Using a knife as a shear

[Thenihilist]

In Mors kochanski's "Bushcraft" on page 121 the diagram that illistrates how to use a knife as a shear apart from looking like a completely brutal thing to do has me confused as to how it works and why you would wan't to do it.

So before i drive my knife 2 inches into a log right next to a knot to stop the tip lifting, put a stick under the blade and lever it down and through the stick i thought i would ask a few questions first.

Why is this a better way than batoning at right angles to the stick then tidying it up?

What uses would the bits cut of serve to do?

It's in the book for a reason i just can't see what it is.

Thanks

 

[Siberianfury]

just another techinque thats a bit out of the ordinary, like using a forked branch to replace the notch for a fireboard.

 

[BOD]

bump.

I'd like to know too.

Apart form cutting precise lengths of something I can't think of anything

 

[JJJ]

I have not seen this book, but from your description, this is a technique used all over the world, especially in counties that use large blades such as Parangs or Machetes.
If you put a blade especially a large one into a piece of wood by it's tip or support it with one straight branch at the tip and one at near the Ricasso. It makes some cuts safer and simpler. Anything from peeling fruit or spuds to splitting sugarcane.

Here , a knife embedded as you describe, can give you more control when splitting wood, roots etc. It is possible to either push the material through the blade , or pull it towards you. If the material starts to split to one side, so that you have a thick and a thinner piece, just give more emphasise in pushing the thicker side towards the blade and the split will even out. A traditional way of splitting Hazel, Willow, Oak and Ash, it was also used to debark branches. Further accuracy can be added by using a peg as a fence.

If with a large blade like a Parang you need to cut a lot of sugarcane, bamboo etc to length, impale the blade using one of the methods described and using a piece of wood as a stop behind the blade , repeatably 'wack' your material onto the blade. It's impossible to miss in such a way that you cut your self, surprisingly uses less energy and is very accurate.

Is there somewhere on the internet where I can see an illustration, this sounds like a good book.

 

[Elines]

driving a knife 2" into a log near a knot sounds a difficult thing to do - is it actually simpler than it sounds? and is the knife easy to get out again?

 

[Thenihilist]

Thanks JJJ.

I don't know if it's available online but you should definetly get it.

@Elines

The log could simply be thumb thick and you could push your blade right through it, This might cause the branch to split in the opposite direction but the knot on the edge side will stop it splitting, meaning you don't have any lever effect on the blade but the blade will remain firmly in place allowing you to make accurate cuts.

To get it out wiggle it side to side and it'll open the split up on the opposite side of the edge allowing you easy removal.

I used it for slicing vegetables into the pot by placing the branch in the middle of the pot and feed the vegetables in so the can be cut to the same thickness. The advantages are that you don't have vegetables pinging of 20ft away and it's a lot safer as you don't have to cut into your hand.

Mors is an utter genious!!!!!

 

[shaggystu]

i'm probably just being especially thick today but i really can't get my head around what's being described here, any chance of a photo of the technique in use please?

stuart

 

[bikething]

i'm probably just being especially thick today but i really can't get my head around what's being described here, any chance of a photo of the technique in use please?

I haven't got the book to hand, but (assuming I'm thinking of the right thing) Think of something like a paper-cutting guillotine where the blade pivots on the end away from the handle - you can get a lot of pressure when cutting things near to the pivot because of the leverage.

IIRC, some of the early versions of the Skookum bush tool had a hole near the tip for just this purpose - the idea being you drive a nail through it into a bit of wood to provide the fulcrum.

 

[Thenihilist]

Sorry no pics but pages 121 and 127 have illistrations.

Think of it like a pair of shears where one of the shear blades as a bit of wood. When something is placed on the wood under the blade you bring the knife down providing immense leverage working just like a pair of shears.

 

[Elines]

Wasn't just you Stu

Beginning to understand - I thought the knife was rammed hard into a thick piece of wood and so immovable - seems that you pivot it (as with a paper guillotine as stated above)