Batoning through wood with the Buck 119

[MG_Saldivar]

Have any of y'all ever batoned through wood with the Buck 119?

I realized the 119 is not designed to be a hatchet; indeed, like most hollow-grind knives I've seen, it would be particularly ill-suited to such a task. But there was a batoning thread elsewhere in the Forums and I got to thinking, "How would the 119 hold up to batoning [if I was lost in the wilderness and had no other choice but to bang on the spine to cut through tree limbs to make a shelter]?"

(Cliff Stamp briefly mentions he thinks the 119 could stand up to batoning duty in his review of the 119: http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/buck_119.html)

 

[oaktree]

I tried it last summer on a Maple tree a tornado took down in my back yard. The edge rolled on it, had a heck of a time bringing it back to sharpe again. Just cut one 3 inch limb and that was it. I would not want to try and baton with it again. Carry a small saw or a hatchet instead. I had fun using a friends old Boy Scout hatchet on that tree, that was the right tool for the job.

Mike

 

[MG_Saldivar]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Mike. I've batoned through limbs with a Frost Mora, but it had the Scandanavian "V" grind and was much sturdier for batoning.

(Not slamming the 119 - I love mine and it's a great cutter/slicer; as my original post stated, I hope I'm never in a position to *have* to baton with it, but I was curious about others' experiences.)

I carry a hatchet, a cable saw, and a Leatherman with a saw blade whenever I'm out in the woods, so I hope I'm never down to just my 119!

 

[oaktree]

I'm of the same mind. I really like my 119, but using it to baton is not something I would try again.
Mike