Batoning?

quick! someone in knife manufacturing
had better come up with a certified 100%
fool-proof batoning knife; so that all other
real knives will not be subjected to the gross humiliation of being turned into
improvised hatchets :-)
the fact that it requires batoning
means that there isn't quite enough weight
in the knife for gravity to effectively
carry out the chopping chore.
my guess is that overall most folks
will not want to be extra burdened
by any form of extra weight...
hence the lazy man's way out to
splitting wood.
 
22-rimfire said:
Which is why I seldom ever watch a knife testing video. Words (text) and a few still pictures are enough for me.
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The only knife related YouTube videos I really watch anymore are knife making.
I don't research knives before I buy them, at most it's a quick forum or manufacturers website search.

These days if someone posts a knife here that interests me I'll search it real quick for specs and price, if I like what I see I'll make a decision.
No need for reviews or anything, and I'm not usually the type to ask for recommendations on what new knife, hand tool, or airgun to buy next. The only factor In these areas are whether I want it, and others opinions won't change that.
I won't ask what I should buy, but I will ask what's out there.

I don't need some person on YouTube telling me what's good or what's not, if it's popular with the fellow forum members I tend to agree with I probably know of it and whether or not it's something I wanna try out.
 
eveled said:
My complaint and the reason for the thread. I see a lot of nice knives being rejected by people here because it is a stick tang and therefore no good for batoning so it is a bad knife.
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A bad knife for them you mean. Whats wrong with them thinking that? Do you not have different preferences and ways of doing things than others?

GIRLYmann said:
quick! someone in knife manufacturing
had better come up with a certified 100%
fool-proof batoning knife; so that all other
real knives will not be subjected to the gross humiliation of being turned into
improvised hatchets :)
the fact that it requires batoning
means that there isn't quite enough weight
in the knife for gravity to effectively
carry out the chopping chore.
my guess is that overall most folks
will not want to be extra burdened
by any form of extra weight...
hence the lazy man's way out to
splitting wood.
Click to expand...

90 percent of knives are baton proof though...Even a 10$ mora 511 is if you baton safely and correctly...What are you getting at here?
 
Well we are lucky to have options to choose.

If we all liked the same thing and there was only 1 type of knife - world would be a pretty boring place.
 
Bushcraft Forever said:
Batoning wood with a knife is far safer than splitting with an axe, especially in low light or when you're tired.

There is nothing at all wrong with batoning with a knife if you know what you're doing. Anyone who says different is very uneducated as far as knife use is concerned.
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So everyone in this post who disagreed with you on batoning is "very uneducated as far as knife use is concerned"?
As someone who was raised in rural Texas and has carried and used a knife in civilian,hunting,camping and military use for 60+ years, I find your comment "very uneducated". I had never even heard of batoning until I came to this forum.
An axe can also be batoned in low light or when fatigued. Use your knife to make a wooden wedge and start the split with your knife, finish with the wedge.
Breaking your knife a long way from home can put you in a bad place quick. Do you baton with your Andaltool Forest knife? The need for batoning should not be a test of your knife but a test of your resourcefulness in getting a job done without abusing your tools.
Like the man said--Right tool for the job.--KV
 
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22-rimfire said:
Good stuff. We need to see more Randall knives on this forum. From a practical point of view, a knife needs to be both functional and of a size that it is practical to carry in the field. A 7-7.5" blade is about the maximum size that I find practical. The blade width also has a serious impact on how willing I am to carry a knife in the woods.
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I agree that we do need to see more Randall knives here. :)

I do have another one, it's bigger though, a Model 12-9" #14 Grind. It's not a user though, it's for the collection only. At a little over 18oz it's still not to bad weight wise, with the 9" blade and ground thin it would be a real monster in the field.

750_2568 Randall by Jim Ankerson, on Flickr
 
kvaughn said:
So everyone in this post who disagreed with you on batoning is "very uneducated as far as knife use is concerned"?
As someone who was raised in rural Texas and has carried and used a knife in civilian,hunting,camping and military use for 60+ years, I find your comment "very uneducated". I had never even heard of batoning until I came to this forum.
An axe can also be batoned in low light or when fatigued. Use your knife to make a wooden wedge and start the split with your knife, finish with the wedge.
Breaking your knife a long way from home can put you in a bad place quick. Do you baton with your Andaltool Forest knife? The need for batoning should not be a test of your knife but a test of your resourcefulness in getting a job done without abusing your tools.
Like the man said--Right tool for the job.--KV
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:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I was going to post, but this says it all way better than I could have!
 
22-rimfire said:
Gosh. That's beautiful! There is just something about the classic Randall look that is very appealing.
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Thanks. :)

They make some really nice ones for sure.

I like that they are all hand forged custom knives, they are all a little different.

The quality is really off the scale too.

I do have 2 others on order, a Model #16 and #14 Attack, about a year on the #16 and 5 years on the #14.
 
afishhunter said:
It has been my observation that "common sense" is critically endangered, and may be extinct with-in another generation or two. :(
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I considered posting that common sense isn't common, but I had already typed too much. I think we're too good at saving people where in past generations they would have died off a little bit by now.
 
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22-rimfire said:
Ankerson Ankerson I feel that I'm too old to actually order a Randall from the factory. Plus I have a lot of knives. I may keep an eye out for one as you have given me the itch again.
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There are some good reputable dealers that sell them and keep a good amount of models in stock. :) :D
 
Only batoning videos I see are people who are given the knives for free to review. No REAL knife owner would treat his $200ish blade that way.

I learned in the Marines about the right tool for the right job. Chainsaws, axes and log splitters are pefrect tools for splitting wood.

Not one knife was used in the making of this video.
 
The Retired Marine said:
Only batoning videos I see are people who are given the knives for free to review. No REAL knife owner would treat his $200ish blade that way.

I learned in the Marines about the right tool for the right job. Chainsaws, axes and log splitters are pefrect tools for splitting wood.

Not one knife was used in the making of this video.
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Are you familiar with Busse or Carother's knives?
 
For the thread, here is a short video I made about 10 years ago when I was doing a lot of testing. Remember I said we were expected to baton with everything that we tested.

Notice the wood is reasonable size here and I am not pounding the heck out of the knife..




And another one here, bigger knife, still reasonable wood.

 
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The only time I would baton with a knife is if I had no other choice. Usually I have the proper tools to use for splitting wood so I don’t baton. My bushcraft is pretty straight forward and simple so feather sticks ard batoning aren’t my go to skills. I am even more resistant about using a knife as a pry bar or screwdriver. Just because you can doesn’t make it a good knife by those merits alone. If that’s the only tool I had and someone’s life depended upon batoning with my knife then baton away! I’m not going to select a knife just for that reason when I probably will never have to baton to save my life. Now If someone else wants to use their knife for baton that’s their business and I’m not going to stop them.
 
Fun fact--tapered hidden tang billhooks have been used for batoning kindling for hundreds of years in Europe. It's a technique that can be useful, depending on context. If done properly, it shouldn't harm the tool in question. If done wrong, you can destroy a tool that's not built to handle the force you're subjecting it to. Don't be dummy on either side of the debate. Match tools to tasks, and techniques to circumstances. ;)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Fun fact--tapered hidden tang billhooks have been used for batoning kindling for hundreds of years in Europe. It's a technique that can be useful, depending on context. If done properly, it shouldn't harm the tool in question. If done wrong, you can destroy a tool that's not built to handle the force you're subjecting it to. Don't be dummy on either side of the debate. Match tools to tasks, and techniques to circumstances. ;)
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That is the real key here, do it properly if it's really needed in the 1st place.

Yes, one can break a knife or damage it quickly if it's done wrong etc.

Common since is really a factor here.
 
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