Knife grind angle acts as a wedge to split the wood, not cut it...

Just my thoughts..

 

[rik_uk3]

This song's title just about sums this thread up for me...not bad music either

[video=youtube;b9VKBhLcYvw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9VKBhLcYvw[/video]

 

[Big Stu 12]

This song's title just about sums this thread up for me...not bad music either

You always have a choice not to read it then

 

[Squidders]

If telling people not to read a thread that has gone far past its use was acceptable, you may as well encourage people to use as foul language as possible and post pornographic images all over the site because... hey, just don't read it.

It's a flippant answer and one that makes you look like a bit of a bully. "I'm doing what I like, if anyone doesn't like it, they can just go away because I own this place."

By the way, if you don't like what I wrote above, you have a choice not to read it.

 

[ozzy1977]

How many people can get tneir knicker in a twist over a silly video, really makes me laugh.

 

[Squidders]

Too much Christmas chocolate... everyone getting their snickers in a twix.