Do you prefer to split wood with a hatchet or a knife

[dawsonbob]

You are correct but most people don't own a Froe and that is what they are using a knife in place of !

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgu...00&prev=/images?q=define:Froe&hl=en&sa=N&um=1

Though I'd hate to try splitting shingles with a knife, a knife is still more controllable than a hatchet or an axe. Not as powerful, but more controllable. For small diameter stuff, I'll stick with my knife or bolo most of the time. If I had to split a lot of wood for the winter, I'd use an axe or a maul. Surprisingly, I don't have to cut a lot of wood for the winter here in San Diego, so, for me, an axe is more just to keep up my skills; I don't really need it.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Hatchet, but as it isn't always available I've no qualms about drifting the golok through modest wood if I have to.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

If I was setting out to split a lot of wood, I'll take a full-blown axe. If I'm just heading out into the field where there's a chance I may need to do some splitting, I'll just take a big knife.

 

[theedge13]

in all honesty, batoning does have the "cool" factor to it...just a BK2 vs a piece of wood is always fun...but...id much rather use and axe or hatchet...

 

[ZombaiO]

When I split wood to warm the house in the winter (10 cubic meters of wood) i use a large Fiskars Splitting axe.
When I'm camping i use my Wetterlings 19'' Hunter for that purpose.
For the smaller pieces of wood (3''-4''-5'' in diameter) i prefer a sturdy knife - it's just easier for me that way.Also for bushcraft things like making notches or making a flat surface the knife is better IMHO.

 

[moonwilson]

For a lot of splitting, I like something along these lines:

I'm firmly in the "heavy metal" camp of outdoorsmanship.

If I don't a splitter around, I'll use an axe. If I don't have an axe around, I'll use a knife. I've never cared much for hatchets. This may have something do do with giving myself a good chop on the back of my right hand splitting wood with a hatchet as a kid. I have a nice big scar on the back of my hand to remind me how much I dislike hatchets.

 

[dawsonbob]

I'm beginning to think that a lot of this comes down to where you live, what kind of wood you have there, and how much of it you need to split. Those who live in cold, big forest areas seem to favor big axes — or at least hatchets — for most of their splitting chores, perhaps because that's what they're most familiar with. Those of us who live in warmer climates, don't stock wood for the winter — and have smaller wood to deal with anyway — seem to be more comfortable with smaller blades. In my area it would be rare to run across anything that really requires a big axe. Almost everything can be taken care of by a Silky saw and a BK-2, but then again, I don't have to build big fires for warmth, just small ones for cooking.

Don't get me wrong: I love my axes and my hatchets — and I use them — but I don't really need them for most of the splitting I do. Batoning a bolo machete or a fixed blade knife takes care of most things quite well. Also, I like the absolute control I have of a knife over an axe or hatchet: the difference here is that I can place a knife blade where I want it, and then whack the heck out of it with a baton. An axe is, uh, hit or miss.

 

[RoyalM]

Depends on the size of the piece of wood. As a rule of thumb anything larger than my thigh gets an axe anything smaller gets a big chopper.

I do like the control of batoning and the pop or snap you can get when you twist a blade, while it's embedded through batoning, and the wood splits apart cleanly.

Most of the time I use a folding saw to cut pieces to length then baton with a large chopper. Keeps my wood pile to efficient size, not the usual dragging of a Redwood across a forrest to burn for me.

 

[KuRUpTD]

Logsplitter: no muss no fuss

 

[SouthernCross]

My preference is a hatchet or axe (which one will depend on the size of the wood to be split).




Kind regards
Mick

 

[razcob]

I just bought a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe and knew I would have to call in sick the next few days, cough......cough, cutting up wood.

Axe +1!!

 

[John G]

I'd have to go with the hatchet!

 

[shunsui]

Whatever works, but I learned to use a hatchet way back in the scouts so I'm more comfortable with those.

 

[jca21]

splitting axe at home and base camp

hatchet or big knife on the trail


i really like my fiskars splitting axe for making alot of firewood for winter.

 

[TheGame]

I prefer to use a knife, as I love to baton. That, and I don't have to do it to keep my home warm. If I did, I would likely use an axe. However, the big wood pile I have outside was arranged with only a knife, and the wood is just for testing new knives on, or when I want to have a small fire outside.

Out in the bush, definitely a knife as well.

 

[Calebklyne]

batoning is relaxing but i prefer using my hawk when i need lots of wood

 

[kgd]

An axe is faster in more efficient. However, the thread asked what do you prefer to use. I find batoning more fun to do. Just wouldn't want to split a cord by that method. Split wood for that nights campfire is perfectly fine to do with a knife.

 

[Mistwalker]

splitting axe at home and base camp

hatchet or big knife on the trail


i really like my fiskars splitting axe for making alot of firewood for winter.

Sort of my thoughts as I was unsure if the OP meant over all or in the field.

It's not so much that I prefer to split with a knife in the field as it is that I really prefer not to lug around an axe or hatchet on my hikes, not even the short ones.

 

[Bigfattyt]

no good right or wrong answer. Honestly, if I am splitting big stuff, obviously use a maul. We split stuff literally up to 3 feet wide at my dad's house. When doing stuff that big, obviously I don't batton. Maul and wedges all the way.

earlier this season I was splitting some stuff that was too big for battoning and way, way, way to hard. Some of that stuff took 15 to 20 hits in the same spot with a heavy maul to get it to crack. Getting a wedge started was impossible. It was so hard and full of fat wood, it would literally bounce the maul, without really creasing the surface of the wood. I felt like I was using a heavy sledge.

Once it was split, I did however batton a bunch of the center fat wood with my big chopper to get some nice thin slices of the stuff for my fire building materials.

At night, or with skinnier pieces I would rather baton. I have yet to come close to removing a finger which is a real likelyhood when I am making kindling in less than ideal situations with my hatchet.

 

[jca21]

Sort of my thoughts as I was unsure if the OP meant over all or in the field.

It's not so much that I prefer to split with a knife in the field as it is that I really prefer not to lug around an axe or hatchet on my hikes, not even the short ones.

regarding lugging the hatchet around, i can totally agree with you when weight is a big issue. One large knife, with enough skill, can satisfy the needs/uses of multiple tools. One can, split wood by batonning, perform limbing tasks, clear a camp site as well as perform delicate work.

Big knives for me have a place in my kit when im moving about on a regular basis, that is, if i am constantly on the move and setting up camp in different locations.


If its one of those situations where i hike into an area to camp, i like the joys of having a hatchet. The main reason is because the hatchet is a marvelous tool for carving. i will generally have a small fire going which doesnt require alot of splitting so the hatchet (in this case my gb wildlife hatchet) will serve adequate in all functions.


If there was snow on the ground i'd probably take my gb small forest axe as a good axe in winter time can be a crucial bit of kit.