Your opinion on batoning?

[n7titan]

I'd also like to add that Batoning is easier for a newbie to try than using a hatchet/axe.

Just recently I had a camping trip and we brought our own logs, about 15, 7-8" diameter logs
Living in Southern California, my friend had little experience processing firewood.

He took a stab at the logs with the hatchet and found himself getting 1/4 of the way through before getting stuck.
I had to have him change his stance so a missed chop wouldn't take out his legs, stand the log up and cut with the grain, and had him slice off smaller portions instead of trying to split the log straight down the center.

When I asked him to use the knife to baton kindling though... no directions necessary. There's no real danger of missing swings and once he learned to cut with the grain it just became natural.

 

[Shotgun]

I baton my mora because it's a pound lighter than a hatchet. IMO the whole problem is guys thinking I'm batoning an entire cord of wood when in reality it's much more benign. Why hump a hatchet only to use it for 5 minutes when I'll use the knife multiple times for multiple things. If not for batoning, i can't see any need for a fixed blade personally. Millions of backpackers and hunters carry a folder only and don't skip a beat.

 

[gadunz]

Feathering sticks with hatchet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF7rmOgr3m4
Keep it sharp. Its a blade not a bludgeon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg5DZ2mnYyY

 

[Seriousbladeno1]

I couldn't imagine a more solid knife. Once you handle one, all other knives sort of feel puny. It made my kukri feel puny, which is not.

I know your feelings.When I got my HI 20inch Chiruwa AngKhola with half inch thick blade all other knives felt same way even few 18inch bowies with 10mm thick blades feel light next to HI CAK and they weight 1,35kg each

I like the geometry on this Busse, straight back and I always preferred convex edges, such as CAK have.In simplicity is greatness and this knife of yours embodies that!

 

[Spyder59]

I baton my mora because it's a pound lighter than a hatchet. IMO the whole problem is guys thinking I'm batoning an entire cord of wood when in reality it's much more benign. Why hump a hatchet only to use it for 5 minutes when I'll use the knife multiple times for multiple things. If not for batoning, i can't see any need for a fixed blade personally. Millions of backpackers and hunters carry a folder only and don't skip a beat.

If I'm in the woods hiking, I also do not want to carry a hatchet because of weight concerns. But I learned my lesson batoning with a folder. You do not want to baton with a folder unless it's an emergency. You run the risk of messing up your blade lock enough to cause unwanted blade play or worse. So I'll always have about a six inch fixed blade with me for starting a fire. I'll usually just baton down one or two sticks to start my fire because it's fun and it's a little easier to get a fire started well and fast.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

With a folder, disengage the lock before batoning.

 

[Thomas Linton]

The argument that "I never need to baton 'cause dry wood of the right size is all around me" is less useful in areas where wood dry on the outside is rare, say Olympic National Forest in Washington or DuPont State Forest in Transylvania County, North Carolina. There, dry wood is typically inside wet wood. If I didn't want to carry an axe, I would carry a knife that would stand up to batoning.

Add Bark River to the list of makers who assert that their knives are good to go if you want to baton.

 

[pinnah]

I've never *needed* to build a fire in all my years in the backcountry.

 

[atavist]

If you have what you think is a heavy duty camp knife and it fails batoning for any reason, then it is a POS. Period. If you have a knife designed for delicate work made of a delicate steel like S30V, then don't use it to baton with.

old post but I think this sums it up... every knife has a purpose and every purpose has a knife...

 

[REVDH]

I carry my esee6 as my main knife. YOu can baton anything 5 or smaller with it. Batoning is fine for your knives. A lot of bushcrafty people will tell you otherwise. My theory is that they are all using scandi grinds which roll easily while batoning. The right tool for the right job. Batoning is a useful skill to have even if you do not usuallyuse oit.

 

[Cobalt]

With a folder, disengage the lock before batoning.

Damm, I would like to see this. I would never think of doing this with my opinels, but...?

 

[robgmn]

I've never *needed* to build a fire in all my years in the backcountry.

But it's just something you DO when you're camping!

 

[bowieknifenick]

You may not NEED to build a fire to survive a night in the woods, but it sure as heck makes you feel a lot better about surviving a night in the woods with a fire than without. Morale booster I suppose. Call me a neanderthal (probably would anyway if you saw me), but there's no better feeling than making a big ole fire in the backcountry. Sure, Tom Hanks COULD have survived in Cast Away on that deserted island without making fire, but did it make him a lot happier? Yep. Sometimes that's all you need.

 

[bdmicarta]

My opinions-

it's a fad
it's probably fun (have a big knife and want to find something fun to do with it, here you go...)
it promotes destruction of trees
there might be 2 or 3 people on the entire planet that really need to do it each year

I don't own any knives that are big enough to really work well batoning, and there aren't any excess trees anywhere around my house, so I can't try it out.

 

[Cobalt]

My opinions-

it's a fad
it's probably fun (have a big knife and want to find something fun to do with it, here you go...)
it promotes destruction of trees
there might be 2 or 3 people on the entire planet that really need to do it each year

I don't own any knives that are big enough to really work well batoning, and there aren't any excess trees anywhere around my house, so I can't try it out.

A fad is something that is not necessary at times. Batoning is not that. It has been around for ever.

 

[atavist]

My opinions-

it's a fad
it's probably fun (have a big knife and want to find something fun to do with it, here you go...)
it promotes destruction of trees
there might be 2 or 3 people on the entire planet that really need to do it each year

I don't own any knives that are big enough to really work well batoning, and there aren't any excess trees anywhere around my house, so I can't try it out.

So machetes in the rain forest don't count?? In specific environments batoning with large blades is a lifestyle...

... and here's one I built earlier this year that was purpose built for batoning... L6 bainite at 56RC, ivory micarta and a full threaded tang.... your grandchildren will give out before she does.

 

[Spyder59]

^^^Beautiful knife.

With a folder, disengage the lock before batoning.

Great idea.

 

[Spyder59]

I've never *needed* to build a fire in all my years in the backcountry.

Me neither, but I like to do it, because it's part of the fun.

 

[ocnLogan]

I can't speak for anyone else, but in my opinion it doesn't promote the destruction of trees. Since battoning is usually done for firecraft, using green wood is far from ideal. I've only used deadfall, or dead standing wood.

EDIT:

I tried batoning with a folder once (thumb sized), did it with the lock disengaged, and it was fine. Pivot needed a slight adjustment, but lockup of course is the same.

And interestingly, I've heard good things about opinels batoning. They're tougher than they appear. Friction folders are "best" for this though, as they're essentially short tanged fixed blades with folding handle extensions. Still don't really recommend it though, just for the record.

 

[stabman]

My opinions-

it's a fad

it promotes destruction of trees

Damned fads that last for centuries!

Do you use toilet paper? Drive on roads lately? The creation of both destroy more trees than I could in a lifetime, even if I tried really hard.