Batoning with small knives?

WilliamsBuiltBlades · Feb 28, 2016

Hey just though I would share this video of me using a small 3.5" blade knife to baton through a piece of wood with.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems the common notion is that you need a large, robust knife to do any effective batoning with, so it might be of interest. Just another technique that could come in handy.

[video=youtube;o_DRkKW7PFY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_DRkKW7PFY[/video]

Thanks!
Elijah

Woods Walker · Mar 1, 2016

Thanks for posting that. I also baton little knives and yes the world doesn't end.

WilliamsBuiltBlades · Mar 1, 2016

Woods Walker said:
Thanks for posting that. I also baton little knives and yes the world doesn't end.

Yep, no problem!

RayseM · Mar 4, 2016

OK with a fixed blade - at least some that I have and have owned but I would not be keen on doing this with a folder. Does that go without saying or is it just me?

Thomas Linton · Mar 4, 2016

http://beforeitsnews.com/survival/2013/06/how-to-baton-firewood-with-a-butter-knife-2475634.html

WilliamsBuiltBlades · Mar 4, 2016

RayseM said:
OK with a fixed blade - at least some that I have and have owned but I would not be keen on doing this with a folder. Does that go without saying or is it just me?

Well, I suppose it ultimately depends on the particular folding knife and size of what you're batoning. I have some folders I wouldn't worry about using to baton some pieces of wood

leghog · Mar 5, 2016

WilliamsBuiltBlades said:
Hey just though I would share this video of me using a small 3.5" blade knife to baton through a piece of wood with.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems the common notion is that you need a large, robust knife to do any effective batoning with, so it might be of interest. Just another technique that could come in handy.

[video=youtube;o_DRkKW7PFY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_DRkKW7PFY[/video]

Thanks!
Elijah

Shows you prying with the knife's edge. I'll not be taking that advice, thank you.

Woods Walker · Mar 5, 2016

leghog said:
Shows you prying with the knife's edge. I'll not be taking that advice, thank you.

Heck I do worse all the time in the woods.

As stated the world probably didn't end IMHO.

leghog · Mar 5, 2016

Woods Walker said:
Heck I do worse all the time in the woods. As stated the world probably didn't end IMHO.

I'll use the edge but see no reason to abuse the edge, and batoning need not abuse the edge.

Woods Walker · Mar 5, 2016

I am just not really seeing it brother. Looks like he is popping out mostly broken chunks of dead wood. Probably could have done it with a fingernail but everyone's perspective is different I guess. I will watch it again.

Edit. Watched it again and really not seeing how that's abuse unless that knife is made of plastic or clay. Granted a knife isn't a crowbar but this is so insignificant . Maybe another set of eye would help as we all tend to see what we see..

So guys what do y'all think?

bore · Mar 5, 2016

Thought the point of battoning was to get at the centre of wet wood. Those branches would be easier to break by stepping on them. Maybe for making notches would make sense.

leghog · Mar 5, 2016

bore said:
Thought the point of battoning was to get at the centre of wet wood. Those branches would be easier to break by stepping on them. Maybe for making notches would make sense.

Yup. Just snap them.

Woods Walker · Mar 5, 2016

Yup! I agree with yea both. Twig fire ready to go using just hands and feet though understand the intent of the OP for posting the thread.

BoozeFighter · Mar 9, 2016

RayseM said:
OK with a fixed blade - at least some that I have and have owned but I would not be keen on doing this with a folder. Does that go without saying or is it just me?

I have battoned a few medium sized pieces of wood in the past with my trusty ole' Buck 110, for no other reason than to see how it would perform. All I did was open it partially (so that the lock was not engaged) and pounded her through, never had any problems to speak of. Definitely not an optimal set up, but with a little sense and some recogniton of a tools limitations, it can be done worry-free.

Thomas Linton · Mar 10, 2016

bore said:
Thought the point of battoning was to get at the centre of wet wood. Those branches would be easier to break by stepping on them. Maybe for making notches would make sense.

I don't baton all that much. However, I have used batoning to prepare parts for traps and fire-by-friction sets, make tents pegs, and shorten staves neatly.

WilliamsBuiltBlades · Mar 20, 2016

Yeah, I was just lightly prying a small chunk that was already mostly cut out.
The branch was easier to baton, what with the handy stump. Most people in decent condition would be able to break that branch, but honestly i think it took less energy and potential wear and tear on the body to swing the baton a few times. Not normally a concern, but under some circumstances it could be. And, I'm confident I could baton through a branch twice that size, which would be difficult to break.
I'm not suggesting everyone go out and baton with their small knives. Sometimes I just like to test the ability of tools or equipment, and particularly since that was a knife I made. I don't baton all that much anyway, and I would use a hatchet if at all possible for those kinds of jobs. But sometimes you just don't have what you would like
Anyway, there's nothing in the video (like, well, like a large portion of information on the web) that should be taken as gospel truth. There are so many variables: That same knife with a hardness of, say, RC 62? Probably not a good candidate. Or a fine hollow grind? Not all knives are equal, obviously.
I'm not saying that ANY small knife can be used to baton with, only that some small knives baton just fine, which I show in the video. Now, you'll have to make an educated decision as to WHICH small knives.