Blade Length vs Capability for Hacking / Batoning?

[stanley_white]

Bear with me please as I try to make my random thoughts logical...

I've been experimenting with different blade lengths lately and been thinking about blade length versus capability regarding hacking and batoning -- i.e. longer blade is usually a better hacker whereas both a long and short blade could be used for batoning.

This of course got me into thinking the trade-offs between having a longer blade that enhances your hacking ability versus saving weight and carrying a short blade.

Based upon weight / blade length versus capability now onto my questions:

What survival tasks necessitate a knife to have good capability for hacking?

What survival tasks necessitate a knife to have a good capability for batoning?

Are there tasks where if you had a longer blade you would hack but if you had a shorter blade you would baton?

 

[beef]

For me personally, as mentioned in another thread, I've never had the need to hack. I saw wood or baton it. Hacking is fun, but has never been necessary for fire making, shelter building, gathering wild edibles, making walking sticks, carving spoons etc.

I like a 4" blade, as it gives me a good target when batoning.

But I know other people love to hack. I'm sure they'll chime in.

 

[dextersp1]

I'm not a big proponent of hacking for a couple of reasons:
1. dangerous - lose grip on knife - hurt yourself
2. dangerous - glance off what you are trying to hack
3. uses a lot of energy

In most circumstances you can baton enough cuts into what you are trying to chop down. If you can not - the wood might be to big.

4-5" blade should be enough.

 

[RescueRiley]

much of this can be dictated by terrain as well...In an area infested with briars... or vines, hackability might be a benefit. a rain soaked environment migiht require you to soit wood to get to the dry wood inside, or you might need to baton wod to make a fire board or any other device

I've spent allot of time in the woods where I didn;t need to do either.
I find the only time I really chop is to section wood, either for the fire or for some specific task. I find an axe works better than large knife, and a saw works better than both..

splitting wood is sometimes helpful However I do prefer to do this with a baton..and a blade as It is safer to a degree than swingin an axe.. (my axemanship is not a strongpoint in my meger reservoir of skills)

 

[kgd]

Nope, batoning is much easier when you have longer length on your side too. I was about to start a thread today, trying to bring out some of the good qualities of the mid-sized blades. I like mid-sized blades. Does it mean if I have a mid-size blade I can't have a little whittler blade with me? No...I can take one. Does it mean I can't have an axe with me? No, I can still take one of them too. I think mid-size blades make a perfect have on your hip knife. Need more proof, take a closer look at the camp knife thread. Most of them just happened to be mid-sized in length. Now those were knives where are brightest designers decided to make a knife they thought was perfect for camp like chores.

4" is okay, but most ladies agree, 6" is better

 

[Andrew Colglazier]

If a knife is to be used primarily for those things one would use a hatchet for, then a longer blade is preferable, to my mind. I like khukuris, as they can be used to chop, or hack, or baton.

Chopping is obvious, but hacking can be simply to take down vegetation to clear a camp site, or to make trail, or to delimb stakes, poles, or branches.

I like a longer blade for batoning, as it makes the task easier because you have a larger target and it's less likely you'll damage the tip of your blade. A longer blade also gives you more reach.

I would like at least an 8" blade for many of these tasks, but longer is even better.

Here is a standby I like for clearing brush, along with a new addition to my big knife stable.


These two knives are made by Himalayan Imports. The top knife is their "Pen" knife, and is 18" over all length. I've had that knife for quite a while, and have used it to take down many small trees, clear brush, and delimb branches.

The lower blade is HI's "Bamboo Cutter". Here are its dimensions -
Overall length -- 20.5''
Weight -- 24 oz
Spine thickness -- 3/8''

Either of these blades can hack, chop, baton, whatever you want.

 

[sicily02]

Amen with what you said Ken :thumbup: lol.

Bryan

 

[TheGame]

In a situation involving me being lost, I would most definitely use a saw and not hack a tree down for firewood. However, hacking is much more fun, to me. I love to baton, but mainly with a large blade. I also love to hack, but also with a large blade. That said, if I were in an area with not much stuff to be hacking, I would not want as big of a knife. When I go out around my area, I always have a decent sized blade on me, as I know I will find things to hack.

An area of desert without much to hack, I don't need that capability, so I take a smaller blade.

 

[ZombaiO]

I like a 6'' blade for batoning and choping small branches.
For bigger stuff - an axe or machete :thumbup:

 

[Mannlicher]

when it comes to discussing tasks and blades, there will always be compromise and trade offs.
Thats why I carry more than one blade afield.

 

[Razorsharp1986]

when it comes to discussing tasks and blades, there will always be compromise and trade offs.
Thats why I carry more than one blade afield.

+1
When in the wilderness, I always prefer to have more than 2 blades on me. Especially since the smaller ones weigh nothing compared to the rest of the gear.
I rarely hack, though. I find myself sawing most of the time. Batonning doesn't require too big of a blade, so 4'-6' blade should be fine.

 

[Big Mike]

Nope, batoning is much easier when you have longer length on your side too.

4" is okay, but most ladies agree, 6" is better

I agree, ...but give me a 7", 8" or even a Big Ten Inch. :thumbup: :thumbup:









Big Mike

 

[Skimo]

I like carrying a bigger knife and a smaller knife, smaller slicing chores go to the smaller knife, better control. Need stuff split or batoned, bigger knife.

I'm considering getting a machete as well to cover most of the bases.

 

[dawsonbob]

I carry a 5 1/2 inch long, 1/4 inch thick knife as my primary. Some people my think it's a little heavy, but I don't: if I'm going to carry weight, that's where I want it, on (arguably) my most important item. It has enough weight and length to chop many things (de-limbing poles, for instance), baton like a champ, yet is controllable enough for cutting notches and other chores. It slices pretty well, too. Overall, that's my favorite blade, perhaps because I'm used to it and proficient with it.

I also carry one of my 3 inch blades and a 14 inch bolo. Between the three of them I have almost any situation I'm likely to run into pretty well covered. Sure, I could get along with just any one of the three, but I like the combo. It's been working for me, so why change it?

 

[wildmike]

My favorit big knife to take to the woods with is my H.I. M-43 kukri. While it chops like a champ I don't usualy find myself hacking much.

I work up a bow saw from a pocket chainsaw to cut wood to length.

My general use knives are in the 4.5"-6.5" range, most oftyen one of my 5 inchers. They baton well enough to meet most all my needs.

I don't hack or chop with the smaller blades as I have found through experience that I can get much more work done, and more efficiently and safely by batonning. Safety to me is a VERY important consideration since most of my woodsbumming is done solo.

A midsize blade is best for general use. But I generaly take three baldes with me anyway.

 

[Gadgetaholic]

If a knife is to be used primarily for those things one would use a hatchet for, then a longer blade is preferable, to my mind. I like khukuris, as they can be used to chop, or hack, or baton.

I like mine too.

A midsize blade is best for general use. But I generaly take three baldes with me anyway.

That's what I do too.

I am taking this weekend:
KA-BAR Kukri Machete - 11.5" Blade
Becker BK7 - 7" Blade
Cheapie (I will replace this with a Mora next time) - 4" Blade

I don't care that much about weight and I like the versatility of having the best sized knife for the task.

 

[mneedham]

I don't baton much, but for choppers, I believe that bigger is better... I find that the length and edge geometry are pretty critical: