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**mikeymoto** · #1 05-11-2007, 12:27 PM

I had spare time last night so I split some wood with the FBM. Since discovering the joy that is batonning the FBM I can't get enough of it!

What I've been doing is using a smaller piece of wood to use as the baton (see far right in the top picture) and that has worked well so far...until last night. I have some pine that fell in a pretty severe wind storm we had here last winter (the Hanukkah Howler

) and it's pretty well saturated with sap, and since I've had it stacked it's gotten pretty dang hard!

The piece wasn't even very big, as you'll see in the pictures, but it's so hard that when I hit this knot about 2/3 of the way through this one piece I just couldn't make any more progress. Totally stuck! Major weakling here, I guess.

I ended up breaking the baton I was using trying to get through the knot. Finally I took the FBM and pounded it through the knot, tip first, orthogonal to the piece of wood. Once I split through it that way it was a piece of cake to finish it up.

Soo, maybe I need a beefier baton? More muscles? Or just different techniques for the tuff stuff.... Either way, I got 'er done!

**xaman** · #2 05-11-2007, 12:36 PM

That's a beast of a knot! Maybe someone's got some better advice, but i just try to avoid them...

**Guyon** · #3 05-11-2007, 12:40 PM

I think you just need a bigger sheath now. One that'll hold the FBM
AND that giant chunk of wood you've got stuck on it.

**Tyrkon Lawson** · #4 05-11-2007, 12:41 PM

I use one of those plastic tire mallets w/ the weighted heads. Lots of heft and pretty durable.

**Progunner** · #5 05-11-2007, 12:46 PM

Yep, get yourself a dead blow hammer.

nitestocker · #6 05-11-2007, 12:46 PM

if you cant get that knife out of the wood send it to me i can fix it

**mikeymoto** · #7 05-11-2007, 12:50 PM

Oh, I got it out! Though I like Guyon's new sheath idea...firewood included!

Thanks guys for the hammer suggestions. Guess I'll have to pick one up!

**Tyrkon Lawson** · #8 05-11-2007, 12:56 PM

When a knife gets stuck like that you can grab something wider than the knife, like another piece of wood, and hammer it in above the knife. This will cause the piece of wood the knife is wedged in to open wider and the knife should loosen. I have used this a few times and it works great.

hawkinsa21 · #9 05-11-2007, 01:40 PM

I showed my brother how strong the INFI power is, by chopping the blade into a log 8" in diameter, then took one giant swing with a 16lb sledge hammer to the spine... bye bye log, grinning FBM, chipped the paint, but not a dent on the back...

My brothers jaw hit the floor so fast I didn't have time to blink!!!

**mikeymoto** · #10 05-11-2007, 01:58 PM

I'm not so excited about taking a metal sledge to my FBM's spine, so the polyurethane deadblow hammers filled with shot are looking pretty good.

Cobalt · #11 05-11-2007, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeymoto

I'm not so excited about taking a metal sledge to my FBM's spine, so the polyurethane deadblow hammers filled with shot are looking pretty good.

get yourself a bowling pin, it makes a great baton

I shoot bowling pins all day long at times and they don't break. They are as tough as it gets and have a rubber coating over the wood so they do not nick or scratch any surface. Been using them for years