• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Batoning and spoon-carving

desmobob

desmobob

Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
2,493
These are two activities I read about here often, but never have to do.

I just got back from a short backpacking trip in the Adirondacks. It has been rainy lately, and the spot where we camped out on the second night is a very popular camping area with a lean-to built by the state. After a long spring and summer of use by campers, there wasn't a piece of dry hardwood on the ground within a mile. ;)

After sleeping under the stars (and a bit of rain) the first night, we were ready for the nice lean-to and firepit the second night.

I finally found a dry, downed hardhack (hophornbeam, ironwood) about three to four inches in diameter. My Gerber folding saw was able to section it up fairly easily. There wasn't much in the way of dry kindling around, so I decided to baton a piece of the hardhack into smaller pieces.

They don't call it "ironwood" for nothing! I really put my Brian Andrews Off The Map Bushcrafter to the test, hammering it through that stuff. (Where was my Busse Battle Mistress when I needed her?!)

It worked out well and I had a strong fire going in no time. I pulled out the Mountain house dehydrated lasagna packages and got ready to make dinner. I dug around in my pack for my trusty Spork and it was nowhere to be found. I could picture it plainly, sitting next to the sink. I took it out of my pack to wash it before the trip but never did! Oops... :o

I could prepare the lasagna with a plain old stick for stirring, but eating it would be a challenge, so a little spoon carving was in order. I batonned a flat section out of a piece of the hardhack and went to work. I ended up with a very workable spoon that may have lacked in the pleasing aesthetics department, but was absolutely loaded with utility. ;)

Lucky for me, I didn't take any photos of it. :cool:

I will now take the batonning and spoon carving threads much more seriously. :D

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Carving and battoning with a Brian Andrews Bushcrafter and ya didn't take any pics !!!!!!


On a lighter note who cares what the spoon looks likes if it works eh !
 
pitdog said:
Carving and battoning with a Brian Andrews Bushcrafter and ya didn't take any pics !!!!!!


On a lighter note who cares what the spoon looks likes if it works eh !
Click to expand...

It's a funny thing about taking knife photos.... I won't hesitate to stop walking, take off my pack and dig out my camera to photograph plants, pretty forest scenes, animals, etc., but when I'm doing something with a knife, I never even think about taking a photo.

I did post a photo or two of that great knife a week or so ago, on its first trip out. I'm sure it will be seeing a lot of use. I like it a lot.

BrianAndrewsbushcraft1.jpg



Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Last time my buddy and I went camping he had to carve a spoon as well. He has his gear squared away but he has a girlfriend who like to swipe his sporks for her lunches. His spoon turned out pretty good for his first time.

What are the specs on that knife?
 
Shotgun said:
Last time my buddy and I went camping he had to carve a spoon as well. He has his gear squared away but he has a girlfriend who like to swipe his sporks for her lunches. His spoon turned out pretty good for his first time.

What are the specs on that knife?
Click to expand...

The knife is pretty much whatever you want... you select options when ordering from Brian. http://www.offthemapoutfitters.com/product.sc?productId=106&categoryId=32

Mine has a 4.25" blade of 1/8" 01, Scandi grind, natural canvas Micarta scales with red liners, and a bushcraft style sheath with a removable dangler loop.

I'd like to get another one in convex grind D2. Maybe at tax return time....


Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Good story! Chopsticks are the easiest utensils to produce, but they don't scoop out broth very well.
 
Glad to hear the Bushcrafter did well for you. Still haven't gotten a chance to use mine :(. Same specs but with red linen handles.
adam
 
SAKsRCool said:
Glad to hear the Bushcrafter did well for you. Still haven't gotten a chance to use mine :(. Same specs but with red linen handles.
adam
Click to expand...


Batonning it through those incredibly tough hardhack rounds was about the worse abuse I will probably every put it though, and it performed admirably. There were two TINY rolls in the edge that required about five minutes touching up with the rods from my Sharpmaker and a few swipes on the strop to restore the blade to hair-popping sharpness.

It's a wonderful knife. The handle is about as comfortable and functional as I could hope for.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I have definitely done some batoning in my time. It is a handy method for finding dry wood. I also harvested some great fat wood. It was the hardest stuff I have ever chopped in my life, and I have been chopping and splitting wood literally my whole life. Growing up my home was primarily heated with a wood stove. Some of the pieces bounced the maul without creasing. 15-20 full power strikes with a heavy maul before getting a single split was insane. I batoned a bunch of great fat wood from that stuff. Used My FBMLE to baton it out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top