To baton or not, that is the question

[pitdog]

sounds like some of you need to get some proper woods time with an axe and hatchet.

You would be amazed what a good axe and hatchet will do, everything from shaving fuzzies for firestarting to splitting kindling, to felling trees, to splitting firewood, dressing game, food prep, cabin building, canoe building, lean to building, trap building, shingle making, ice gathering, finishing off an animal, splitting logs lengthwise, pounding in fencepoles, breaking animal bones to get the marrow, notching poles, notching logs when raft building, splitting upright chunks of firewood, splitting firewood lying on the ground.

I cringe when i hear people say that they cannot chop firewood because the ends are not flat....one only needs to place the non flat chunk of wood between a couple of stout chunks of wood to brace it, or lay it flat on two pieces of wood and split it horizontally or lengthwise.

this country was built with axes. not knives. Knives played a VERY important role yes, i will not deny that, but our forefathers and pioneers (both USA and Canada) used axes.

back to the debate!

I agree with nearly everything ya say bro but I still can't see the point of going to the trouble of wedging a piece of wood between two larger pieces when I can simply split it with my knife ? There are many people more able than me on here when it comes to bushcraft but I would take a time challenge any time at making small kindling if I used my knife and they used an axe.....like I said I do this task most days and believe me have tried all ways of doing the task and if one was easier or quicker I would be doing it !!!

 

[Snow]

I personally never batonned before reading this forum, but now do it frequently. I do not feel comfortable using an axe or hatchet. Maybe I would if I had more experience, but I can't shake the feeling I'm going to lose a foot.

 

[Wabajack]

I agree with nearly everything ya say bro but I still can't see the point of going to the trouble of wedging a piece of wood between two larger pieces when I can simply split it with my knife ? There are many people more able than me on here when it comes to bushcraft but I would take a time challenge any time at making small kindling if I used my knife and they used an axe.....like I said I do this task most days and believe me have tried all ways of doing the task and if one was easier or quicker I would be doing it !!!

Good video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjrJapcdWqY

If having trouble there simply baton the hatchet, if that fails use a wooden wedge.

 

[Bushman5]

I agree with nearly everything ya say bro but I still can't see the point of going to the trouble of wedging a piece of wood between two larger pieces when I can simply split it with my knife ? There are many people more able than me on here when it comes to bushcraft but I would take a time challenge any time at making small kindling if I used my knife and they used an axe.....like I said I do this task most days and believe me have tried all ways of doing the task and if one was easier or quicker I would be doing it !!!

why you in such a rush Pit? leave that hurried city disease behind when you in the woods..... :thumbup:

 

[kgd]

Deleted....I'm just going to keep my mouth shut and watch the show

 

[texastonydobbs]

I voted :I've batoned on occasion

 

[Cpl Punishment]

Seriously, guys a hatchet or kukri really is faster (I put the kukri in there with the hatchet, because I use it like a hatchet, not like a knife).

The video is a good example of striking on the side of a piece to split it. You can also raise both the log and hatchet together and bring them down together for more accuracy, if you can swing accurately. Also, you can use the same hold the hatchet on the log technique to split it from the end. You NEVER swing at something that you're holding on to. If you can't get the hang of that, yes, you can BATON the axe head into the stick to get it started. No, you can't baton it all the way through (unless it's an Estwing), but you don't have to, just get it started and bring both down together to split.

The hatchet is not the less capable tool ,it's the more capable. Batoning a knife is what you do when you don't have a hatchet or don't want to learn to use it, not the other way around.

 

[tholiver]

Heres another great video!
"AZ of Bushcraft (A for Axe)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFpZJ2ICR5M

 

[wildmike]

I baton when I need to but usually prefer to use a hatchet or my kukri for that work.

The batoning only comes in if I dont have the kukri with me as I seldom carry a hatchet since oicking up my M-43 several years ago.

 

[Snow]

That video was great. It really showed how quickly wood can be split with a small axe. Personally, I just feel like if I tried that, the axe would glance off the log and into my hand or leg.

 

[Bushman5]

ya'll who baton with your knife blades are more than welcome around my campfire and stew pot. Its all good, be it a knife, axe, chainsaw, Chuck Norris. Main thing is we're getting out there and enjoying nature. a lot of people have never been able to.

its fun to yak about it though

 

[LupaWolf]

I agree Bushman5!

I baton because I have damage to both hands and cannot safely weild an axe or hatchet most of the time.

 

[udtjim]

I voted with the ones who never found a need to.

 

[SouthernCross]

I voted with the ones who never found a need to.

+1



Kind regards
Mick

 

[Fonly]

Well, in sense the beginning of time we made knives, but for some profound reason found a need for an axe style tool, there was a reason for that. If a knife was all you ever needed why did we develop axes?

I've batonned a few times to show you guys the knives I had could take it, but an axe of hatchet is with me for a reason.

Im gonna show you guys a video tomorow of an easy great way to split anytype of wood without a chopping block, very simple and no need to wack your knife through it!

 

[Fonly]

my thing is this, axes are heavy, and rather limited in thier uses, my thoughts are, well I can chop a tree down, or filet a fish, or make a spear, or split kindling, or cut my cheese, or limb a small tree all with a medium to large camp knife.

I know this is going to make me look like a dick, but ive done all these with a wetterling.:thumbup:

Just for refernce a busee battle mistress is around 660 grams at 15" long over? and a wetterlings hatchet is around 600 grams at ~12" overall.

 

[knifedealer73]

I baton every time I go out but I use a matchete or Ontario Marine Combat, I don't use my Bushcraft knife for that type of work.

 

[kgd]

I know this is going to make me look like a dick, but ive done all these with a wetterling.:thumbup:

Just for refernce a busee battle mistress is around 660 grams at 15" long over? and a wetterlings hatchet is around 600 grams at ~12" overall.

You can't dissect a frog with a wetterlings
(I've had to do so with my EDC before to get the liver though)

 

[foxyrick]

You can't dissect a frog with a wetterlings
(I've had to do so with my EDC before to get the liver though)

I have to ask, why did you want a frog's liver? Around here (not far from Pendle Hill) things like that could get you accused of witchcraft

Interesting comparison between the axe and the Busse - I still like my mistress!

 

[PB Wilson]

The spots that I hike in often have lots of wood available for the small fires I make. I rarely make a fire larger than 6" in diameter. Just enough to keep me company or heat up a small pot of water. I don't rely on a campfire for too much heat because sparks don't seem to mate well with my synthetic clothing. Batoning looks like fun, but for me it's not really necessary.