Would you baton your only blade?

I normally carry an ASH-1, so yes I would. The logs normally just split themselves when they see the knife.:D If I only had a small knife, I would probably just make a lot of feather sticks to start the fire.
 
If I only had one knife, and I could choose it, it would be a Busse so batoning would not concern me in any way.

I only baton to get dry wood for starting a fire or splitting logs for a stove. Oh and for making a board for the drill.
 
KGD put it well indeed. :thumbup:

If I could avoid heavy splitting I would, and use the wedge method. I would prefer to go this route to 1) preserve the sharp edge on my knife or lengthen time between sharpenings (with a sharpening tool or the less easily used rock) and 2) avoid risk of damage to my knife (even if I know my knife can take it...you never know with Murphy).
 
Im allways going to have my RC6 with me, so yes I would.:D:thumbup:
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Hi all,
I like what morablades and siguy had to say. Most times even after a good soaking rain you can break off a stick thumb size and carve up a fuzz stick and then light it it on fire. The out side of the stick is mainly damp. Just shave off the outer portion and then check out the inner wood and most times it will be dry enough to make up a fuzz stick. I have been to some swampy areas and if I used wood that was not lying on the ground or in a pool of water I was able to just carve up the sticks that I found.

Now that being said I do batton. I do more battoning with 3/32" thick knives than I do my 5/32" thick knife that I carry every day. I also carry my shoulder kit and on the strap of it I carry my first scandi grind knife ( 3/32 thick and with a blade length of 3.75" ) that I made and batton with it several times a week. BUT I do not batton thick wood. 2" or less. I batton to make the fire boards and the trap triggers that I make up and to make up small kindling wood, LOL just because it is fun to do while sitting next to my fire.

I am with kgd test your knife out before heading out into the wilds you never know what the heat treat will be like. Test you knife. Battoning is not abuse when you tap it through the wood. Just do not do like bear grylls does with a rock:thumbdn:

So yes I would still batton, depending on the knife I have with me. I am not going to batton with my sak farmer modle I would just carve shaving off wood untill I got to dry ones and use them to start a fire. I did that just last friday night when I stayed out for the night.

Bryan.
 
I'm a lazy, beer drinking, slob, so I am not going to baton whether the knife can take it or not.

I like burnin them logs in half and chuckin the ends towards the center of the fire, then throwin' a big hunk of red meat on top. Maybe use some lard to soften it up and cutting a pretty rare piece off to eat now and then till I am too bloated stay awake any longer....

Baton? I.... think..... not.
 
If I had one of my Combat Grade ASH-1's with me and it was my only knife, I would not have a problem with batoning wil the cows came home.


RickJ
 
rksoon said:
KGD put it well indeed. :thumbup:

If I could avoid heavy splitting I would, and use the wedge method. I would prefer to go this route to 1) preserve the sharp edge on my knife or lengthen time between sharpenings (with a sharpening tool or the less easily used rock) and 2) avoid risk of damage to my knife (even if I know my knife can take it...you never know with Murphy).
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Like RK, I am much more risk-averse when I have only 1 blade with me. To me, it would just not be worth the risk on an extended outing, especially when there are alternatives.

That, and what PrimitiveMan said :)
 
If the situation required dry wood fast, I would absolutely baton my blade.

If it was a true survival situation but time was not of the essence, I would probably go easy on my blade and use the wedge and stone method, just in case.

If I'm out for fun, I love to baton, just for the heck of it. Hitting steel with wood is almost as fun as hitting wood with steel!

All the best,

- Mike
 
skammer said:
I wouldnt baton or count on a mora either.

What pitdog said.

SKam
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Who said I carried a Mora in the woods?:D My moras have retired to utility knives. On a serious note. If anything did happen and I can't get to my car (in my trunk is a Linder Machete and Kabar) it'd be the folder I have in my pocket that I would have to rely on. I'm not suggesting batoning with a folder.
 
Fonly said:
that works if it hasen't been raing for three days.
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Maybe we should do more threads on starting fires in wet environments. I wish I had a video camera right now because it just got finished raining outside. Everything's nice and wet.
 
If I was on a hike and wanted to practice some skills, no. If I fell through some ice and had to get dry quickly or die, yes. It all depends.

Kind of like the answers that a survival knife is the one that you have on you. I don't know about the rest of you, but I never get close to the woods without a few of my favorites. Get caught without them? Hard to imagine that happening...
 
I would never own a dog that doesn't hunt.... and I'd never carry a knife that could not baton and hold an edge afterwards.
 
Morablades said:
Who said I carried a Mora in the woods?:D My moras have retired to utility knives. On a serious note. If anything did happen and I can't get to my car (in my trunk is a Linder Machete and Kabar) it'd be the folder I have in my pocket that I would have to rely on. I'm not suggesting batoning with a folder.
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That's why you need to start EDCing a pocket fixed blade! :D

In all seriousness I baton all the time with my Izula, and I'm never without it in my pocket. It's surprising just how much a little knife can get through if it has to.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
That's why you need to start EDCing a pocket fixed blade! :D
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I have been looking for one that suits my needs best. But the downfall is there aren't many stores here that carry them so I can physically handle the knife. All I need is 3" to be legal and it doesn't have to be pocketed:thumbup: I'll have to drive up to SMKW one weekend.
 
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