Should i baton wood with an expensive knife?

I witnessed a man batoning wood with a knife at his campfire situated not 10 yards from his car. Just made me shake my head.
 
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leghog said:
I witnessed a man batoning wood with a knife at his campfire situated not 10 yards from his car. Just made me shake my head.
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That's too funny. But I may be able to relate. I've been blown up twice. The second time got me good, bad neck should and back injury. I can not swing an axe anymore, or carry heavy loads in my pack anymore. I've learned over the past few years I used to carry way too much. Heavy tarps replaced with a few trash bags, axes and hatchets given away except for one my wife uses. Nothing is hotter than a tall slender redhead swinging an axe ;) I am that guy 10 feet from the truck making big wood small to start a fire as well with a large knife. Have been for a few years now when we go truck camping. Sometimes the wife grabs her axe and splits for me.

Pretty much, don't judge. They may have a reason to be batoning a knife 10 feet from the car, no matter how fit they may look. In such an instance batoning is the smartest thing to do. One thing I've learned though is it is much more safe in a car campground and precision splits can be made easily. The driest part of the wood can be made smaller than the tiniest twig you can find and lignts and burns better than small, possibly soaking wet twigs will.

Not saying ditch the axe, but it's a useful skill set, even if you can swing an axe.
 
Use it.
If you're worried about using it, should have gotten a knife with a great warranty. It's why I always suggest ESEE to first time "high end" knife buyers.

Like all things baton, its probably the number 1 killer of fixed blades. Don't be a chucklehead
 
The cow said:
Use it.
If you're worried about using it, should have gotten a knife with a great warranty. It's why I always suggest ESEE to first time "high end" knife buyers.

Like all things baton, its probably the number 1 killer of fixed blades. Don't be a chucklehead
Click to expand...

Chuckle heads are the killers of all blades. I've seen some chuckle stuff in my days too. Like I seen it on YouTube, watch my Becker cross baton with this rock. Watch me chop branches on this huge rock, oh snap did you see them sparks! Then keep doing it. Hey I can use my knife as a step to get to my tree stand, I seen this on you tube too, just watch. Best was watching a co worker use concrete to hold some cardboard steady as they cut it to the size they needed, right after asking me to use my knife and me telling them no, then watch them use another co workers knife. I think he learned the don't borrow your knife lesson that day. Wood beating that steel through wood will not hurt it and it's not a chuckle move either.
 
The cow said:
Use it.
If you're worried about using it, should have gotten a knife with a great warranty. It's why I always suggest ESEE to first time "high end" knife buyers.

Like all things baton, its probably the number 1 killer of fixed blades. Don't be a chucklehead
Click to expand...



I'm a chucklehead. It was fun batoning my esee 6. I also use it as a trowel sometimes
 
I might do a lot of things 10 feet from my truck that I don't really need to when it comes to wood prep. It is just for fun. If I'm car camping, I usually have a variety of cutting tools.... saws, knives, axes, etc.
 
To each their own, if you want to have a crack at it...it's your blade. I don't baton with my knives unless it's an emergency, which I've never encountered before. When I go camping, I carry a Bahlco folding saw and an old hatchet in my backpack in case I need to process wood, but again...I try to make more out of less and don't work harder than I need to.
 
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