Only one knife for batoning wood?

Esee-5. At 5" long and 1/4" thick, you can split anything up to 4 inches thick with it. I say the Esee over a comparable Becker because Esee will replace it if by some miracle you manage to break it.

I actually used the 5 to split logs (even some wet and knotted ones), and it was still sharp enough after to make feather sticks and kindling.
 
Thanks for all the advice and I should have been more specific in my original post...I was in a hurry trying to get my youngest off to school this morning and posted to quickly..Please read my original post, I will add and answer some questions..Sorry for not being more specific..
CD
 
MHO...forget the batoning. You describe a chopper so why get a knife? Your looking for a hatchet!

A good all-rounder is the leather handled Estwing hatchet. Also, the Cold Steel Pipe Hawk works equally well but has a little more character after you clean it up. Either are right around $30 and no amount of batoning is going to outperform them and did I say they are only $30!
 
bk9 or the 12" Ontario machette from 42 blades. I have used both to baton and they will take a beating and IMO safer and easier to use than an ax or hatchet due to control. I do feel they require more effort than the ax or hatchet, but htey are also much more precise and can still perform as a knife should if sharpened properly.
 
this kind of topics always evolve into the old knive vs hatchet debate. I'm partial to knives, but also have a couple of hatchets. Can anybody tell me what would be the proper way to split a log with a hatchet? The way I see it would be to stand a log on its end and swing down, which doesn't seem safe or accurate to me, plus you would need a quite straight end to have it stand up which is hard to accomplish when you chop into a piece of wood.
 
I just got a Condor Golok for a gift and I am loving it for breakin down rounds. PLenty of umpgh for busting up a rotting stump, string enough to dig and pry out chunks of fatwood and plenty of length for batonning.

Bill
 
If it were ONLY to be used for "batonning" wood & the kayak was going to be doing most of the carrying, I'd buy a hatchet.
Your business, of course, but you're approaching this more from a "cool" standpoint than an efficient one. :)
Denis
 
zuluninja said:
this kind of topics always evolve into the old knive vs hatchet debate. I'm partial to knives, but also have a couple of hatchets. Can anybody tell me what would be the proper way to split a log with a hatchet? The way I see it would be to stand a log on its end and swing down, which doesn't seem safe or accurate to me, plus you would need a quite straight end to have it stand up which is hard to accomplish when you chop into a piece of wood.
Click to expand...
The safest way to use a hatchet, in my experience, is to swing the hatchet only hard enough to start the edge into the wood. Then use another log to drive the hatchet through the first log. Basically I use it as splitting wedge with a handle. I guess it's the same process as batoning a knife, but the log tends to split much faster as the 'wedge' is much wider than a knife. Trying to swing a hatchet through a log, again in my opinion, especially when tired/cold/in a hurry is a recipe for hurting yourself.
 
If it were ONLY to be used for "batonning" wood & the kayak was going to be doing most of the carrying, I'd buy a hatchet.
Your business, of course, but you're approaching this more from a "cool" standpoint than an efficient one.
Click to expand...

Hi Denis, have to respectfully disagree with you on that statement..OP already mentioned he has/uses axes..he wants to baton..it's about what works given the application..he wants to try out the application..may be he ultimately chooses to use an axe long term, but how will he be able to compare functionality/overall performance unless he tries multiple methods, and then chooses what works best for him??

peace bro..seth
 
Last edited:
jstrykr74 said:
The safest way to use a hatchet, in my experience, is to swing the hatchet only hard enough to start the edge into the wood. Then use another log to drive the hatchet through the first log. Basically I use it as splitting wedge with a handle. I guess it's the same process as batoning a knife, but the log tends to split much faster as the 'wedge' is much wider than a knife. Trying to swing a hatchet through a log, again in my opinion, especially when tired/cold/in a hurry is a recipe for hurting yourself.
Click to expand...

exactly what I was thinking. If I'm tired/cold/hungry I don't want to take a chance of taking a slice off myself when swinging away. To each their own, I like both big choppers and axes. To the OP, get a BK9 and join the Becker madness, I'm sure you won't regret it and have fun.
 
Bar,
Everybody does their own thing for their own reasons. :)
Just expressing my feeling that a hatchet (or even one of the classic backwoods axes of the old fur traders) would be more efficient.

I'm not a member of the Baton Club in general & I only do it when I need a picture of it being done.
It obviously works, but if I were a kayaker or canoer doing overnighters, I'd take a hatchet or axe along (depending on the size of the "boat" & the cargo capacity) as a single-use tool instead of a blade dedicated to strictly batonning.

Sometimes we get too wrapped up in "Wow, that looks COOL!" and overlook simpler and more efficient solutions. :)

Yes, I can start a fire with a lens and a rod, but sometimes a BIC just works quicker & more efficiently. Not as cool, but...

Other opinions are as valid as mine, and my opinions are also as valid as mine.
Takes all types. :)
Denis
 
Best of both worlds, a dedicated splitting wedge you can whack with a log if you want. A key thing to remember with simple machines like wedges is the better they are for splitting the more useless they are for cutting. More importantly, the better a knife is as a wedge the more crap it is as a knife. If you don't have to haul it on your back...
 
collecter said:
and no amount of batoning is going to outperform them and did I say they are only $30!
Click to expand...

I'd say this is false, in some cases at least... I've tried to split wood with my Trail Hawk, given up after repeated failures, and finished the job with my Esee-5.

With a full tang knife, you can do one thing that is almost impossible with an axe/hatchet - twist the blade to pry the wood further apart before hammering it in further. With smaller wood, I've found this makes it take a lot less whacking my blade to split the wood.
 
Grease said:
Esee-5. At 5" long and 1/4" thick, you can split anything up to 4 inches thick with it. I say the Esee over a comparable Becker because Esee will replace it if by some miracle you manage to break it.

I actually used the 5 to split logs (even some wet and knotted ones), and it was still sharp enough after to make feather sticks and kindling.
Click to expand...

If you break a Becker with Batoning, they'll replace it...
 
Since you said the knife was for batoning only I have a knife I had made by JK Knives just for that purpose. It is a kephart shape with a one inch high by 5.5" long blade out of 5/32" O1 steel. The length is the maximum legal carry length in Texas (I know no one is going to bother about blade length in the woods). 5/32" is plenty strong and 1" wide makes it light to carry. The center one in the picture.

JKGroup.jpg
 
I've found nice thick saber grinds to be best for battoning. Lot's of choice out there, I'd say splash a little cash ( maybe $40 over ya budget )and get a quality blade such as the Scrapyard 711, it will pay you in the long run.
 
Grease said:
I'd say this is false, in some cases at least... I've tried to split wood with my Trail Hawk, given up after repeated failures, and finished the job with my Esee-5.

With a full tang knife, you can do one thing that is almost impossible with an axe/hatchet - twist the blade to pry the wood further apart before hammering it in further. With smaller wood, I've found this makes it take a lot less whacking my blade to split the wood.
Click to expand...


Wooo, who said trail hawk? There's No trail hawk in my pack! I wrote pipe hawk. HUGE difference.

Try splitting wood on it's side with the hatchet or shorter axe. It works very well and is the safest method. Ray Mears has a good explanation, look up "Ray Mears Choosing and using An axe".

I don't know how the "full tang" requirement go to be what everyone here thinks is a must. It's not neccessary! You would be better off with one good smaller knife and a good hatchet. And when I say good it doesn't need to be expensive!
 
Last edited:
Bar,
Everybody does their own thing for their own reasons.
Just expressing my feeling that a hatchet (or even one of the classic backwoods axes of the old fur traders) would be more efficient.

I'm not a member of the Baton Club in general & I only do it when I need a picture of it being done.
It obviously works, but if I were a kayaker or canoer doing overnighters, I'd take a hatchet or axe along (depending on the size of the "boat" & the cargo capacity) as a single-use tool instead of a blade dedicated to strictly batonning.

Sometimes we get too wrapped up in "Wow, that looks COOL!" and overlook simpler and more efficient solutions.

Yes, I can start a fire with a lens and a rod, but sometimes a BIC just works quicker & more efficiently. Not as cool, but...

Other opinions are as valid as mine, and my opinions are also as valid as mine.
Takes all types.
Denis
Click to expand...

You have my respect bro :cool:.

I've found nice thick saber grinds to be best for battoning. Lot's of choice out there, I'd say splash a little cash ( maybe $40 over ya budget )and get a quality blade such as the Scrapyard 711, it will pay you in the long run.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: + 1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top