Your opinion on batoning?

bdmicarta said:
I've only noticed knife enthusiasts talking about batoning for maybe the past 5 years.
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When I was a kid, I'd spend as much time as feasible running through the woods, jumping off of and over trees, scaling cliff faces, leaping streams (or jumping rock-to-rock to get across), running across dilapidated bridges, etc.

Now, they do it in urban spaces and call it "parkour".
If I had only known I wasn't just "having fun" and given it a special name, I'd be famous!
 
Greykilt said:
All apologies, rim. I was being overly sarcastic. In retrospect, I wouldn't baton the golog if I had a hatchet. Forgive my poor a tempt at humor.
G...

And no, I wouldn't hit the golog with the hammer poll.
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I almost wished you did because I was curious. I have two of the regular Goloks. Really like them. (One is still brand new and a "spare".) Then the Pack Golok came out and I have moved to it as my dominant woods craft kind of "machete". The weight forward is what appeals to me with it for chopping versus the light regular Golok. Condor makes so many that interest me but for pure bush wacking, my favorite is the El Salvador.

I would have no problem with batoning the Pack Golok. It is not like it's a $500 blade that if you damage it, you cry for weeks.
 
Battoning is fine provided you don't go overboard on it. Respect the limitations of the knife and you will be fine.
 
Batoning is totally fine, just use a knife that can handle the task (full tang, high carbon steel, well forged: ESEE, Becker, EnZo, etc) and proper wood pieces, not too knotty or hard!
It is safer than chopping or swinging any edged tool and it's just steel vs wood!
Cross batoning, btw, is to be avoided...it's very stressfull for the blade and not really useful at all.

I usually baton with my ESEE 5 because I know it is tough as nails, but I also used succesfully smaller and thinner knives with no problem at all...but I don't abuse this technique, I just baton when I need the dry wood to start the fire, then just feed it with logs and branches.

If you hike and want to do a small fire for cooking and warming, then a good sturdy knife and a folding saw are the best lightweight option...you can do everything you need.
 
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22-rimfire said:
I almost wished you did because I was curious. I have two of the regular Goloks. Really like them. (One is still brand new and a "spare".) Then the Pack Golok came out and I have moved to it as my dominant woods craft kind of "machete". The weight forward is what appeals to me with it for chopping versus the light regular Golok. Condor makes so many that interest me but for pure bush wacking, my favorite is the El Salvador.

I would have no problem with batoning the Pack Golok. It is not like it's a $500 blade that if you damage it, you cry for weeks.
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Agreed. I've beat large blades through thick branches but I try not to hit metal on metal. But in an all out you do what you must.
 
bore said:
Keep whacking something long enough it'll break.
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Not true. I've been whacking since I was 11 and it still works, although I now need to wear glasses. Still waiting for my palms to grow hair.
 
Well.... if we ever need to baton an unobtanium knife through diamond we'd best call Charlie Mike for his baton stick then
 
AreBeeBee said:
Maybe this is just my years at Boy Scout camp 50 years ago, but my own take on batoning is that it's a technique to know how to do — and you plan your trips well enough that you never need to use it. If you're planning a trip and you will be making wood fires with found wood, then you're better off bringing a small, light hatchet with you. Again, the Bridgeport Scout hatchet is my mental model for the thing. (Yes, I know there are lighter models today.)

The hatchet blade should be sharp enough that you can shave wood curls with it, or make a proper fuzz stick. Most people carrying hatchets don't get them sharp enough to do this. The hatchet actually takes the place of the "sharpened prybar" which some bushcraft knives resemble. A sharp hatchet plus a folding pocket knife, and you are much more well equipped than the advertisements for big thick survival knives would have you believe.

Main thing: plan your trips, gain experience, and come prepared for what you'll do.
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You are a bit long on "shoulds," don't you think?

I plan my trips to not need to carry an axe or hatchet unless I want to bring one for fun. My camp knife is much lighter and more versatile than any dedicated chopping tool, and yes I use it for splitting smaller pieces for firewood. Don't think my old scoutmaster would have any problems with my technique or waste any breath criticizing me for leaving behind what I don't need.
 
Ombra said:
Batoning is totally fine, just use a knife that can handle the task (full tang, high carbon steel, well forged: ESEE, Becker, EnZo, etc) and proper wood pieces, not too knotty or hard!
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My Mora Classic, Buck 119, Kershaw Skyline, Victorinox Paring knife, and Victorinox Pioneer beg to differ. I can at least agree with the statement regarding wood. Knots suck!

Ombra said:
It is safer than chopping or swinging any edged tool and it's just steel vs wood!
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I've heard this perpetuated a lot, never seen any proof to back it up. If missused, any can be dangerous. Same goes for knives and axes.

Ombra said:
Cross batoning, btw, is to be avoided...it's very stressfull for the blade and not really useful at all.
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Notches for pot hooks, hearth boards, stakes, and various other projects. I think wood selection comes into play here especially, but saying it has no use?
 
Hacked said:
I've heard this perpetuated a lot, never seen any proof to back it up. If missused, any can be dangerous. Same goes for knives and axes.
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Sure, but would you be more comfortable with with someone swinging a hatchet or batoning a knife if you know they are new to the whole thing? I feel most people can hammer a nail without injury, but most people don't know how to swing an ax safely.


Hacked said:
Notches for pot hooks, hearth boards, stakes, and various other projects. I think wood selection comes into play here especially, but saying it has no use?
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+1

Everyone obviously knows a knife is a good carving implement, we also know chisels also carve well with a baton/mallet. Why is it so far fetched to think you can give your knife carving a little more power by tapping it?
 
Your knife is built very differently from a chisel for that reason... Do I really need to explain all the differences to illustrate that cross batoning is not justified because chisels exist? You don't need to baton to make notches for pot hooks and stakes, this is pretty easy to do by just pushing the blade into the wood.
 
I think there needs to be a distinction between "necessary", "acceptable", and "dangerous for the user/tool"

I don't find cross grain batoning to be in the dangerous catagory, nor do I find it necessary.
 
chuxwan said:
Your knife is built very differently from a chisel for that reason... Do I really need to explain all the differences to illustrate that cross batoning is not justified because chisels exist? You don't need to baton to make notches for pot hooks and stakes, this is pretty easy to do by just pushing the blade into the wood.
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Never met anyone on the backcountry with a chisel or chisels.
 
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