Batoning with a knife

[Cereal_killer]

I have beat the hell out of Estwing rock hammer and a hatchet and neither has never failed. The rock hammer got far more stressful use since I often was pounding on it with a small sledge (with eye protection of course).

I've worked at my current job for >5 years (that's GREATER than 5 years, another current thread makes me feel I need to point that out lol) and in that time we've had to replace all our hand tools, two trucks and a CAT 242d yet we're still using the same Easwing hammers and hatchet and mini-sledges. I asked my buddy once (who bought me on) and he too has yet to see them need replaced.
I do not believe you can destroy an Easwing
Hammer with force excerpted by a human.

 

[91bravo]

I haven't read every post here, bu lots of folks from the Asian countries baton to turn bigger wood into smaller wood. It's a primitive style of splitting wood that many Americans frown on. Especially the indigenous who baton due to lack of access to an axe. IMO, batoning is one of the true tests of a fixed blade. I've never broken a blade batoning wood in my decades of doing it. If I can't baton with it, then it's no good in my book.

 

[22-rimfire]

I agree actually. You should be able to baton with a well made fixed blade. I just don't do it much.

 

[22-rimfire]

I've worked at my current job for >5 years (that's GREATER than 5 years, another current thread makes me feel I need to point that out lol) and in that time we've had to replace all our hand tools, two trucks and a CAT 242d yet we're still using the same Easwing hammers and hatchet and mini-sledges. I asked my buddy once (who bought me on) and he too has yet to see them need replaced.
I do not believe you can destroy an Easwing
Hammer with force excerpted by a human.

I think anything within reason can be destroyed. I also swear by the Estwing hammers. They last and last when used as a hammer. I suspect it would be lateral force that would break one versus force to the head whether it be a rock hammer, pick, hatchet, or hammer. The same would apply to a fixed blade knife.

 

[braillediver]

Do Not Baton a Frozen Chicken Breast. Just say'n. I sheared, snapped the blades on a Gerber Muskie and another Gerber folder many years ago. Both blades just snapped up- no bend or anything. Gerber replaced both blades and even finished the broken Muskie into a paring knife.

 

[Yonose]

Using the baton method is just easier and safer; a longer blade gives more control and shouldn't require much more than a few "taps." Also can be done while sitting right by the fire. Ontario's big 5160 choppers are soft enough to take it, in fact they were designed for it! I don't risk my bk9 doing it, although many have--this is where the stats above tend to cause doubt to seep in. Nevertheless I usually have a half hatchet with me just in case, as well as a 4-5" blade and often a 3" blade as well.

 

[jimmyd1982]

I haven't read every post here, bu lots of folks from the Asian countries baton to turn bigger wood into smaller wood. It's a primitive style of splitting wood that many Americans frown on. Especially the indigenous who baton due to lack of access to an axe. IMO, batoning is one of the true tests of a fixed blade. I've never broken a blade batoning wood in my decades of doing it. If I can't baton with it, then it's no good in my book.

It's frowned upon because it's pointless. Just use your knife to cut a wedge and use that to split the wood. Why dull your blade and risk breaking it when there is a better way?

 

[JJ_Colt45]

Worst splitters ever.

Decent limbers and good for grubbing out roots. But man, they suck at splitting due to the thin grind.

I find the Estwings great for splitting average size logs ... the 18" camp axe does a great job (although came new with a very dull edge and I had to sharpen it up good) ... also Estwing has whats called a Fireside Friend which is a short splitting maul and perfect for camping.

And I have no problem with someone batoning wood if they have a decently sturdy knife to do so ... and its the one option they have ... if you use it to split small edges off it goes fairly easily.

Personally I prefer a small axe and folding saw in my pack over carrying a big knife on top of my carry knife ... but think in certain circumstances the extra larger thicker blade carried with a smaller multi use knife makes a good combination due to weight.

 

[Yonose]

I don't think anyone is advocating for a cabin dweller to baton 3 cords of wood for winter. It's a method for splitting a few pieces of wood into smaller pieces for a fire when one hasn't brought a 4-8lb axe for an overnight camping trip, and might be to tired to safely swing an axe

 

[91bravo]

It's frowned upon because it's pointless. Just use your knife to cut a wedge and use that to split the wood. Why dull your blade and risk breaking it when there is a better way?

Pointless maybe to some, but not in my eyes. This is a pretty old debate within itself, baton or not to baton, plain edge vs serrated edge, scandi or flat grind. Different strokes for different folks is what it boils down to. I don't find batoning to dull my blade anymore than cutting dusty cardboard will. Maybe there is a risk of breaking my blade when batoning, but like I said, I've never broken one in the decades that I have been doing it. I learned it from my dad, who learned it from his dad, who were all from 3rd world countries and that's just how they did it. Maybe it's just a cultural difference.

The definition of better is always going to mean different things to different people...

 

[jimmyd1982]

Pointless maybe to some, but not in my eyes. This is a pretty old debate within itself, baton or not to baton, plain edge vs serrated edge, scandi or flat grind. Different strokes for different folks is what it boils down to. I don't find batoning to dull my blade anymore than cutting dusty cardboard will. Maybe there is a risk of breaking my blade when batoning, but like I said, I've never broken one in the decades that I have been doing it. I learned it from my dad, who learned it from his dad, who were all from 3rd world countries and that's just how they did it. Maybe it's just a cultural difference.

The definition of better is always going to mean different things to different people...

Oh absolutely... I mean I can claim that the best way to carve a turkey is to use a chainsaw but that doesn't mean anyone with common sense should follow that advise.

 

[Yonose]

Everyone knows a jigsaw is for carving turkey!

 

[stabman]

It's frowned upon because it's pointless. Just use your knife to cut a wedge and use that to split the wood. Why dull your blade and risk breaking it when there is a better way?

Well, when we had county-wide flooding, my brother and I headed to the woods.
I was wearing a leather jacket, cotton cargo pants, and a cotton t-shirt, because I buy knives, not rain gear.

We had the shelter in place in a about a half hour due to me chopping the poles.
We had fire despite torrential rain, due to splitting wood under the shelter, and planning the fire.

Good luck doing that without splitting wood, and good luck doing it quickly while fiddling around with wedges.
And I wish you REALLY good luck if you try breaking the knife I made and had with me...it just ain't gonna happen.

Now sure, the "better way" to get warmth and some shelter would be to stay at home...but what fun is that?

 

[Jisatsu]

#batonlife

 

[stabman]

#batonlife

Indeed!

As long as people don't imitate the morons on YouTube, they and their knives will be just fine.

Don't learn how to properly baton or perform heart surgery from YouTube videos, or you're gonna have a bad time.

 

[katanas]

Also, don't learn how to have s..."never mind".

 

[xyrium]

Hold my beer

I tried to "like" this more than once. Good one...

 

[W. Anderson]

I am about to sound really, really ignorant.

With that said:

If you have managed to render down wood small enough to baton into even smaller chunks, it seems that you must have a better tool for the job, lest you wouldn't have been able to get them that small enough to be able to baton futher in the first place?

i.e.

You have some chunks of wood you need to baton down with a knife...

..well how did you get those chunks from that branch, log, or tree?

...I assume with a tool that would be better suited for rendering than a knife and log for 'batonning'???

I've done a lot of living in the woods and swamp since the mid 2000,s and have never battoned. Granted that my wheelhouse is urban...ah..er...squatting (have fun with that, with the disclaimer that it is based on the lessons of a former, more fun lifestyle) I just have not been able to wrap my head around this phenomena.

Thanks for reading.


Edited to add, I have batonned with a hatchet, using it as a wedge, but never with a knife

 

[W. Anderson]

Well, when we had county-wide flooding, my brother and I headed to the woods.
I was wearing a leather jacket, cotton cargo pants, and a cotton t-shirt, because I buy knives, not rain gear.

We had the shelter in place in a about a half hour due to me chopping the poles.
We had fire despite torrential rain, due to splitting wood under the shelter, and planning the fire.

Good luck doing that without splitting wood, and good luck doing it quickly while fiddling around with wedges.
And I wish you REALLY good luck if you try breaking the knife I made and had with me...it just ain't gonna happen.

Now sure, the "better way" to get warmth and some shelter would be to stay at home...but what fun is that?

Dude, fun times.

 

[22-rimfire]

I am about to sound really, really ignorant.

With that said:

If you have managed to render down wood small enough to baton into even smaller chunks, it seems that you must have a better tool for the job, lest you wouldn't have been able to get them that small enough to be able to baton futher in the first place?

i.e.

You have some chunks of wood you need to baton down with a knife...

..well how did you get those chunks from that branch, log, or tree?

...I assume with a tool that would be better suited for rendering than a knife and log for 'batonning'???

I've done a lot of living in the woods and swamp since the mid 2000,s and have never battoned. Granted that my wheelhouse is urban...ah..er...squatting (have fun with that, with the disclaimer that it is based on the lessons of a former, more fun lifestyle) I just have not been able to wrap my head around this phenomena.

Thanks for reading.


Edited to add, I have batonned with a hatchet, using it as a wedge, but never with a knife

I mostly used a hatchet in the past as well. But I sort have become "anti hatchet" and seldom have one with me any more. I use more of the short rigid machete type blades now such as the Condor Pack Golok. I however have considered buying one of those tiny hatchets that AG Russell sells just for this kind of purpose. I think you baton with a knife for the fun of it mostly and nice squared off logs are mostly used. They could be saw cut in the woods or from a wood pile. But in truth, the time I might need to baton or split wood with a knife is camping in rainy weather with everything wet (and you don't have a hatchet). Then as the fire gets going you feed it with wet stuff and increase the wood size. I have in the past just slid fairly large "trees" into the fire (8" kind of thickness) and just kept pushing them into the fire as they were consumed. No cutting required although you don't want to start a forest fire. Certainly not the classic camp fire look.

Added: If I'm just sitting around the fire and not doing anything in particular, I will usually start shortening the "trees" into 4 foot lengths or a size I can lift easily. You don't want to go to sleep with really big stuff on a fire where the fire might travel down the material and catch stuff on fire that you don't want to be on fire.