Making a batoning wedge?

[peripatew]

I've seen and read about people making a small wedge out of wood for batoning instead of using their knife. Any tips on this? I'd much rather use a piece of wood than my knife, and most knives I carry are under 5", so for bigger stuff I think a wedge would be great.

Howtos, pictures, experience, thoughts?

L

 

[pitdog]

I can't tell you any technical stuff but I use wedges all the time. Sometimes I'll get my knife stuck battoning through a large piece of wood so I'll knock a quick wedge up with my axe and use that to free my knife. I'll often start a split with my knife and then use wedges to finish it as well !

 

[southern bigfoot]

Pitdog, if you've got an axe with you why are you using your blade to split fire wood? Wouldn't it be less effort just to whack the axe in?

 

[Any Cal.]

I will use wedges to get my machete out when splitting nasty wood. Sometimes it gets stuck in due to knots, and you can't get it out. It is not too bad to fashion a point on something and drive it in behind the blade to loosen it up.

You will often make a several different size wedges on the spot to do the job.

It is amazing how much holding power knots can have. They are the reason people end up with the misshapen poll on their axes, from trying to drive the axe through the knot. When you get into that kind of wood, you really want to work smarter, rather than just beat on your tools.

I think in tough, knotty wood, knives with a heavy grind and thick edge would fare better, because they work like a wedge, and keep the wood away from the edge once they are actually splitting. I don't know if that is a great excuse for carrying an extra pound of steel around though.

ETA: Back on topic, my wedges often don't look like wedges. They may look like crude wooden tentstakes, or whatever. Whatever you need to get the job done. I have heard of guys makeing a few out of hardwood at home and carrying them around. They could be cut up for firestarting if needed as well.

 

[Ottoshot]

Pitdog, if you've got an axe with you why are you using your blade to split fire wood? Wouldn't it be less effort just to whack the axe in?

Depends on the wood. the plus of batoning with a large knife is that the tip of the blade sticks out the end, and you can whack it with a stick to drive it through.

Some wood splits with almost no effort.

 

[misanthropist]

Ideally the wood to use for wedges is what they call compression wood...you take it from the outside of a curve low on the trunk of a tree - picture a tree that grew out the side of a steep slope. The best wood for wedges is the outside of that curve at the base of the trunk.

Of course you wouldn't go chopping down trees to get that wood (I hope!) for fun projects but should you be cutting down trees in a serious way for survival (even this I assume would be rare!) that's the best wood you're likely to find...since it has grown under compression it is very dense and resistant to further compression, which is exactly the type of abuse we want wedges to take!