Batoning question

[Jsega51]

A small hatchet for example would be far more preferable than a big heavy knife for processing wood to make a fire.....

In your case, not for others. And who says the knife has to be big and heavy?

Space was limited on a camping trip where I flew out and spent the time sleeping in a small camper van staying at various state and national parks, buying their firewood that everyone is familiar with. No sticks to be found on the ground either as peak season has a million campers picking them up each day. This one tool did all the work I needed for the week, knife stuff and splitting down wood for kindling, no small hatchet was needed so I could leave a 2nd tool at home.

The knife is designed to do this specific job and it worked just fine with no more effort than I would have used by setting a small axe head on the log and using another piece of wood to baton it

 

[Old Biker]

OK, gotta ask...why always the jump to extremes, i.e. survival situation? How about just a normal hiking/camping scenario and a desire to make things work easily and smoothly? That's 99.9% of knife and saw work.

If I'm camping from a car or truck. I'm going to have a hatchet and probably an axe with me. Maybe even a saw. So there would be no reason to baton a knife. Hiking, backpacking. I'm not going to carry a knife big enough to baton with, it weighs to much.

Most of the time backpacking, I don't bother with a fire. A fire is like a small child, it should never be left alone. I prefer to spend my time down by the lake shore, taking pictures of the sunset, rather than sitting in camp babysitting a fire. If the weather is such that a fire is deemed necessary, is the stick is to big to break, it is drug over the fire and burned in two.

O.B.

 

[Triton]

If I'm camping from a car or truck. I'm going to have a hatchet and probably an axe with me. Maybe even a saw. So there would be no reason to baton a knife. Hiking, backpacking. I'm not going to carry a knife big enough to baton with, it weighs to much.

Most of the time backpacking, I don't bother with a fire. A fire is like a small child, it should never be left alone. I prefer to spend my time down by the lake shore, taking pictures of the sunset, rather than sitting in camp babysitting a fire. If the weather is such that a fire is deemed necessary, is the stick is to big to break, it is drug over the fire and burned in two.

O.B.

Absolutely agree with this. If I'm car camping I bring the right tool for the job. If I'm backpacking I rarely build a fire since my jetboil stove handles all my food preparation needs with far less effort and a big knife, hatchet or saw is too much of a weight penalty. If I somehow find myself in some unimaginable survival scenario where I have a large fixed blade knife I am certainly not beating on it with a stick.

To each their own of course, if people want to abuse their knives they certainly don't need my permission they can darned well do what they want, but I still think it has little to do with any actual need or situational gravity, never mind practicality. In short I will continue to think that the entire concept is a bit silly.

Later on we can expand on our thoughts on the absurdity of the spine wack test.

 

[The Grendels]

I've been disappointed by a lot of saws in the woods over the years, until I got a Silky Saw. It's the cat's pajamas. So far, I've gotten the Pocket Boy 170 (small yard pruning), Big Boy 360 (branch and small tree), and Katana Boy 650 (when you decide to become a human sawmill). A lot of people prefer the Gomboy for lightness, but I prefer that little bit more saw you get from the Big Boy 360 for taking down trees.

 

[vltor17]

You don’t need to Baton, period. If you are finding logs, there has to be small branches in close proximity

Heresy!! I therefore sentence you 27 days in BF jail. GTFO, heretic.

 

[Danny Linguini]

You are hereby charged with two counts of heresy: heresy by thought, heresy by word, heresy by d… THREE counts of heresy!

 

[eveled]

In your case, not for others. And who says the knife has to be big and heavy?

Space was limited on a camping trip where I flew out and spent the time sleeping in a small camper van staying at various state and national parks, buying their firewood that everyone is familiar with. No sticks to be found on the ground either as peak season has a million campers picking them up each day. This one tool did all the work I needed for the week, knife stuff and splitting down wood for kindling, no small hatchet was needed so I could leave a 2nd tool at home.

The knife is designed to do this specific job and it worked just fine with no more effort than I would have used by setting a small axe head on the log and using another piece of wood to baton it

I get what you are saying totally. Nor am I questioning your technique.

Why do you say that the knife was designed to do that?

Its a Kephart, Kephart carried a small axe.

 

[master_nylo]

Question about batoning; in most videos, you see guys batoning with their knives using perfectly cut logs. Assuming you only have one knife on you (a capable chopper and batoner). How do you get those logs with a nice even cut on both ends so that they stand up on their own, allowing you to split them into small pieces? Do you cross baton first to get a nice even cut on both ends? I guess I could take a folding saw with me when backpacking but trying to avoid that if possible.

I’m trying to learn about bushcrafting but only see videos of guys chopping with a knife (which will give you two jagged ends that will not stand on its own). Or batoning with a perfectly cut log that stands up beautifully on its own. If you only have one knife on you, what’s your technique and steps you take to process wood, for say a fire? Thanks

In my opinion you should always have at least two cutting tools when you go in the woods. I would highly recommend taking a folding saw with you whenever you go in the woods. I have a silky bigboy and it cuts through wood like a hot knife through butter. In bushcraft you don’t really do chopping because it burns to much calories for what you get done. When I baton I cut a piece of wood about 10in long I then place it on the ground or on a fallen tree if the ground is full of rocks I then baton the wood (95% of the time the piece of wood stands up beautifully on its own.) If you want to learn more about bushcraft I suggest to go on YouTube and find Corporals Corner and look at his old and new videos.

 

[kafolarbear]

Absolutely agree with this. If I'm car camping I bring the right tool for the job. If I'm backpacking I rarely build a fire since my jetboil stove handles all my food preparation needs with far less effort and a big knife, hatchet or saw is too much of a weight penalty. If I somehow find myself in some unimaginable survival scenario where I have a large fixed blade knife I am certainly not beating on it with a stick.

To each their own of course, if people want to abuse their knives they certainly don't need my permission they can darned well do what they want, but I still think it has little to do with any actual need or situational gravity, never mind practicality. In short I will continue to think that the entire concept is a bit silly.

Later on we can expand on our thoughts on the absurdity of the spine wack test.

The right tool for the job argument is such a cop out. Who says a knife isn’t the right tool for the job? I’ve batonned plenty of wood with many different knives and never once damaged a knife from batonning. Of course common sense applies, I’m not gonna baton a stainless 0.09” thick knife through hard knotted wood but I’ve never had to worry about any of my carbon steel knives over 0.15” thick breaking, even going through some gnarlier pieces of wood.

 

[master_nylo]

This. Batoning is nothing more than a demonstration of "look how well my knife can stand up to abuse". If you were actually in a survival situation no way would you risk your knife to get kindling when as pholder has already noted if you are finding cut logs to baton chances are pretty decent that there's already some kindling in the form of sticks and twigs about.

I don't believe the " but, but, but its the only way to get dry kindling" nonsense either.

This activity falls into the same category with lashing your knife to a stick to make a spear. I.e. It's unnecessary and can potentially destroy a tool that you need in a survival situation for no real purpose.

With all due respect that’s your opinion. Batoning is not the only to get dry kindling but it helps. And if you have a full exposed tang, good thickness and you don’t baton insane pieces of wood you’ll be fine. Besides if you’re in a survival situation and your knife can’t handle batoning a piece of wood maybe you should consider getting a new knife

 

[stabman]

Besides if you’re in a survival situation and your knife can’t handle batoning a piece of wood maybe you should consider getting a new knife

A little late to get a new knife at that point.

 

[master_nylo]

A little late to get a new knife at that point.

Good point I meant if your knife can’t handle batoning and you’re going to use that knife for a BOB or in a survival situation perhaps you should get a different knife.

 

[scdub]

I use my tools however I want.

 

[scdub]

…I use my Silky Saws exclusively to scrape ferro-rods…

 

[Triton]

The right tool for the job argument is such a cop out. Who says a knife isn’t the right tool for the job?

I think I'm suggesting that the job isn't worth doing.

 

[Triton]

With all due respect that’s your opinion. Batoning is not the only to get dry kindling but it helps. And if you have a full exposed tang, good thickness and you don’t baton insane pieces of wood you’ll be fine. Besides if you’re in a survival situation and your knife can’t handle batoning a piece of wood maybe you should consider getting a new knife

Well of course it is my opinion is the vast majority of what is posted on this board. Also just like everyone else's opinions mine are 100℅ correct!

As you say yes you can baton a log to get kindling. You could also blow up a tree with dynamite or use a cordless sawzall or do any number of equally impractical but impressive things, but why would you?

Can you think of a situation you have been in where there were no sticks or twigs or any other way to get kindling, but there were handy burnable logs lying about for you to split with a knife?

 

[Triton]

…I use my Silky Saws exclusively to scrape ferro-rods…

I use my pistols exclusively to drill holes in wood.

 

[betzner]

I use my pistols exclusively to drill holes in wood.

Much more fun to just shoot at the baton

 

[NapalmCheese]

Can you think of a situation you have been in where there were no sticks or twigs or any other way to get kindling, but there were handy burnable logs lying about for you to split with a knife?

My wife and I went pig hunting at an Army Corps of Engineers area. We had not planned on having a fire. It rained, a lot, and was cold. The people in the camp next to us left, leaving their woodpile on the ground to get soaking wet. The wood was mostly round with a few splits, and not a stick of kindling or anything tinder-like to be found.

Now that said, I used the axe in my truck to split the wood down to kindling and my pocket knife to make a fuzz stick that I coated in hand sanitizer that I lit with the Bic lighter I keep in my truck. Not exactly bushcraft, but we had fire and got warm.

 

[dogstar]

My wife and I went pig hunting at an Army Corps of Engineers area. We had not planned on having a fire. It rained, a lot, and was cold. The people in the camp next to us left, leaving their woodpile on the ground to get soaking wet. The wood was mostly round with a few splits, and not a stick of kindling or anything tinder-like to be found.

Now that said, I used the axe in my truck to split the wood down to kindling and my pocket knife to make a fuzz stick that I coated in hand sanitizer that I lit with the Bic lighter I keep in my truck. Not exactly bushcraft, but we had fire and got warm.

Bushcrafty enough for me, you got'er done