Broken Knife! Have you ever? Overused scenario or Reality?

Is the term "The knife will break" over used and actually does not happen often at all?

  • Yes, I am sick of hearing about broken fixed blade knives, it rarely happens to good knives.

    Votes: 57 87.7%

  • No, I break knives all the time, I could tear up a ball bearing...

    Votes: 8 12.3%
  • Total voters
    65
I have broken (severely chipped) knives doing easy things like slicing the bark off a log, I have lost tips on knives doing easy carving tasks, it can simply be that the person found that one defective knife and the internet managed to amplify the voice of every single owner of such knives to make them seem more numerous then they previously seemed.(i personally don't usually baton)
 
Personally I'd be more concerned about breaking the baton.

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91bravo said:
Been trying to break this one for years now. It scoffs at big knots in wood and begs for more.
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I normally baton small pieces for kindling (better control) but decided to put this blade to the test one day for the fun of it. Wore myself out making this pile. Couldn’t believe the beating this old knife took. Rehandled, Made in Japan, 1960s WWI Bolo replica.
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I've broken knives, mostly folders with frame locks or liner locks. But a few fixed blades, chipped ones, even bad ones got sharpened till the chip was gone even if the blade looked like a recurve to make it usable again for the trip, then it was junk draw or a throwing knife or thrown away. Broken blades like broken axes/hatchet heads still could be used if they came from a metal tubed handle. They still are sharp and still be used to cut things if cutting implements were on short supply, then they got disposed of after the trip.
 
I've batoned with fixed blades for years. People who think that only knuckleheads do it, are showing in clear fashion their complete lack of experience. Shameful, really. Ignorant generalizations and making fun of children, all the hallmarks of real quality, there.

Anyway, yes, batoning is terrible because yeah, people should be carrying axes or splitting mauls on 15+ mile hiking weekends instead. Makes a lot of sense. :rolleyes:
 
19-3ben said:
In life there are no absolutes, and it's unwise to characterize an entire group of people as "knuckleheads" because they do things differently than you.
Sometimes I split wood with a hatchet, sometimes I baton with my knife. The fact is, Beckers, ESEEs, many OKC, etc... are designed to withstand that kind of use with no undue damage. In fact there are many very wise people, Ethan Becker included, who feel it's safer to baton so that you're not swinging around a thing with an edge.

When I go camping or I'm outside with my kids, I baton rather than use a hatchet for that exact reason. You can't ever count on a kid to be where he's supposed to be. So far, my knives are fine with it. I also have taught my 4 yr old how to split wood with a baton because he's actually very good at it. I would not, at that age, trust him to swing a hatchet. He'll learn about that when he's older, but for now, I'd rather the knife blade the steady in the wood, and have him swinging a built object. When I do teach him to use the hatchet, it'll be the Ray Mears technique where you put the edge of the hatchet to the side of the wood and bring them down together onto a hard object to split the wood.

Don't call my son a knucklehead. I assume apologies will be tendered...




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Broke a couple cheap knives as a kid, doing dumb stuff I shouldn't do with knives. Mostly prying things, or throwing them into trees.

But really, I'm just posting to say: I think it's really cool you're teaching your boy outdoor skills at such a young age. My 9 y/o is just now getting comfortable using SAK's and MT's out in the woods (but she's become quite proficient with an 8" chef's knife in the kitchen!). Too many kids are kept in a protective bubble these days.

Good on you Dad!
 
19-3ben said:
When I do teach him to use the hatchet, it'll be the Ray Mears technique where you put the edge of the hatchet to the side of the wood and bring them down together onto a hard object to split the wood.
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That technique is brilliant. Don't hear about it much around here though.

If one thinks the "hatchet on the end of the wood" (vs "to the side of the wood") is reasonably safe, catch the "Alone" where the outdoors expert doing that has the hatchet bounce off the kindling and into her hand.
 
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