Y'know, I'm new here, so I'm kinda curious...

S

Snow Walker

Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
93
Good quote from the movie "Quigley Down Under"...

Y'know, I'm new here, so I'm kinda curious...what's this thing with batoning (did I even spell this right?)? It seems to be an important topic here. I have to admit in my 50+ years on earth, I have never batoned anything. I've chopped with an axe/hatchet/hawk/machete, and I've sawed with a cross cut saw/chain saw/swedes saw/folding saw/pole saw/buck saw, but never batoned in order to process wood. I was a forestry major in college and a tree trimmer for years after, so I've processed a lot of wood.

Is it a location thing? I'm from the Midwest, so we have plenty of smaller twigs and branches lying around if we need small wood to start fires. Most helpful tool that people often carry to process wood is a pair of hand clippers...

As a noob, I hope I didn't offend anyone...there does seem to be a definite "baton" camp and "non-baton" camp. Thanks for the clarification!
 
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Snow Walker said:
Good quote from the movie "Quigley Down Under"...

Y'know, I'm new here, so I'm kinda curious...what's this thing with batoning (did I even spell this right?)? It seems to be an important topic here. I have to admit in my 50+ years on earth, I have never batoned anything. I've chopped with an axe/hatchet/hawk/machete, and I've sawed with a cross cut saw/chain saw/swedes saw/folding saw/pole saw/buck saw, but never batoned in order to process wood. I was a forestry major in college and a tree trimmer for years after, so I've processed a lot of wood.

Is it a location thing? I'm from the Midwest, so we have plenty of smaller twigs and branches lying around if we need small wood to start fires. Most helpful tool that people often carry to process wood is a pair of hand clippers...

As a noob, I hope I didn't offend anyone...there does seem to be a definite "baton" camp and "non-baton" camp. Thanks for the clarification!
Click to expand...

Since one can virtually always find small twigs the only legitimate reasons I see for batonning are:

To get to dry wood inside larger pieces when everything is wet

&

Fun
 
I own Beckers therefore I can. I do a lot of mountain hiking/climbing and weight is very important. I carry one knife and that knife must be able to perform multiple task. Real or perceived. Batoning could be one of those task. So I practice often. Plus I find it most relaxing and gratifying
 
Batoning is a cultural thing. It's a way to get to dry wood, it's a way to turn a single log, into a log cabin fire. I learned it from my dad, watching him baton with an old Hickory knife, to split kindling for the grill. 3rd world countries do it all the time. I have been batoning WAY back then, before batoning vs not batoning ever became a debate... As always, you have to know the limitations of your equipment.

I've tried for 2 years to break this damn BK9 while batoning and I've just failed miserably!

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I don't wanna hear that batoning is bad for your knife. If I can't baton with a knife, it's no good to me. If batoning is wrong, then I don't wanna be right! :D
 
Lapedog said:
Damn is that all fatwood?
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Yes sir it is! Harvesting fatwood is a favorite past time of my wife and I. We hike in a few miles, harvest 40-50lbs worth and then hike back out!

Tanker 1/66 said:
Hey I recognize that RBK:D
Click to expand...

I hope you enjoy that thing! I may pick another one up for myself again! But for now, my Behemoth Chopper has that base covered!
 
Eh' what ever works for you.

I use a Saw alot to get wood to size to fit for batoning or for size of fire.

I baton because its easier during cold weather when I'm tired and a hatchet is a bit dangerous for handling. If lots of snow you need to dig down for the dang axe to work right. This is for getting the fire to start, once one is warm and one brought an axe chop away if ya want once you prepped the ground decently in the winter.

For beer season...er deer season the weather makes the ground mucky and yucky for splinting wood unless I do it on the cement step at the old farm stead. I bataciton the tyrannical botanical before I send it to a horrifying burning death for the problems it caused during its existence! Mostly for the splitting the larger wood to fit in the small wood stove, its safer than a hatchet or axe as the porch is to short to do a proper swing.

Now for disclosure, I use proper chopping knives (IE meant for batoning) like the SP-51 (sunsetted no longer about any where) or the SP-53 to do such work as they were MADE for such jobs and can do knife things, well the SP-53 can also and that's why I think they decided to keep it production over the SP-51. There are a lot of knives that can chop, which I use at times to learn to use them or its all I grabbed at the time, but those are knives that can chop, as I mean in baton wood not light to medium to heavy machete work.

Most of my wood splitting is done with a Maul, not an axe and when the ground is frozen it becomes the big wood spliter, I find it safer to baton to make the kindling though that a hatchet or axe to be more percisie. I use to risk a finger or two and such till I discovered Batactitoning! I still keep the axe and hatchets around for larger woods clearing and such.

The larger knives like the BK9 and my BK4 work with my trail clearing and batoning on trail for and camping when there is a weight limit on such expeditions, one thing they got is a solid pommel to pummel things! As I said knives that can CHOP are also important vs designated choppers. Light day trips to other wilderhood expeditions, I take a designated chopper with large knife that can chop to cover different jobs in case some lazy bear runs off with my pack thinking its the food pack. Fortunately I found the shredded pack and its more durable contents after it found out there was no food in there but a beef jerky stick or two. I like my BKs for over lap of what my designated choppers can do, or if going from main camp I take the "lighter" knife with me. That being a BK9 or BK4 usually, in case I need to make a fire to hunker down with if some how some one hid my flashlight some where else that is...yeah that's it! Now I carry extra lights and a solar powered light panel battery charger. Cell phone helps to let them know you decided to "ruff it" after getting powerfully puzzled.

Dang wrong buttons...
 
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I used to be an axe and hatchet guy, but I've had a few close calls with them. Now, a folding saw and big knife is all I need for firewood in these woods down here. Along with my wife with her folding saw and and big knife, we can prep WAY more firewood than 2 people with axes and like you said, much safer as well.
 
I find batonning to be safer and much faster for the 2-5” sticks/branches. It does take practice, but I can zip through them so quickly.
What’s interesting is that I am the exact opposite from the OP, I have ONLY used choppers and machetes, and have used axes and hatchets almost never.
When I buy a bigger blade, the considerations I prioritize is it’s ability to baton along with
ergos.
I have 9, and like 91bravo, I can’t seem to break it no matter how much I try!
 
I actually baton firewood a lot. I cook with Kiawe (Mesquite wood) and it’s very hard, twisted grain wood to cut. A hatchet does not work as well; a large axe works well but it takes some significant swings. I don’t always carry an axe, but always have a large chopper. Batoning is more controlled and I can select the size of wood I want to burn.

Many times while making a fire while at the beach or camping, it’s needed to get smaller pieces of good inner wood to make sufficient coals. The loose branches and sticks burn too fast for cooking.

Granted this is just my experience and works well for me. It may not be the best formula for everyone.
 
Snow Walker said:
Good quote from the movie "Quigley Down Under"...

Y'know, I'm new here, so I'm kinda curious...what's this thing with batoning (did I even spell this right?)? It seems to be an important topic here. I have to admit in my 50+ years on earth, I have never batoned anything. I've chopped with an axe/hatchet/hawk/machete, and I've sawed with a cross cut saw/chain saw/swedes saw/folding saw/pole saw/buck saw, but never batoned in order to process wood. I was a forestry major in college and a tree trimmer for years after, so I've processed a lot of wood.

Is it a location thing? I'm from the Midwest, so we have plenty of smaller twigs and branches lying around if we need small wood to start fires. Most helpful tool that people often carry to process wood is a pair of hand clippers...

As a noob, I hope I didn't offend anyone...there does seem to be a definite "baton" camp and "non-baton" camp. Thanks for the clarification!
Click to expand...

I find I do nearly all my batoning as a final step to reduce manageable pieces of wood further for easier burning, mainly for the beginning stages of starting a fire when smaller pieces are better.

I find batoning a lot easier than using a hatchet to split wood, as it is quite a bit more controlled and precise because the momentum of your arm swing isn't carrying the edge with it and therefore doesn't have to be as accurate in its strike point. I can baton sitting down in comfort and safety, and without the hatchet in one's pack a larger knife can be justified and a small folding saw for cross cuts can be added with ease.

I chop with my big knife when cutting branches/small logs, I fell/split with a boys axe when appropriate, and once the wood is too small to safely split with said axe that's when batoning is most efficient and necessary.

Until I found the Becker subforum here I didn't baton either, but once I saw how efficient a big knife can be in a kit I have continued to do it and don't see any reason to stop.
 
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