Batoning...Why?!

Is there a big difference between batoning and hammering a Buck through a nail ? Here's a nice picture of an old Buck ad originally posted by Telechronos.

Telechronos said:
NEMOAd-July-1968.jpg


Telechronos:):):)
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shunsui said:
Is there a big difference between batoning and hammering a Buck through a nail ? Here's a nice picture of an old Buck ad originally posted by Telechronos.
Click to expand...

Sure. Done with anything like common sense, batoning is far easier on a Buck than hammering it through a bolt with a steel hammer. (I watched Frank do that once in Columbus, Ohio, at the O.G.C.A. show. He was careful.)
 
Last summer I was at a small lake out on some crown land outside of Ottawa. Someone had left an old aluminum boat for fishing. No oars. We were there for a few days so I split a 6 foot section of pine that was ~10 inches wide into two paddles. The easiest way to split them strait and narrow was to baton them lengthwise. I keep a Cold Steal Bushman in my pack for beater jobs like this. It's one piece construction and low cost keep me from worrying. I wouldn't baton any folder or any of my really good knives though. No point when I can carry a $30 beater that doubles as a spear
 
I've used wooden wedges I've made for splitting wood. Once you get a split started, (one whack with a knife, insert wedge and hammer with log) works really well when you have a lot of wood to process (YMMV).
 
T. Erdelyi said:
I've used wooden wedges I've made for splitting wood. Once you get a split started, (one whack with a knife, insert wedge and hammer with log) works really well when you have a lot of wood to process (YMMV).
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I agree. I have had occasion to split up a lot of firewood from time to time (was selling it at one time, before hydraulic splitters!) and we used wood wedges because an old timer told us about the method. We only had one steel wedge, and the stumps we were splitting up for sale were pretty big.

We would drive in the steel wedge to get things started and then drive in a wood wedge to hold it open, move the steel one and start again. We had about 3 really large white oak wedges (cut to size with a chain saw) going on a stump at a time for the big ones. Those white oak wedges worked great and held up very well. And with that many wedges it made short work of some of those tough, gnarly old stumps.

Robert
 
Heck I think it's so much fun I baton my toothpicks with my pocket knife before using them after I eat. ;)
 
seems strange, I know, but the Indians did just fine without axes, saws, or metal knives. Can't baton a stone knife, ya know. It's just not necessary, guys. You can lash on cross sticks for the 'blade" of an emergency paddle, you know. Just like you can lash sticks across a long "y" of 2 long sticks for making a snowshoe, etc. People get their minds in a rut about how things "gotta be".
 
quintum said:
seems strange, I know, but the Indians did just fine without axes, saws, or metal knives. Can't baton a stone knife, ya know. It's just not necessary, guys. You can lash on cross sticks for the 'blade" of an emergency paddle, you know. Just like you can lash sticks across a long "y" of 2 long sticks for making a snowshoe, etc. People get their minds in a rut about how things "gotta be".
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Agree 100% with emphasized statement.

So when are you going to try batoning?
 
stabman said:
They really liked the metal knives once they were available though.
Indians weren't stupid.
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THIS....


Indians would have traded many furs for anyone bearing a gift of INFI 300-500 years ago.

Hell Romans and Cavemen would have benefited greatly from ANY of the modern steels.
 
Splitting wood is batoning, I guess. I split wood for years feeding the fireplace but I never used a knife. Of course I was home though, plenty of tools for the job in the garage. Wedges, axe, maul, chain saw. Be smart, not try to be cool or a show off.
 
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