Hello Ailsnail,
Perhaps I can offer you some useful advice. Batoning any knife, including a folder, is a well understood technique that is taught at many survial schools, and by many instructors, including myself. In fact, at many schools batoning is considered a core skill simply because it will allow you to increase the effectiveness of the tool you will most likley have with you in an emergency, your knife.
During the past few years I have taught dozens of people, typically young people, many of them with no outdoor experience, to use a baton with small fixed blades, and with folders. In my classes we have used a wide variety of folders, including SAK's, Opinals, Benchmades, and specifically the Spyerco Military, both serrated and plain edged.
When used with proper technique there has been NO damage to any of these knives. When used with improper technique any of these knives,and many fixed blades can be, and have been, damaged.
Again, specifically concerning the Syperco Military, I have seen a number of these particular knives used in my classes,and used in extreme conditions. Granted the Military LOOKS somewhat fragile. However, it is NOT fragile. The only damage I have seen to any of these fine folders was on two occasions:
In one case the strong, husky, young man using the Military was anxious to get started and did so before the class began. He hit the folder in exactly the wrong way,and did so with a full swing of a baseball bat sized baton. Even so the only damage done was that the blade was bent out of true. We managed to straighten the blade somewhat, and he continued to use the Military for the remaining two days of the class.
In the other class a young woman was cutting her way out of a wrecked Honda during a simlulated emergency. She used a Military and a MagLight to baton the blade through the roof of the old car. In this instance the blade was dulled and nicked in two places. Both nicks were removed with a stone after class. You will find an account of this in last years Sporting Knives, a publication I regularly write for.
In the issue of Blade magazine that is now on the stands you will find an article I wrote explaining in clear detail the proper method for batoning a folder. The title of the article is: How To Turn Your Folder Into An Ax.
I write a column for Blade called Bug Out Blades, in which I address many different aspects of preparedness, including the extreme usage of knives. Next months issue will have an article that will provide instructions on how to build a "One Hour Shelter," with a folder as your only tool. The article takes the form of a story about one of my classes in which three of my students did this in fairly bad weather in the late fall near the Canadian border. The shelter they constructed with their folders and batons, was warm and comfortable, and could have made the difference between life and death during a freezing night.
Photos accompany all articles.
If you have an interest in survival, or in emergency preparedness, I strongly suggest that you read all of the articles. These skills could save your life, or the lives of others.
I hope you find this information of use.
Best Regards,
James Ayrers
P.S. I am a free lance writer and my opnions are my own. I am not writing as an editor of Blade Magazine, nor are my views necessarily those of Blade.
Perhaps I can offer you some useful advice. Batoning any knife, including a folder, is a well understood technique that is taught at many survial schools, and by many instructors, including myself. In fact, at many schools batoning is considered a core skill simply because it will allow you to increase the effectiveness of the tool you will most likley have with you in an emergency, your knife.
During the past few years I have taught dozens of people, typically young people, many of them with no outdoor experience, to use a baton with small fixed blades, and with folders. In my classes we have used a wide variety of folders, including SAK's, Opinals, Benchmades, and specifically the Spyerco Military, both serrated and plain edged.
When used with proper technique there has been NO damage to any of these knives. When used with improper technique any of these knives,and many fixed blades can be, and have been, damaged.
Again, specifically concerning the Syperco Military, I have seen a number of these particular knives used in my classes,and used in extreme conditions. Granted the Military LOOKS somewhat fragile. However, it is NOT fragile. The only damage I have seen to any of these fine folders was on two occasions:
In one case the strong, husky, young man using the Military was anxious to get started and did so before the class began. He hit the folder in exactly the wrong way,and did so with a full swing of a baseball bat sized baton. Even so the only damage done was that the blade was bent out of true. We managed to straighten the blade somewhat, and he continued to use the Military for the remaining two days of the class.
In the other class a young woman was cutting her way out of a wrecked Honda during a simlulated emergency. She used a Military and a MagLight to baton the blade through the roof of the old car. In this instance the blade was dulled and nicked in two places. Both nicks were removed with a stone after class. You will find an account of this in last years Sporting Knives, a publication I regularly write for.
In the issue of Blade magazine that is now on the stands you will find an article I wrote explaining in clear detail the proper method for batoning a folder. The title of the article is: How To Turn Your Folder Into An Ax.
I write a column for Blade called Bug Out Blades, in which I address many different aspects of preparedness, including the extreme usage of knives. Next months issue will have an article that will provide instructions on how to build a "One Hour Shelter," with a folder as your only tool. The article takes the form of a story about one of my classes in which three of my students did this in fairly bad weather in the late fall near the Canadian border. The shelter they constructed with their folders and batons, was warm and comfortable, and could have made the difference between life and death during a freezing night.
Photos accompany all articles.
If you have an interest in survival, or in emergency preparedness, I strongly suggest that you read all of the articles. These skills could save your life, or the lives of others.
I hope you find this information of use.
Best Regards,
James Ayrers
P.S. I am a free lance writer and my opnions are my own. I am not writing as an editor of Blade Magazine, nor are my views necessarily those of Blade.