it's about ease and safety not excess testosterone or abuse

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willis

Joined
Apr 14, 2002
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To split up this piece of cedar i had a few tools to choose from.I went with the BK-2 and a stout piece of maple to whack it with.Its much easier to control than a hawk or hatchet,and that makes it faster and safer to split into kindling and whittling sticks.The edge of the Campanion was still shaving sharp along the whole length.I feel kinda embarassed for the poor ignorant scissorbills who call using a baton to whack a knife a foolish stunt that abuses the blade,and thats why they carry a belt hatchet.
 
Agreed. I don't like swinging a hatchet or axe when my kids and dog are running all over or even the misses walking up behind me. Splitting logs yes I use a axe but kindling big knife for me
 
The bk2 is a beast...If one says batoning is gonna hurt it then they obviously are the type who babies their knives and should leave it in the display case and let the big boys handle using the knives.
 
I agree. I tried with a hatchet prior to get to g a big knife. It was much easier with the bk4
 
Couldn't agree more. Way more control when batonning the bk2 through the wood rather than using a hatchet.
 
i couldn't imagine swinging a hatchet around the house. Worse thing i could see happening when batonning is a slip or a miss with the baton. Once the blade is in the wood not much could happen with the sharp edge.
 
I like batoning since I found out about it,,,,duh. Im a axe dude. Batoning with a BK 9 is safer than trying to split small pieces while holding up the stick to start the hatchet into the wood and being careful not to hit your fingers or wrist.
 
Been a batoning advocate since before I knew the word, a quality built knife can handle it for sure.
 
When I way young, I was making stakes to stake off some footings for an addition to the house we were living in. Took my sharp hatchet and after making a few stakes out of a 2x4 I proceeded to cut off the end of my thumb. Had I know how to baton at the time I would have avoided a trip to the hospital. I really hate swinging a hatchet or axe around.
 
If you enjoy batoning and you have more confidence that way then party on.
I still prefer a hatchet and find it much more efficient than using a knife.
 
Steve6387 said:
If you enjoy batoning and you have more confidence that way then party on.
I still prefer a hatchet and find it much more efficient than using a knife.
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Well said. I'm inclined to agree. I did the whole, I got this cool knife and I got to do the bushcraft thing. It was fun, but after a while I realized I worked less if I used a hatchet or axe.
 
willis said:
Steve6387 could you show us how you tote the hatchet.
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Ahhhh.... . Now we are cutting to the quick.

The hatchet is only used around the house, when car camping, or when towing my camper to camp grounds. It's way too heavy to take backpacking or hiking.

In my 48 years on this earth (at least 35 of those messing around in the woods, camping, backpacking, and light mountaineering), I have never needed to baton to start a fire. Yes, even on wet, soaking trips

I would never argue personal preference and I plan to buy a bk9 as my next purchase... And I'll probably even baton stuff with it just for fun. But it won't go hiking with me for the same reason the hatchet won't. It will be used more for yard maintenance and killing zombies [emoji33]
 
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I used to swing an axe ALL the time for the wood burning stove. Hatchet for kindling? You bet! That was before I had learned to baton, or had a knife that I could do it with. When I go woods bumming, I have a large Becker with me (4, 9, 12) and a Sven saw. If I can start a fire without batoning, then I do. But I like the versatility of big blades vs. hatchets/axes and the lighter carry weight. LOTS of things you can do with a 9 that would be....shall we say, cumbersome? with even a small hatchet or 'hawk. IMO, the baton technique is easier to use in the woods (without some sort of backstop that will hold logs upright, it's pretty damn hard to split stuff with a hatchet) and even something simple like using a firesteel is easier with a knife than an axe. Still, I'm figuring out how to carry my Kangee Woods 'hawk because , well....why not? I'm not a lightweight myself so carrying a couple few pounds of useful tools doesn't seem like a problem to me. Don't get me wrong, I love using axes when I'm home and have access to my stump....but for the 6.3 lbs the X27 weighs, I can substitute several knives. However...to each their own.
 
Good post, Willis.

I like a VERY sharp hawk for limbing, cutting small poles, and crosscutting but not for splitting small wood for a fire. In my opinion, a hawk can only be used safely by those that are willing to invest a regular amount of time keeping up on their skill with one. Better that most own an ideal knife and bow saw when processing firewood. I've seen more than one friend of mine almost limb themselves with my hawk before I took it from them and told them to finish limbing a tree out with a Lance tooth on a bow saw.

Survivormind
 
Limbing yes hatchet,but I make little fires to heat tea or cook a couple of brook trout.All creeks in brook tout country are full of driftwood but sometimes you need to get to the center to get dry wood.Batoning works great here.
 
I agree with the OP. It's about safety and control. And I find it's easier to teach youngsters a safe way to baton then to teach them how to split kindling with an axe. Their muscle memory and coordination are not as advanced, so it's safer to use a heavy knife...
 
baton the axe. handle. good.

or a froe

or use a wedge

or ...
 
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