Cold Steel Recon Tanto sk-5 good for splitting wood

I had a feeling that is what you were doing when I saw location. Do you work for a guide or just eat a lot of BBQ?
That's even a better argument for a proper tool, unless you are biltonging out in the bush.
 
Batoning wood is a legitimate practice……for a froe. Google froe. These are not high tech items. A straight heavy blade with an eye on one end for a handle.

Relatively easy to make or have made, a proper froe will serve you better than any knife for batoning.

just saw N NapalmCheese post on the froe. He is spot on
 
ElementalBreakdown said:
I truly do not understand making piles of kindling using a knife... A folder no less.
In the thousand fires I have started in wet woods, cabin stoves, and everything in between, my knife was only ever used for the very first few toothpick size slivers.
Especially out "there", why would you dull your knife when even if natural kindling isn't around over carrying a proper tool.
Genuinely curious because this comes up all the time.
Every time I read the word "batoning" I make the sign of the cross. It's the devil's work.
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I agree. Beating a knife blade through a block of wood is abuse of a tool.

This is what our ancestors used to create "shakes", and these froes are still being made. The ones I have seen in museums have shorter blades. Maybe they broke and were ground down.

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The steel used is a tough steel, so it can take a lot of beatings. I am sure one still broke now and then. I do not believe our ancestors needed to batton their knives to make fires, as the ground would have been littered with tree branches, easily broken. If they had to chop, they used light axes, or heavy axes. Knives would have been used to shave wood for kindling.
 
FrannaM said:
I am looking for a cheap bullet proof knife dedicated for splitting wood. I am thinking of getting the CS Recon tanto. It has a good length blade and thick spine to the tip that won't damage a mallet easily. I looked at the ESEE 6, but bit out of my price range. Also heard good things about CS's sk-5 steel. Will the CS do?
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To answer the original question, the Recon Tanto has a 7" blade with a full tang and plastic overmolded handle. People have complained about tips in the SRK (also SK-5) breaking in cold temperatures, however, I think the tanto has a much more robust tip. If you want to baton wood with it, I say go for it. The only thing that can go wrong is if the handle eventually cracks. By then you can get a different tool, or just make a new handle for it. It's a cheap enough knife to learn with.
 
ElementalBreakdown said:
I truly do not understand making piles of kindling using a knife... A folder no less.
In the thousand fires I have started in wet woods, cabin stoves, and everything in between, my knife was only ever used for the very first few toothpick size slivers.
Especially out "there", why would you dull your knife when even if natural kindling isn't around over carrying a proper tool.
Genuinely curious because this comes up all the time.
Every time I read the word "batoning" I make the sign of the cross. It's the devil's work.
Click to expand...
This. In my never to be humble opinion the whole concept smacks of the wilderness equivalent of being a mall ninja. Campground savage maybe? I've often wondered where folks are that there is not a thing that can be used as kindling but there are all these handy pre-cut logs lying about. If it's truly a survival situation why risk damaging a useful tool? If it's not I would suggest a splitting axe.
 
While people have made some good points, whenever the question is "Is my Cold Steel good for doing this silly needless thing?", the answer is always YES. You could probably baton with a CS safety razor better than with most other safety razors. Do they make sharpened spoons? High-impact polymer throwing chopsticks? Tactical dental floss? All good for batoning, at least compared to the competition.


DocJD said:
Just some self-fusing silicone tape , to smooth out the handle for throwing .
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Get some fishing pole shrink tubing. It comes in textured patterns, multiple colors and diameters. I put it on all of my fixed blades and it rules.
No peeling and no glue residue! You can see a couple of examples in my weed thread.
 
Triton said:
This. In my never to be humble opinion the whole concept smacks of the wilderness equivalent of being a mall ninja. Campground savage maybe? I've often wondered where folks are that there is not a thing that can be used as kindling but there are all these handy pre-cut logs lying about. If it's truly a survival situation why risk damaging a useful tool? If it's not I would suggest a splitting axe.
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Don't overthink the situation. Simply need a longish blade with a thick stock to split hard wood (not nice rounded logs or half logs) for the BBQ that does not cost much or care much if the blade gets damaged for home use. I have an axe and already stated my reason why for this specific application, it's not the best option. I BBQ a lot ;)
 
ElementalBreakdown said:
I had a feeling that is what you were doing when I saw location. Do you work for a guide or just eat a lot of BBQ?
That's even a better argument for a proper tool, unless you are biltonging out in the bush.
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No, just BBQ a lot. Well on average twice a week, not sure if that's a lot. Some weeks in the summer I BBQ 5 out of the 7 nights 😁
 
dogstar said:
To answer the original question, the Recon Tanto has a 7" blade with a full tang and plastic overmolded handle. People have complained about tips in the SRK (also SK-5) breaking in cold temperatures, however, I think the tanto has a much more robust tip. If you want to baton wood with it, I say go for it. The only thing that can go wrong is if the handle eventually cracks. By then you can get a different tool, or just make a new handle for it. It's a cheap enough knife to learn with.
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I don't have a ton of options to go with so my thought was that I just need a cheap fixed blade with a long blade and a thick spine to the tip (more surface area for the baton) thus the reason I chose the Recon Tanto over the SRK (longer blade and thicker tip). If the CS Recon Tanto is not sufficient then I still have a nice fixed blade. Always secretly wanted a CS tanto to chop pieces of meat hanging from a rope lol!
 
FrannaM said:
I don't have a ton of options to go with so my thought was that I just need a cheap fixed blade with a long blade and a thick spine to the tip (more surface area for the baton) thus the reason I chose the Recon Tanto over the SRK (longer blade and thicker tip). If the CS Recon Tanto is not sufficient then I still have a nice fixed blade. Always secretly wanted a CS tanto to chop pieces of meat hanging from a rope lol!
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Yup, nothing wrong with a CS fixie. Start practicing your tantojutsu!
 
The Recon Tanto SK-5 can totally handle that task, provided you're up to sharpening it a lot and it's not an easy knife to sharpen. That SK-5 is slightly more brittle than some of the big batoning beasts out there though, so that's a consideration, depending on how much shock and shabang you're going to subject it to. A BK-2 or similar Ka-Bar Becker tank would be an ideal choice for all out batoning, without worry. You might be able to pick up a 2nd hand BK-2 from someone who doesn't want to carry it around all day anymore in the forest and the 1095 Cro-Van is easier to sharpen.
 
For a dedicated knife-type tool for splitting smallish rounds, I think an Ontario 12” machete is the ticket. Inexpensive, tough and effective. I’ve used mine for that purpose for years and it’s still going strong. Think what you want about batonning, but it’s been done for a long, long time and if the tool is designed for it there is no problem doing it.
 
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FrannaM said:
Don't overthink the situation. Simply need a longish blade with a thick stock to split hard wood (not nice rounded logs or half logs) for the BBQ that does not cost much or care much if the blade gets damaged for home use. I have an axe and already stated my reason why for this specific application, it's not the best option. I BBQ a lot ;)
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I mean, you do what makes you happy, I'm no one to stand in the way of that. I would second or third or whatever the suggestion of a froe for this application if an ax or hatchet just won't do.
 
FrannaM said:
Don't overthink the situation.
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Froe
FrannaM said:
Simply need a longish blade with a thick stock to split hard wood (not nice rounded logs or half logs)
Click to expand...
Froe
FrannaM said:
for the BBQ that does not cost much
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Froe
FrannaM said:
or care much if the blade gets damaged for home use.
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Froe
FrannaM said:
I have an axe and already stated my reason why for this specific application, it's not the best option. I BBQ a lot ;)
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Has anyone mentioned getting a froe? I mean, it's only specifically made to do pretty much exactly what you're asking for; so maybe that might work for you.
 
The pocketability, fidget factor, multipurpose function, style and convenience of a froe leave much to be desired. Now a tanto...
 
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