batoning

[Ankerson]

I used a BM mini-grip at a nice sushi joint because the steak my wife ordered did not come with a knife, or a fork for that matter.

That's true they don't because they cut them up for you before they serve it, no knife needed ever.

 

[me2]

All the recent posts about batoning are getting tiring. Its a reasonable way to make smaller pieces of wood from larger ones. Done within reason it is not abuse. If an Opinel can do it and my M2 Puukko w/ 1/16" spine can do it, IME any knife should be able to do it. Go slowly and carefully and dont try to split 10" oak logs with a 4" blade and any knife should be able to handle it.

 

[Joshua J.]

Just say NO, to knife ABUSE!

Sometimes I don't get all this "don't abuse your knives" stuff.
Most of the time I do, given that people who expect their knives to do unreasonable things are warranty hogs, however... If you are fully aware that doing something may result in a broken knife, and have no intention of making any warranty claims, then by all means go ahead and beat the crap out of your knife.
I've been using some of my nicer folders for work recently. That means they are primarily used to pry, scrape, and cut tin sheet. You know what? They work great! Sure it completely blunts the edge, but a blunt knife will still cut tin better than a hammer.

 

[winbag338]

If one has the skills and enough judgement . And wont cry if something bad happens. then go nuts. I choose not to baton with my folders.

 

[starboard]

Sometimes the situation calls for making do with what's available, and what's available can be tragicomical.

I've batoned a knife with a 3lb mini-sledge, choked all the way up and gently, for precision I couldn't attain with swings. I'd have liked to have something lighter and softer on hand, but alas.

(Admittedly, the knife itself was in the 1.5-2 lbs range. )

 

[CaptInsano]

I see a violent explosion in the making.

Dinner not agreeing with you?

 

[batosai117]

I've batoned with folders plenty of times, I almost exclusively carry folders since I like having my knife on me 24/7. I can't carry fixed blades through town, so my folder is what I would have with me be it within the city limits, or out in the boonies. I like knowing that the knife clipped to my pocket can do just about anything I need.

Coincidentally, I'm carrying the CQD MARK 1 TYPE E, and it performed great today on my dove hunting outing. What's the use of having all of these technological advances in the cutlery industry if we still have to pamper our "users?" Now that doesn't mean rock splitting or hacking a full grown tree down with your folder, proper knife technique and logical methods (common sense) still apply.

Now, I can see 100% where Dennis is coming from; right tool for the right job kinda guy who I wouldn't mind shooting the wind with and hearing some great stories. For me batoning with my folder (done only once in a blue moon) is just to know that if I ever really did need to split some wood at the last minute, my knife should work.

Take care, J.

 

[Centurian]

I've never batoned (is that really a word??) with a folder, I have with a fixed blade..even done some batoning with a baton.

I think the opening post put a lot of people on the defensive since the opening statements referred to the author as a "moron".

Personally, I am perfectly happy with an author abusing the heck out of a knife so that way I know what it is capable of and I don't have to use my knife to do it.

Is it a "realistic" test? That is up to the people reading it. On the other hand the vast majority of the knives out there are just carried and used for light chores...I don't think that makes for an interesting article myself. "Carried this Spyderco for 15 years, cut some boxes, opened some letters, cut some meat, good knife". That would be pretty boring, and it does not test the "limits" of a knife.

I see this stuff all the time in the firearms world. Freeze a pistol to -100F...ok if your Glock is in a block of ice in the "real world" you got bigger problems then if the gun will work or not.On the other hand, is it nice to know it can be frozen, buried in sand, ran over with a truck and come out shooting..AND yes it makes for good reading.

While the opening post may have come across in a way that "ruffled" feathers, let's try to keep personal attacks out of it.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

For those afraid to baton, just tap the blade into the wood to start the cut, then fashion a wooden wedge and drive that into the tiny split the knife edge made. Voila. Knickers untwisted.

I think everyone should just agree to disagree. Me, I'm going to keep on batoning (carefully).

 

[De4thStr1ke]

I've never batoned (is that really a word??) with a folder, I have with a fixed blade..even done some batoning with a baton.

I think the opening post put a lot of people on the defensive since the opening statements referred to the author as a "moron".

Personally, I am perfectly happy with an author abusing the heck out of a knife so that way I know what it is capable of and I don't have to use my knife to do it.

Is it a "realistic" test? That is up to the people reading it. On the other hand the vast majority of the knives out there are just carried and used for light chores...I don't think that makes for an interesting article myself. "Carried this Spyderco for 15 years, cut some boxes, opened some letters, cut some meat, good knife". That would be pretty boring, and it does not test the "limits" of a knife.

I see this stuff all the time in the firearms world. Freeze a pistol to -100F...ok if your Glock is in a block of ice in the "real world" you got bigger problems then if the gun will work or not.On the other hand, is it nice to know it can be frozen, buried in sand, ran over with a truck and come out shooting..AND yes it makes for good reading.

While the opening post may have come across in a way that "ruffled" feathers, let's try to keep personal attacks out of it.

Agree 100%! Personally the thing that really irritated me was the initial name calling. It's a review, meant to test limits. And each person has the option to do what they want to with their knife, they shouldn't be called a moron for exercising that right (unless of course they really do make a bad decision).

Further, the abrasive, childish manner that the first couple posts were responded to didn't help matters. I'm not trying to make personal attacks here, but I don't know how else to describe his response. Just because some of us may not be advanced in years doesn't mean we don't have something to bring to the discussion, and since few of us know each other in the real world making comments about what we do/don't know seemed a little presumptious to me.

But, that's just my $0.02 on it......

 

[jurisprudence]

Split wood has more surface area than a solid log for oxygen and heat to contact. It is not always about drying wood out, it can be about burning wood more efficiently.

My point was that in most situations it is not necessary to split wood. It is necessary to burn wood more efficiently?

I guess they scotchguard all the wood where you're from. LOL

No, and I spoke in general terms and I am not saying that splitting wood serves no purpose, just pointing out that many of the situations I have observed it is not necessary to baton wood because it is already dry.

There may be situations in which it is impossible to find wood dry enough to burn and in your location probably more frequently than where I am, but if wood is too wet to burn then splitting it results in two pieces of wet wood. Once a fire is burning that same piece that was split because it was viewed as too wet would have burned without being split. However, to get a fire started in a wet environment may require some splitting, but kindling is usually more of a problem than finding wood to burn in those situations.

 

[sleevefullofaces]

My point was that in most situations it is not necessary to split wood. It is necessary to burn wood more efficiently?

I understood your point. Mine was that you are wrong.
It is necessary to burn wood efficiently if you are using the fire for heat and not entertainment. It's not very entertaining to look at a half burned, smoldering log though! YMMV

 

[DennisStrickland]

i love the responses beats the hell out of t.v. i wiil make this short & sweet. this forum is'nt about popularlity you guys are great knowledge ,opinions, & experences are why we are here.i do have more than 2 marbles rolling upstairs & until my knee replacement 2 years ago; did 90 pushups [3 sets of 30] dailey.one point i will add is the cutlery manf.will certainly be happy to sell more knives since some of your uses are going to shorten lifetime of your folders.hope you read my review of great east. # 23 with liner lock after 2 days at the ranch. will give results in 4 or 6 hrs. thank for the company.

 

[jurisprudence]

It is necessary to burn wood efficiently if you are using the fire for heat and not entertainment. It's not very entertaining to look at a half burned, smoldering log though! YMMV

So, you are saying to burn dry wood one must split it or the result is a smoldering log? I have to disagree with that. A dry log will be equally complete a split wood, at least in terms in what is measurable from observation.

Charcoal burns at 1000 degrees. Wood (dry, wet, or green) will burn if the fire is hot enough.

Even wet wood burns. The history of the yule log in the american south provides an example. The ending of Christmas was measured from the time the fire was extinguished. On the last day of the Christmas season, the men would find the greenest, toughest, and biggest tree that they could, and cut it down and sink it into a swamp. It would remain there until the following Christmas. Then on Christmas day, it was taken out of the swamp and brought into the master's home. After singing and a ceremony, the log was placed in the fireplace and lit. The holiday season would last until the log was burned into two parts. After the log was burned, the holiday season ended with a song and a ceremony.

.

 

[Will Batayte]

I'm with you!
Next up the guys who use their folders in steakhouses, who don't realize how dorky they look...

Yeah but if your discrete you can do it with no one noticing. I do this all the time for the simple reason that they hand me a god damn butter knife to cut my porterhouse with. Go head and use the butter knife if your afraid of what the sheeple think. I guarantee I'll be done cutting and half way done eating before you've sawed the fat off. It's much easier to glide through with a BM 710 than screw around with the POS they give you regardless of how tender the steak is. Just don't make a big deal out of flipping it open and no one will notice. I figure if the restaurant doesn't like it then they ought to have better steak knives. Furthermore as long as my knife is of legal size there is no law against using it so the sheeple can kiss my ass. I'm not gonna sneak around hiding my knife like some kind of junky or something.

 

[Superdave1]

Yeah but if your discrete you can do it with no one noticing. I do this all the time for the simple reason that they hand me a god damn butter knife to cut my porterhouse with. Go head and use the butter knife if your afraid of what the sheeple think. I guarantee I'll be done cutting and half way done eating before you've sawed the fat off. It's much easier to glide through with a BM 710 than screw around with the POS they give you regardless of how tender the steak is. Just don't make a big deal out of flipping it open and no one will notice. I figure if the restaurant doesn't like it then they ought to have better steak knives. Furthermore as long as my knife is of legal size there is no law against using it so the sheeple can kiss my ass. I'm not gonna sneak around hiding my knife like some kind of junky or something.

I try not to eat steak that tough!!!! I am a knife geek, my GF's eyes glaze over when I start trying to explain, or pull 3 or 4 out of my pockets to show the good points of different styles...but I am highly skeptical that people need to pull out their own cuttlery or silverwear in a restaraunt!!! The same as wearing giant stetson in a restaraunt...or batonning with a folder in most cases I think its unneccessary!!

 

[Superdave1]

That's true they don't because they cut them up for you before they serve it, no knife needed ever.

LMAO...because its true!!!

 

[Superdave1]

Gee, Fellas, what have I missed. I have been using sharp knives out my pockets on tough steak for many years and never had anyone but the waiter pay any attention at all. When I was dating between wives I make up a pair of steak knives using Woodswalker blades and antique sea snail handles, very elegant.

I think you folks are way too sensitive to what others might think, besides this is way way off topic

I love your products....and I like the elegant steak knives and all...
nothing wrong with being eccentric!!

 

[myright]

That's true they don't because they cut them up for you before they serve it, no knife needed ever.

If you ever have a chance to go to the sushi place I went to and order the steak I did you will then understand that they did not cut it and did not provide a knife to cut it with.

Also - service sucked and waiting for the server to bring a knife would have meant eating a cold steak.

LMAO...because its true!!!

No it isn't.

 

[Ankerson]

Yeah but if your discrete you can do it with no one noticing. I do this all the time for the simple reason that they hand me a god damn butter knife to cut my porterhouse with. Go head and use the butter knife if your afraid of what the sheeple think. I guarantee I'll be done cutting and half way done eating before you've sawed the fat off. It's much easier to glide through with a BM 710 than screw around with the POS they give you regardless of how tender the steak is. Just don't make a big deal out of flipping it open and no one will notice. I figure if the restaurant doesn't like it then they ought to have better steak knives. Furthermore as long as my knife is of legal size there is no law against using it so the sheeple can kiss my ass. I'm not gonna sneak around hiding my knife like some kind of junky or something.

If you need more knife than they give you then you might need to go to a better restaurant.

If someone does call the police you won't be able to explain why you are using your knife, they aren't going to want to hear it either. Also once you pull it out it becomes a weapon and you can be arrested for brandishing a weapon.

I have seen this happen more than once to people, yes they were arrested and removed in handcuffs.