I'm new here...why does every fixed blade knife have to be a star at batoning?

Hickory n steel said:
I don't know why, but it seems the same people always have the same tests for their knives.
If a knife breaks when you pound on it it's junk.
Stab the tip into a log and pry, if it snaps it's junk.
Whack the spine of a folder on a table, if it folds on you it's junk.

It's like the guy who went to the doctor.

Doc: does it hurt when I do this ?

Patient: yes !

Doc : then don't do that !
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No prying, no stabbing, no whacking, and I've never slapped my folders on a table to test a lock. I dont baton just to see if my knife will break either.

I have admittedly bought a knife after watching a video or two. My Bk9 I bought after a thread popped up about how easy they break. I watched the video and yup, I dont do that with my knives... it's good to go. Sure enough after not doing stupid things it still hasn't broke. I baton little pieces into littler pieces. Same goes for being able to strike a Ferro rod. Do I like the feature? Yes I do. Does it have to happen? No it doesn't.

It's nice to see some of the baton testing because it tends to show how the knife feels in the hand. For me I take away more than does it baton or not.
 
OCEquestrian said:
It seems like batoning is the standard by which all fixed blade knives are judged by. Why is that? I use a axe or hatched for that. It seems that every knife nut is a wanna be survivalist just like every gun nut seems to be a wanna be "operator".
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It's not. It's a test that easy to show and replicate on youtube to give some idea of how the knife performs. They should do more food prep. Cutting onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes is a standard I use for edge geometry and knife design. Those that baton well suck at this task and vice versa.

The real problem with your statement is saying "all," as that just isn't the case.

Also, I agree with you that the best way to make friends being new to a forum is to try and offend as many as possible right off the bat by calling then wannabe's. Well played. (Where's that sarcastic font?).

Relax.
 
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mobilerd said:
I’m a survivalist and an operator, you got a problem with that?
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:cool: :cool: :cool:

operate.jpg
 
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bikerector said:
It's not. It's a test that easy to show and replicate on youtube to give some idea of how the knife performs. They should do more food prep. Cutting onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes is a standard I use for edge geometry and knife design. Those that baton well suck at this task and vice versa.

The real problem with your statement is saying "all," as that just isn't the case.

Also, I agree with you that the best way to make friends being new to a forum is to try and offend as many as possible right off the bat by calling then wannabe's. Well played. You'll fit it nicely, somewhere.
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Point taken and original post edited. Thanks. The basis for my impression is that googling "Review of XYZ" fixed blade seems to end up with a batoning event and any knife that does not do well in said event is deemed deficient.
 
BlindMouse2of3 said:
No prying, no stabbing, no whacking, and I've never slapped my folders on a table to test a lock. I dont baton just to see if my knife will break either.
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I didn't mean to say that everyone who ever batons does, I'm talking about the people who demand a knife be capable of serious abuse to be considered good quality.

I understand minor little kindling work and such, I have even smaller hatchets for that kind of thing myself but I understand it though.
 
OCEquestrian said:
Point taken and original post edited. Thanks. The basis for my impression is that googling "Review of XYZ" fixed blade seems to end up with a batoning event and any knife that does not do well in said event is deemed deficient.
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Okay, I'm going to make the assumption that most of those reviewers are "prepper" or "bushcraft" focused reviewers as there's a good market out there for such practices and knives fit into those. You don't often see thin-behind-the-edge hunting knives on those channels but when you do, most, at least the few I watch, will state something like "I'm not going to baton this, it's not for that."

It just happens that there are a lot of reviewers in the bushcraft and prepper/survivalist practices compared to other genres. I actually don't seem many knife reviews of people processing game... probably partly because YT would rip it down for indecent content.

I suppose camping or rustic camping falls into the bushcraft or prepper crossover a little also.

Take it with a grain of salt knowing some is for entertainment value.

You also rarely fund reviews where they state the knife is utter rubbish. There's an obvious bias for the knives that get tested and videos or articles published, so it does scew our perception of "normal."
 
Batoning with a knife has it’s time and place. If I have my choice, I would much rather use a small axe or even a tomahawk but I also don’t always carry one so that leaves me with using my knife in order to prep small pieces of kindling for a fire. With that, it’s not very often that I need to baton a piece of wood down for kindling but there is the occasion where it’s a great technique to break down a larger piece into smaller pieces. Not every knife is suitable or capable of batoning, both from the durability as well as the design standpoint. You need to know when it is appropriate or necessary to baton wood as well as the limitations of your cutting instrument. I will NOT baton with my Mora’s although I love carving wood and just whittling in general. However I won’t hesitate to baton some wrist sized pieces with a BK-16 or an Esee 4.

As to why does it get used a lot in product testing on YouTube - it is visually interesting to watch and honestly it is a fairly good test of the construction strength of a knife. IF there is a weakness at the transition from blade to handle, or in the handle construction, it will show itself quickly when batoning.
 
Hickory n steel said:
I didn't mean to say that everyone who ever batons does, I'm talking about the people who demand a knife be capable of serious abuse to be considered good quality.

I understand minor little kindling work and such, I have even smaller hatchets for that kind of thing myself but I understand it though.
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People break down by category. Some guys are slip joint or nothing. Sak or nothing. $500 and up folders. Bowie or bust. Batoners are no different. They should probably set up a sub for batoning. I think it's great that people have enough options that they can enjoy a such a precise aspect of the knife world. I dont watch football or nascar I dont have the appreciation. but I think it's great people get into it and enjoy it.
 
Sweeping generalizations always rile up the forum. That is good posting right there.

I think "reviewers" (myself included), are subject to echoing other reviewers, because the previous person did a good job in some capacity. I mean, what is with all the rope cutting? I've never had to cut manila rope, yet that is the standard for edge retention testing. Batoning with a "survival," "bushcraft," or "tactical" knife is just a trend right now. Of course, then there is Joe X. Now that is a foolproof way to get a thread going.
 
OCEquestrian said:
It seems like batoning is the standard by which all fixed blade knives are judged by. Why is that? I use a axe or hatchet for that. It seems that a lot of knife nuts are wanna be survivalists just like many guns nut seem to be wanna be "operators".
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It doesn't.
 
OCEquestrian said:
It seems like batoning is the standard by which all fixed blade knives are judged by. Why is that? I use a axe or hatchet for that. It seems that a lot of knife nuts are wanna be survivalists just like many guns nut seem to be wanna be "operators".
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Most fixed blades sold today are short EDC's. People want cutability mostly. I'm not sure where you got the idea what it seems.
 
I’ve never Batonned anything. My favorite woods knife is a Buck 102 or 119, and I’ve just never done it. The way grandpaw taught me to make a fire was start with dry leaves, pine needles, etc. Pile that up. Then start with tiny dead twigs, preferably pine. Pile that on the leaves. Then go up in size incrementally. One match lights it off.
 
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