Batoning question / observation.

[Bumppo]

With all the bushcrafting people here who baton, why in all the pictures do I see people grasping thick branches to smack the spines of their knives through wood, but none seem to have carved more servicable sized handles into said branches? Seems like it would be more safe to take a minute and chop a smaller diameter hand hold for those thick batons.

 

[kgd]

Making a baton is a good idea, especially if you are going to be at a basecamp for a weekend or so and baton splitting is your primary means of splitting wood. But, most of us are just lazy and grab whatever stick will do. Hell, you know we are lazy....Otherwise, we'd haul an axe to do all that splitting

Batoning - why? Because walking 20 feet to get the axe from the stump is just too much effort!

 

[TheGame]

Probably because I am just too lazy to do it. I rather not take time to do that, since the batons always end up as firewood anyway.

 

[akabu]

Sharp Blade-1
2 Length of tool { make's it simpler }
I would agree. me I would smack a limb and break and use as fire wood. the Batoning would be for a more easier fire lay as in Thin stuff as the base then build up to thicker.

 

[Bumppo]

The batonning I get, and do. But there are times when , as I am doing it, I think,"maybe I could get a better whack if I carved a handle". Yet even with the time to do it, I have never done it. Thanks for your honesty, it is good to see some other perspectives.

 

[elof_alv]

I suppose the batoning is really a quick fix when in need to make more of the knife you have. So you grab the piece of wood that looks suitable and whack on your knife.
It's the modern trend to make it a long term solution rather than just a quick fix.

 

[pitdog]

This one was roughly shaped !