Why baton or chop with a knife?

zzyzzogeton

zzyzzogeton

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Feb 17, 2013
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OK - Please tolerate my lack of understanding here, but why, except in a for-real, no-@#$%, "I'm lost in the woods with just a knife" survival situation, would anyone baton or chop with a knife? ANY knife? I mean, that's what hatchets and axes are for. When I go camping, and I intend to make a fire, I take both an ax and a hatchet. When hiking, even my small R10 Western hatchet would beat the hell out of any knife for chopping (pun intended).

I was taught to use the appropriate tool for the job and to treat my tools properly to make them last. (note - was raised by farmers/ranchers and am one - we are more frugal than most folks).

In a variety of forums and sub-forums, I see posts by people about damaging/destroying their knives by batoning or chopping wood, concrete, chains, bed-frames, plywood, etc and then crying when they break, bend, chip or break those same knives AND bitch when the manufacturer says they voided their warranties.

So can someone(s) try to explain what is the fascination with doing this?
 
You will get many pro/con responses, i am sure.

I am pro batoning. Why, you ask. because i am simply not that good with an axe or hatchet or tomahawk. My mind works like this: swinging sharpened steel at an object that can move, have knotts, etc.., is asking for trouble. You can miss, be distracted for a split second, log can fall. Almost every year without fail, while camping, someone chops themselves with an axe or hatchet because of a miss, glancing blow, knott, etc... . Alcohol does NOT help. When batoning, I place the sharp edge exactly where i want it & then hit it. In my mind---much safer. Also fun, to see what your knives can take. :D

I have never broke one of my knives batoning. If you cant baton with it, it is not worth having IMHO.

This is just my .02 cents. YMMV :D
 
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Your question has sort of a troll-like nuance, and I'm not a chopper or battoner, but
Battoning could be theoretically used to get to the dry wood inside when the outside is wet...
Some like to test their skills in case the need ever arises.
I see you are new here, how you present your questions will have a big effect on the tone of the answers....
 
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I'm surprised that this question has NEVER been asked :rolleyes:

te1dd1a_beating-a-dead-horse.gif
 
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"Batoning" (AKA "Splitting wood with a knife")

It's a form of the "Contact Method."
See "froe.'
Yes you can break a knife, but it is not the inevitable or even common outcome. It less hard on a knife than chopping where there is impact between the work and the most fragile part of the knife.
Yes, you can break any tool, but that's not the inevitable or common outcome, especially given practice with the tool..

If you believe you might actually need to use the knife in that way, you might want to practice so you are less likely to break the knife.

I was taught how to do it almost fifty years ago, have done it seldom, have done it with a slip-joint (carefully), and would do it in a minute if necessary.

We get about two of these threads a year.
 
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zzyzzogeton said:
OK - Please tolerate my lack of understanding here, but why, except in a for-real, no-@#$%, "I'm lost in the woods with just a knife" survival situation, would anyone baton or chop with a knife? ANY knife? I mean, that's what hatchets and axes are for. When I go camping, and I intend to make a fire, I take both an ax and a hatchet. When hiking, even my small R10 Western hatchet would beat the hell out of any knife for chopping (pun intended).

I was taught to use the appropriate tool for the job and to treat my tools properly to make them last. (note - was raised by farmers/ranchers and am one - we are more frugal than most folks).

In a variety of forums and sub-forums, I see posts by people about damaging/destroying their knives by batoning or chopping wood, concrete, chains, bed-frames, plywood, etc and then crying when they break, bend, chip or break those same knives AND bitch when the manufacturer says they voided their warranties.

So can someone(s) try to explain what is the fascination with doing this?
Click to expand...

We do it to drive trolls, err, I mean, posters like you crazy. :)
 
When I go primitive camping everything I have was brought in on my back. You need a camp knife anyway, So I bring one that's up to the task. An ax or hatchet is just more weight that could go to good or water, And they are bulky IMO.

That and it's not like I'm trying to cut down trees. Just manageable pieces of firewood to be broken down to kindling.
 
I understand what the OP's saying. As far as the frugality and right tool for the job thing, I've only got one camp knife, and I'd much prefer to use a tool that's tailor-made for chopping than risk damaging or breaking it. I guess in the end it's a matter of personal preference, though. Just my uninformed opinion.
 
For me really just for smaller pieces that I am going to use in a smaller campfire,
my intention is not to split a cord of wood with it,although technically you could.
 
Batoning is Fun. Busting the sticks off the side of a downed tree is fun. With a knife designed to chop or baton, it is as safe as any other chopping tool; It can be faster as well.

It makes me happy.
 
Believe it or not, there are knives made that will chop (or baton) as well or better than any axe/hatchet and are made just for the purpose of chopping wood.
 
I think chopping is fine, depending on the knife of course... I'm not a fan of batoning but then again, depending on the knife... some knives are ridiculous beasts.

I don't think chopping or batoning should be done with a folding knife.


Most people probably aren't living off the land depending on their knives, if it breaks it's usually an inconvenience. The people who did live off the land in times past didn't have the knives we have today, so I don't think we can really say what they would have thought of them in terms of practicality...

I can't really imagine an early 1800s mountain man using an RTAK II, but then again they had horses and mules to carry their axes and stuff.
 
A lot of people like to travel as light as possible when hiking. I carry a pistol everywhere I go and there's no way I would bring a hatchet with me on an all day hike. IMO it isn't worth its weight in water or food. If shtf while I'm out there I will have a fixed blade suitable for making a fire and possibly as a weapon. Hatchet or axe is more of a camping tool to me
 
You are on bladeforums, we like knives here, we like to use knives here.
I'd make my morning coffee with a knife if I could figure out how.
 
Hawkings said:
You are on bladeforums, we like knives here, we like to use knives here.
I'd make my morning coffee with a knife if I could figure out how.
Click to expand...

This is just right. I opened my coffee bag with my knife at least....
 
When I hike I personally dislike bringing an ax, and so I have never gotten much skill with them, just what was required in scouts. I personally was better with a saw and hatchet, while some of my beefier friends could hammer away with an ax all day long. Anyway, after I left scouts, I got into YouTube and found the art of batoning. I tried it out, and it works well for me. As was previously stated, to each his own. I will tell you that if we go hiking together, I'm not carrying your ax.

About people whining when their knives break, they were probably using the wrong knife or the wrong method. No sympathy from me.
 
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