Can you baton with a kukri?

C

Charles Lacour

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Oct 5, 2015
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Can you (and should you) baton wood with a kukri? (I.e. will it hurt it to do so?)

If so, can some explain the process - what angle to hold it at, what part to have go into the wood (and/or what part not to), where to strike, etc.

I tried to baton some moderate-sized (6 inch or so) chunks to split them up, and had trouble with it. At the least, I'm unsure of the best technique, and given that a good technique isn't obvious, a little concerned that it's not designed in such a way as to make that workable.

I also had a lot of trouble (=pain) from vibration. Other than gloves, any suggestions for that?
 
Yes, you can baton with a kukri. I find it safer to baton small section into kindling, than trying to hold and split.

I hit on the blade closest to the point, which puts the remaining portion in the wood, with the handle facing down. You shouldn't get a lot of vibration.
 
Baton with the front part - past the bend. As Dobe says, the handle should be angled down.

Take off slabs small enough the the good portion of the point will aways be exposed to strike with your baton.

Beware of knots. They are tough and a challenge.

Use a khukuri, not a Khukuri-Like-Object. 1/4" thick at the spine is relatively thin.
 
Third post, not the first post. It has the words "Proper Batonning technique" and was written by Karda.
 
I thought I'd seen something on batonning before... Thanks, Scara.

Looks like the biggest problem was that I was trying too big a piece. Using only the part of the knife forward of the bend, plus hitting a couple of inches back from the tip means it can't be used for anything more that 2-3" across (to be more specific, this specific kukri can't). This was about 6".
 
Scara said:
Third post, not the first post. It has the words "Proper Batonning technique" and was written by Karda.
Click to expand...

Yes, and with all respect to Brother Karda, the instructions are incomplete. Sometimes the wood splits before the blade buries. Sometimes it does not.

Little bites put less stress on the tool, Charles. And little bites is probably what you want.
 
I might add do be careful not to hit too close to the tip. You will likely bend or damage your knife. I have split larger logs 6" plus without batonning with a 15" AK but sometimes you have to take multiple strikes. If you are using an AK it will not be hard to remove the Khukuri after each strike because they dont stick like a thin blade (KLO) would. Try that with a wedged shaped KLO and you'll fight to remove the blade each time it gets stuck. Those fullers really help get the task done if you dont have a proper axe or something. Gnarly knots...forget it. Not fun. Take smaller pieces around the knot or just burn the whole knot.
This 15" AK was my first Khukri from HI and i didnt even imagine it would do something like split this pile of wood but to Bawanna's Challenge I tried it and managed to get this processed without batoning at all.

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Nothing against batoning but for those bigger logs where your knife just dont reach the other side it is possible to process anyway.

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I tried to hit the same spot two or three times and it would eventually crack open then I could pry it apart with my knife.

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Once you get it in half then you can baton. I found it easier to just chop through it.

All this depends on the type and age of the wood you are cutting of course. If its green stuff it may be difficult to get through the first split.
 
Great pics and explanation Ndog... I was wondering why anyone would want to baton with a kukri. Its inherent design lends to easy chopping. There is no need to baton except maybe smaller pieces that wont stand up. Most HI kukris can just powerhouse chop through most stuff.
 
LoL I thought it was a rhetorical question with pics :D

gurkha berserka said:
Great pics and explanation Ndog... I was wondering why anyone would want to baton with a kukri. Its inherent design lends to easy chopping. There is no need to baton except maybe smaller pieces that wont stand up. Most HI kukris can just powerhouse chop through most stuff.
Click to expand...

Works great to split logs even big ones. I have taking even larger bites and never damaged a kuk doing it.
 
I always use my klvuk to split firewood, I haven't used an axe since I got a khukri. Like other people have said just make sure the wood isn't too thick and there's enough blade on both sides of the wood to whack on.
 
If the tip of my Khukuri can't reach the other end of the log, then I don't split it, or pop it open with a wood wedge (easily fashioned with a khukuri).
 
Well dont get me to lying but I love my knives alot but when it comes to processing firewood its usually because its getting cold inside, I want be be inside, and I want it warm inside NOW! I normally use a chainsaw and axe but if you just happen to be camping and come upon a pile of wood and need it split then you CAN use a Khukuri. Good to know. Nothing like a good splitting maul, sledge hammer to power through knots, and a Stihl 362 for feeding the wood stove:D I use my 20" AK for cutting up kindling because it has plenty of weight and you can just about drop it on an already split piece to break it down. KLVUK would work just about as good as many other models but a weighty fat knife is my preference for busting up the little stuff. I know... kinda oxymoronish but it works for me.
I like the wood wedge idea. Another reason to carry a big Khuk:cool:
 
Heber had pictures posted of his splitting wood for his stove with Godzilla. IIRC, part of his picture was photo shopped into a pic on the HI website. It was the Beast of all Beasts when he was unveiled. Nothing stopped him.
 
Y'all give good advice. I tried chopping about an 8-10 inch diameter piece, and it broke up into pieces the size that ndog was showing in his pictures with about 3 chops, every once in a while 4. (My aim needs work.)

The looser grip helped, too.

I still haven't figured out what to do with some of them. Most of this stuff is fallen limbs, and a lot of them are not chopped up with a chainsaw the way that big one was. Standing them on end is hard, and having one be free-standing on end is impossible (and I'm not going to chop with one hand while holding it with the other, or even with someone else holding it).

Problem is, this is aged oak (2-7 years old), and it's HARD. My bonecutter bounces. It does make a cut, but it's not deep. I did about 30-40 chops and I'd estimate I'm somewhere between 30% and 40% of the way through. That's one reason I was interested in batoning, with that, I CAN hold it up on one end (although I still have to get things short enough to do that - 4 feet long at most).

I've tried a small camp saw and a hatchet. It pretty much laughed at both. I haven't tried a circular saw. With a crosscut blade, it might do the trick. (Although I might get a carbide blade. I suspect I'd dull a regular one in very short order.) I've got a chainsaw, but it doesn't want to start, and I'm not adept at that kind of thing. I may have to get one of my brothers who is good with that kind of thing to fix it and then educate me a bit.

I was really rather surprised that even the Bonecutter bounced off the stuff. *Shrug* Hard wood is hard wood...
 
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