A How-to Guide + Tips & Tricks for Safe Splitting -

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Examine bushcrafting or survival knives and also you’ll certainly come throughout an idea known as “batoning.”

Many knives, together with some on Know Put together Survive, are rated by how nicely they will baton wooden.

What the heck is batoning?

Why do you have to be taught this survival ability?

Must you even baton within the first place?

All of those questions (and extra!) will probably be answered beneath.

So, let’s get began!

What’s Batoning?

Batoning is a technique for splitting wooden.

Particularly, you stick the blade perpendicular to the log with the tip and heel sticking past the wooden.

Then, you bonk the blade with one other piece of wooden on its backbone to drive it via the wooden, alongside the grain, splitting aside the fibers.

That is usually executed to course of items of wooden into firewood, particularly turning logs into kindling.

Okay, however why would you wish to do that when you might simply cut up wooden with an axe or hatchet?

Why Study The best way to Baton?

The easy reply is that batoning is one other device in your survival toolbox^[^1].

Instruments can get misplaced or broken. Or, it’s possible you’ll end up misplaced within the woods with naught however a knife.

Then you end up needing to construct a hearth. However there’s no kindling round!

Hopefully, you understand how to baton.

Some individuals additionally like utilizing a knife to baton smaller items of wooden as a result of it requires much less accuracy and far much less area than splitting a two-inch-wide piece of wooden with an axe.

You can even baton wooden to a a lot smaller diameter than you may cut up that wooden with an axe.

Batoning can be a great technique for crafting functions, corresponding to making certain you get a straight minimize of wooden to show right into a bow drill.

Lastly, batoning allows you to use a knife to chop away moist wooden to get to the dry heartwood beneath in case you must begin a fire with wet fallen lumber.

It’s a sluggish and managed approach that can’t totally change splitting however is an effective adjunct to different woodworking and survival abilities.

The best way to Baton

Batoning is a straightforward course of when you perceive the fundamentals.

You solely want 4 issues:

A superb batoning knife
A bit of wooden to baton
A second piece of wooden to make use of as a membership
A protected location to baton on, corresponding to a stump

That second piece of wooden is your baton! It must be straight, a foot and a half (or so) lengthy, and thick sufficient to be weighty with out being unwieldy.

After getting these gadgets, right here’s the best way to baton:

Sq. off the highest and backside of the wooden you wish to baton
Place the wooden in your stump, standing up
Plant the lengthy aspect of your knife into the highest of the wooden as in the event you have been attempting to separate the wooden
Be sure there’s loads of tip ahead of the wooden (at the very least 2-3 inches)
Strike the knife’s backbone with the baton to drive it deeper into the wooden whereas holding onto the grip
Push down together with your hand on the grip to attempt to preserve the blade as perpendicular as attainable
Hit the blade’s heel if the knife goes too removed from perpendicular

That’s it!

Only a handful of strikes will drive the knife via your log, offering you with dry heartwood or a straight wooden piece!

Straightforward sufficient, proper?

There are a couple of extra particulars you must know earlier than placing this system into apply…

What Wooden Ought to You Baton?

You shouldn’t baton each log you see.

The most important consideration is the log’s width. It must be about half as extensive because the blade is lengthy.

You don’t wish to break off your knife’s tip so ensure that there’s loads of blade hanging outdoors the wooden!

Oddly sufficient, you may baton longer items of wooden than you may cut up with a hatchet.

Additionally, you wish to keep away from batoning via robust hardwoods woods, particularly ones filled with knots.

Don’t attempt to baton via inexperienced resinous wooden, both, because the sap could lure your knife!

In brief, if the wooden feels prefer it’s robust, don’t danger your knife.

The Greatest Knife for Batoning

You don’t wish to use any previous knife for batoning.

For those who strive it with a folding knife it’s possible you’ll break the locking mechanism.

And don’t even consider utilizing an affordable knife as a result of it’s possible you’ll shatter the blade!

What to Look For in a Batoning Knife

A superb batoning knife has a protracted and sturdy blade created from high-quality trendy metal. A full tang is most popular.

The lengthy blade allows you to use your knife with extra sizeable logs.

Keep in mind, you want at the very least two inches of blade, ideally three, extending from the wooden. So, to baton via a 3″ log, the blade must be 5″-6″ lengthy.

Sturdiness is critical as a result of batoning is a demanding exercise.

A superb, trendy metal will deal with this stress with out grievance. Low cost metal could not².

You desire a full tang since you’re additionally pushing down on the grip whereas hitting the blade so there’s some drive transferring via the purpose at which the blade meets the hilt.

Smaller tangs will focus the scale of this level and enhance the possibilities of failure.

Oh, and a straight edge works finest.

These options all come collectively to end in a heavy but sturdy knife.

Choose a chopper, not a skinner!

Best batoning knife ESEE 6P fixed blade survival knife

My Favourite Batoning Knife

My favourite knife to baton with is the ESEE-6.

It’s a set blade knife with a full tang and a 5.75″ lengthy innovative that terminates in a robust tip.

This provides me the flexibility to baton the blade via comparatively thick logs with out worrying that it’ll snap.

There are different good batoning blades on the market however the ESEE 6 has carried out nicely for me. It’s confirmed to be a flexible survival knife in different methods as nicely!

Click here to read my full ESEE-6 review!

Batoning Ideas and Methods

Keep away from batoning on the bottom as a result of rocks and pebbles can harm your knife’s edge
Don’t hit the tip together with your baton! Thwack the backbone near the log you’re batoning via
Be sure your knife is straight up and down and also you’re hitting it straight downward else it’s possible you’ll twist and harm your blade
Straight items of hardwood make one of the best batons
Resist the temptation to make use of a rock or one other piece of steel as a baton as a result of both of these will harm your knife
Don’t neglect to reposition the blade within the wooden in the event you’re splitting a protracted piece of wooden
You can even use the batoning approach to chop a bit of heavy rope by inserting the rope on a stump, positioning the knife on prime of the rope, and hitting the backbone to drive the blade via the rope
One other approach is to alternate hitting the blade on one aspect of the wooden then the opposite to maintain the blade straight the entire approach via

Lastly, preserve your focus in your process since you are making use of kinetic power to a bladed weapon.

Distractions can lead to a misstrike, inflicting harm!

Conclusion

Splitting wooden by hitting a blade with one other piece of wooden is a crude but efficient bushcrafting approach.

Not each survivalist likes the approach. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a great ability to be taught, and might help you put together firewood when your hatchet has abandoned you.,

All you must baton is a chunky knife or machete, two items of wooden, and a protected backstop to hit together with your blade.

My favourite batoning knife is the ESEE-6.

What’s your favourite batoning knife?

FAQs

Can You Baton Wooden with a Folding Knife?

Properly, no, however really sure.

You don’t want to baton with a folder as a result of making use of any drive via the lock (corresponding to if you’re pushing down together with your hand on the grip) can harm the folding mechanism.

Nevertheless, in case your folder has a protracted sufficient blade (2″-3″ on each side of the wooden) it’s attainable to baton with a folding knife. On this case, you’ll alternate hanging both sides.

Is Batoning Dangerous for Your Knife?

Batoning a correctly designed knife via the appropriate sort and dimension wooden will not be dangerous on your knife.

Low cost knives can break when struck, although, doubtlessly inflicting harm!

The most important risks are exterior issues that may be prevented, corresponding to hitting the delicate tip together with your baton or driving the blade into gravel.