How many of you have stopped batoning?

Entertaining thread.

I see several remarks about batoning being "safer than swinging an axe over your head, or swinging at your toes" to split wood for camp fires. Do you even axe, bro? If you think that's how you would split wood to "get to the dry center" or even for regular campfire-sized wood.
 
B_Cridhe said:
Entertaining thread.

I see several remarks about batoning being "safer than swinging an axe over your head, or swinging at your toes" to split wood for camp fires. Do you even axe, bro? If you think that's how you would split wood to "get to the dry center" or even for regular campfire-sized wood.
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I’m axe challenged an ax man not! 😆 out in our neck of the woods er uh , prairie we don’t get much tree killin done esept along the river beds. 😔
 
Good because I was worried we'd hear about a slimy knife slipping from your hand and doing untold damage.
 
Amusing thread. I used to baton regularly--that's what a True Bushcrafter is supposed to do! But I soon gave that up, because if I'm going to split wood, an axe or hatchet works better for me. Sometimes may break down small kindling with a knife, but that's about it these days.
 
We did it even as kids I think, playing around with Moras. Had no idea there was a name for it until I started reading knife-forums. No idea it was something you would decide not to do either.
 
Bob Denman said:
So was I...
But it's nice to have options...
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I guess we are the lucky ones.

The comments about swinging towards “your toes” leaves me shaking my head.

If swinging an axe two hands. Your legs are spread wide so you can’t hit them if you miss the log.

One hand with a hatchet or even choked up on an axe. Your body is off to the side so it can’t be hit.

Point is stay out of the path of the blade.

For the record I’m against batoning a knife but view it as an option in an emergency.

Batoning with a real froe to make shingles or axe handles? Hell yeah. Old school cool. The right tool to get the job done right
 
NeedItCheaper said:
Went on a trip recently, and I was so tired the first day I stopped batoning. I actually stopped using an axe too. I did a bit of sawing, then mostly collected 1 inch dead sticks from trees. Is this really more efficient? I'm starting to question both batoning and using an axe.
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I mo longer baton. I do not ax as much either. I use a saw to cut wood to be split by my ax. I may use a knife to shave kindling. The majority of my fire prep comes from simply harvesting wood from the floor.

To baton wood is a good skill to know, though.
 
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