108 Billy Buck Froe Thingy

B

BennyBlade

Joined
Apr 20, 2022
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I'm a fairly new posting member here to this forum. Back when I was even newer, I made a recommendation of the Buck 108 for an "extended camping trip" over on the ax forum. I was immediately lined up for the firing squad by some disgruntled elderly man and a few of his walnut loving sidekicks. I was referred to as the equivalent of a young whippersnapper, before the thread turned into a pissing contest over vocabulary. It was shockingly immature... anyway. I still stand by my comments over there and thought Id post some pics of a little work I did today using the froe, here. I go on 2 week wilderness trips with 1 other person in my group. The 108 has a much more packable profile, is lightrr and does more work than a hatchet, just as easily or better. Now, if iwas going homesteading, or fronteiring, I would probably bring other tools. Most often, I'm carrying 35- 40 lbs of essential gear while traveling by foot for 25 - 50 miles at a time, so the 108 is perfect for me. The wood pictured, is a piece of maple that fell back in August during a thunder storm..

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BennyBlade said:
I made a recommendation of the Buck 108 for an "extended camping trip" over on the ax forum.
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Good post, great photos!

You came to the right place this time, you young whippersnapper:D Good work that tool is just right for the job.

I haven't handled a froe but I think you're right about the carry aspect of the froe over a camp axe or hatchet.
 
pjsjr said:
Good post, great photos!

You came to the right place this time, you young whippersnapper:D Good work that tool is just right for the job.

I haven't handled a froe but I think you're right about the carry aspect of the froe over a camp axe or hatchet.
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With modern fabrics, packing my ax was always a big concern. I was always worried that the axe head would eventually tear the bag, and strapping it to the outside of the pack isn't very secure in my experience. A little extra piece of mind with the 108 because you can slip it almost anywhere.
 
I don't doubt it for a minute.
I have one and I'm impressed with its abilities. Tho I haven't done what you have there.

I got mine after hearing a story of a lone camper that cut his femoral artery splitting firewood with an axe.
He bled out and died even tho he had a tourniquet applied.

With the froe, you don't need to swing it that way. Just pound it down with another hardwood stick opposite the handle.
Way safer, and it's actually sorta fun.:)
 
Yep, I like my 108 froe. I also have an estwing sport hatchet I take along but I tend to use the froe more often. I’ve also noticed when I’m out gathering and chopping fire wood theres a lot of brush, low hanging limbs and suckers sprouting from smaller trees I want to remove. The 108 froe is much handier than the hatchet for clearing brush, limbs and suckers than the hatchet. And safer as well.

Oh I still use my hatchet where it’s better suited but for a lot of the stuff I’m around the froe is a lot better. And did I mention safer ?
 
I too like the Froe, it comes in handy for kindling.

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GPyro said:
I don't doubt it for a minute.
I have one and I'm impressed with its abilities. Tho I haven't done what you have there.

I got mine after hearing a story of a lone camper that cut his femoral artery splitting firewood with an axe.
He bled out and died even tho he had a tourniquet applied.

With the froe, you don't need to swing it that way. Just pound it down with another hardwood stick opposite the handle.
Way safer, and it's actually sorta fun.:)
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Much less force. The action is like choppin broccoli. Plus the handle is built so you can hold on way to swing and another way to chop... choke all the way up on the blade for detail work. I like it.
 
Lesknife said:
Yep, I like my 108 froe. I also have an estwing sport hatchet I take along but I tend to use the froe more often. I’ve also noticed when I’m out gathering and chopping fire wood theres a lot of brush, low hanging limbs and suckers sprouting from smaller trees I want to remove. The 108 froe is much handier than the hatchet for clearing brush, limbs and suckers than the hatchet. And safer as well.

Oh I still use my hatchet where it’s better suited but for a lot of the stuff I’m around the froe is a lot better. And did I mention safer ?
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I love using it to clear nuisance oaks that sprout up all over the place in the wilder parts of the yard.
 
bucktool said:
I too like the Froe, it comes in handy for kindling.

g33XTx0.jpg
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I wish I got a red one... picked mine up right after they were discontinued... actually purchased a schrade froe because it was like 30 bucks or something. Snapped in half at the pin holes the first time I used it out in the cold. Never heard from their warranty dept, and buck had moved on to the dark colored blades...
 
B BennyBlade ugh, I remember that thread, now! What a pile of excrement that became. If I recall correctly, I chimed in saying I like my Skrama for the same reasons you like the froe. Looking at your pics above, they have a lot in common. Getting handy with one would pretty much make someone handy with the other. And the carry rig looks similar on each. Anyway, great post and pics!

Zieg
 
The 1 improvement I would make on the 108 is the location of the lanyard hole. Centripetal force does sometimes want to make the thing fly out of your hand, and the lanyard prevents that. After a few experiments, I ended up with the current lanyard setup. I put a fig 8 jam knot at one end of paracord and pass it through the eye 3 times to create a clove hitch. Then I simply create a loop at the other end and double knot it to itself. That way the loop at the end will easily slide to accommodate thumbs and gloves of all sizes. With the current placement of the lanyard hole, I usually need to replace the lanyard after hard use. It usually gets chopped accidentally or beaten apart by whatever I baton with...

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BennyBlade said:
The 1 improvement I would make on the 108 is the location of the lanyard hole. Centripetal force does sometimes want to make the thing fly out of your hand, and the lanyard prevents that. After a few experiments, I ended up with the current lanyard setup. I put a fig 8 jam knot at one end of paracord and pass it through the eye 3 times to create a clove hitch. Then I simply create a loop at the other end and double knot it to itself. That way the loop at the end will easily slide to accommodate thumbs and gloves of all sizes. With the current placement of the lanyard hole, I usually need to replace the lanyard after hard use. It usually gets chopped accidentally or beaten apart by whatever I baton with...

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Where would you put the lanyard hole? Towards the pommel?

Zieg
 
BennyBlade said:
It would be cool if one of the 3 handle screws was a threaded barrel. You could use the first or third hole for the lanyard without having to drill another hole in the steel.
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I think it could be done. Does the middle hole contribute a lot to the scale stability?

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
I think it could be done. Does the middle hole contribute a lot to the scale stability?

Zieg
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The handle is long, so all 3 eyes and screws are needed to secure the handle imo. I think if if the hollow screw had a tiny lip (1/16" - 1/8") on it, it would act satisfactorily to both secure the handle and provide a lanyard point.
 
I'm glad you found a tool that works for you, and you didn't listen to the naysayers.

How much does that froe + sheath weigh? I doubt that it is lighter than my Fiskars hatchet at 19 oz.
 
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