How To Not Baton Your Knife
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Everyone knows how to baton a knife and why we do it. As far as the fire making aspect of batoning, you can split wood without batoning and, you can get by without batoning or splitting any wood at all. Lets have a look at these methods.
I liked the wood splitting demos. Also the chisel grind carving edge is a wonderful idea.
Thank you Doug!
Agreed, I came for Dave&Nick. Stayed to learn something! LOVE the point and rock trick.
I'm a Fudd, what is considered "bushcraft" by so many, was how many of us, diminishing numbers, were raised. I do roll my eyes sometimes at your gadgets and collections, not sure, given a different set of circumstances, I might have the same collection. Really appreciate how you treat quality blades and equipment, some things shouldn't be scripted on.
You roll your eyes at my gadgets and collection but think about that for a minute, how boring would RUclips if there were 10,000 videos of people showing only common everyday camping items?
I actually learned why you split wood instead of just burning it round. Had to watch the video thru freshly broken phone screen 😢. Goo to see Nick back with you.
Great to hear that Sam! Not about the cracked screen part tho, that stinks man. Thanks for watching
You are the best channel for sharing real, practical skills that will make a difference in someone's enjoyment of the outdoors. Thanks for this video. I learned a lot about obtainig & preparing wood for cooking, etc.
Thanks! I'm glad you like my channel that much!
I love that wedge on a rock method,never seen that before. 👍👍
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
Great video man. Realizing that you can do stuff in the woods with stuff you find in the woods like wood to split wood shows that it's not about whether you can do it, it's about how much effort you're willing to put in to the task and how creative you are with the materials at hand. Thanks for sharing, Was waiting for that bug to jump on Nick. Great camera work Nick.
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Modern tools make things easier but almost anything can get done with natures materials. Thanks for watching my friend
Thanks for the video Dave and Nick. What an excellent idea with adding a carving or chisel edge to the machete, now it's a multi purpose tool. I am definitely going to do this to mine. Cheers 🍻🇨🇦
You are very welcome Bruce and we are glad you liked it! Fantastic to hear you are going to add this carving edge. You'll love it!
Cool tricks. I don’t like beating up my knives. I usually use a hatchet or a beater knife that I don’t care about. 🐸🍺🔪🔥
Thanks, Im glad you liked it Johnny. Id rather not beat on most of mine too
That was awesome Dave!!! I learned so much from this video today !! I never thought of making wedges! Great informative video as always Dave! Take care and stay safe my friends !!!
Fantastic to hear that Troy! Thanks for watching brother!
A very useful video because a knife and maybe a saw is what most people will have (should have) with them out walking,but not usually an axe or hatchet.
Exactly, and a knife saw combo is so lightweight it's easy to carry
Thanks so much for all the different ways to baton properly whilst keeping one's knife edge sharp. The two handed machete technique for shaving wood is terrific especially for those of us who may not have great hand strength. May not be a bad idea to include a small chisel with good steel in one's pack. God bless.
Thanks, Im glad you liked it. A small chisel is a good tool, just sometimes hard to get enough pressure behind it. Thats where using two hands on a machete really works! Thanks for watching
Thank you so much Dear Nick and Dave for the wonderful video Have a lovely weekend See you in the next video 🌲🌲🌲
You are very welcome Ofer and We are glad you liked it. Thanks for watching you have a great weekend too!
Outstanding video Dave and Nick. When I started camping as kid a long, long, long time ago all I knew about splitting wood was by using an axe or hatchet. Started watching Bear Grylls, Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundeen a number of years back then discovered some bushcraft channels on YT a couple years ago. I think I get the idea that batoning wood with a knife is a last resort type of thing. If I have an axe or hatchet that is what I'll use unless I get one of those Terava Scramas. I like the looks of that tool.
Thanks James! An axe will do a lot but in a knife only situation? You gotta try what you need to. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching brother
Old School wedges are some great options to learn how to not baton. It's not PC to say anymore but in that environment there is ample Squaw wood available where all you need is an ignition source, AKA - BIC (ha) and don't even need a knife/tool to make a camp/cook fire, wet or not. Thank you for posting.
Are you referring to what's also called fatwood, pinelighter or heart of pine?
@@Reallybigmonkey1 Squaw wood was a term used for the women collecting and processing firewood by hand with no tools.
Great video, Brother. Very informative and enjoyable to watch. The thick, short wedge reminded me of Dave Canterbury’s “Woodsman Wedgie”. God bless you both. John
Thanks Brother John! We are glad you liked it. I remember that wedge he marketed. Even with it available people still loved batoning. Thanks for watching and may God bless you too brother
Great Seeing All These Tips Shared Here, Many Thanks Davey & Nick ! Have A Great Day Ahead ! ATB T God Bless
We are glad you liked it Terry and it's always great to hear from you. Thanks for watching and may God bless you too
Excellent advice!! I’ve always wondered why someone would beat on a knife with a stick😊
Thank you Anthony!
Dave, you can teach more in twenty minutes than some people teach in twenty hours.
Thanks!
Dave doesn't do 20 min vids and thank God :) fer that. What he does every other week is more than most do on a daily basis.
@@tag1462 Thanks!
Love your shows!!! ❤❤❤ Got “burnt” out, 👀🤣🤣, subject matter here was two, maybe three vids worth … not complaining too much. [I usually watch at 1.25-1.5 speed with captions 😂]
💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you!
Excellent informative video, my friend. Hope you’re doing well.
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. All is well here my friend!
entertaining and informative at the same time.
Thanks!
Learned a few more things, thanks.
Fantastic to hear that my friend!
Good tips Dave , thanks for sharing , God bless brother !
Thanks Michael! I'm glad you liked it and may God bless you too brother
Great video
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it
You've mentioned, many times, not to try to use rotten wood, to start a fire. I always wondered...why not?...it LOOKS like it would burn fast. Soooooo, I looked it up. Here is the WHY of it (from Quora): It's dry, its consistency is just slightly softer than regular wood, yet it doesn't burn even if you hold it on the flame. The process of rotting is caused by fungal attack - the fungus feeds on the cellulose that all organic matter contains. A material that has no cellulose isn't very flammable.
Thanks for sharing that explanation! I knew it didn't work well but wasn't sure of why
I enjoy the education part, but it's nice to go "off script" like you do, because it makes it seem like I've come along with you.
Fantastic to heat that Stephen! We often get distracted, Lol.
I just found myself unsubscribed from your channel. I have been subbed for years! RUclips has been messing around again. I had to manually go to your channel because I noticed it was not coming up in my feed list any more. Also great video! I always thoroughly enjoy your vids!
Well that stinks! I guess that's why my views started dropping so bad. And a huge thank you for checking in on my and subbing again!
I have what i call my workout backpack i keep enough dehydrated meals for several days,multitool,small saw,hatchet,couple knives,firemaking kit ie lighters,cottonballs in vasoline,ferro rod,etc,small fishing kit,first aid kit,bug repellant,survival blanket,paracord,snare wires,3 ways to purify water,canteen with cup,and a few other odds and ends like a slingshot and some take down arrows with broadheads that i can shoot with the slingshot all in the backpack weighs about 20 lbs the reason i call it my workout bag is even if im walking in the park in the city i through it on for a little extra weight for exercise if im out in the woods always take it,so basicly ive got a decent little survival kit with me all the time that weighs next too nothing so just dont think about batoning at all really 😅 oh forgot i also have a takedown bow that i put in the pack sometimes and a foldout solar powerbank and rechargable head lamp :)
I just really like having this light weight kit keep it in the car throw it on whenever or wherever im going for a walk probably overkill but better to have and not need than need and not have 😅
Sounds like a great kit! It's wise to always be prepared.
Is that a Castrom Swedish Forest Knife you are using? If so, how do you like it? I was thinking about picking one up. Anyway, thanks for another good video my friend. I always look forward to your posts.
Yes, that's a Casstrom swedish forest knife and I love it! It's worth every penny. I'm glad you liked the video and thanks for watching
50 yrs running around in the woods in and out of. Country i think maybe once batoned my knife and that was less then 2 inch branch .my opinion . It dont need to be done unless you cant find tinder then its still maybe theres othere ways to get tinder
Very well said Tom!
For myself, I think a silky saw would be my wood cutting tool of choice. I have a feeling that using a knife to baton a tough piece of wood would end up with me in the emergency room with a nasty cut on one of my legs.
I LOVE a good silky saw! Yep, batoning can be unpredictable!
Do you RE-sharpen all your blades after every videoed use?
Nope, I usually sharpen them only when I notice they aren't cutting well.
Thanks for the info 🐒
Thanks for watching Jorge
Instead of just swinging the large log, I'd prefer to lay it in the gap between two close trees and use leverage to snap it that way.
In a survival situation you need to be really careful of the potential for injury.
Any time your knife is out, there is potential for injury. It's safer to keep it sheathed as much as possible.
That would simply break the end of the log off, a saw could do the same thing. The idea is to get the fibers to snap in half from the impact allowing access to the dry inside of the wood. Thanks for watching Josh
That is a news bee. It does not sting
Thanks for the info Paul
😎😎😎
Thanks!
Always great to see you guys working with knives and machetes. I did like that carved wedge splitting those logs. A clever idea. I never enjoy batoning with a knife and ended up buying a really thick one for this very job. Watching how long those curl's burnt for was surprising and a tip to remember. A great video from you both and great tips. Hope you managed to get out of the way of that giant bug and tree clearing machine 😊. Many thanks again, both of you.👍
Thanks Spencer! We are glad you liked it. Always remember, make thick curls first then thin ones for the ferro rod to strike and theyll last longer. Thanks for watching
I was born on a pre-grid farm. Remember well when REA brought power lines across our land. We cooked on a castiron stove. Heated the house with wood, as well. Whether in the woods, backyard or the kitchen, we never used a knife to batton wood. In fact, I didn't learn about battoning until I started watching YT videos, once we finally got broadband. Still don't understand why some feel the need to beat and batter their innocent knife, when there are alternatives readily available.
One example is that often dry tinder can be found under an Eastern Red Cedar, even after a heavy rain. Another, is that if you carry flint and steel and/or a burning lens, carry some char cloth (or bird nest equivalents), as well. If you see rain clouds on the horizon, fill your cookpot with dry tinder and kindling.
Thanks for the comments Lee!
Completely agree with you. I use a hatchet.
@@Navigator-apex Yep! I also use an axe and/or hatchet, when they're available. Before I was old enough to use an axe, I was taught how to spit kindling with a hatchet.
Yep, mainly is done just for show or when you don't have an axe/saw and "need" one, and for whater reasin can't find dry/dead wood laying around , which prob will never hapen lol. But still a nice little thing to know how to do (please don't baton your knife if you don't need to #KnifeLivesMatter) 😂
A farm usually has a tool shed or another form of storing all the tools. When I go into the outdoors I don't bring a tool shed. I like to travel light so I hardly ever bring an ax or saw. Now it makes a lot more sense to learn how to baton a knife. Also batoning is a lot safer than chopping.
Great way to start my day with Dave and Nick in the woods working with knives and wood. Thank you for the demonstrations.
Fantastic to hear that robin and We are glad you liked it. Thanks for watching
I agree completely.
Hi Nick & Dave! Practice in the field takes a woodsman from theory to reliable skill. You're demonstration in this video illustrates that point beautifully. Great content! Blessings to you both!
Hello Terry and very well said my friend! Thanks for watching and blessings to you and your family
Hello Nick and Dave. I am over 71 years old and I learn something new every time I view your videos!!! Keep up the great work. See ya later. Chris.
Fantastic to hear that Chris! Have a great weekend and Thanks for watching
You are a gentleman, outdoorsman, and a great teacher. Thank for showing great ideas.
Thank you Jacob!
Good video. The thing with batoning is, once the edge of the blade makes the initial cut the blade functions more like a wedge anyway. I think the wood wedge method is better.
Thanks, Im glad you liked it. Yep, thats a good way of describing it Edwin! Thanks for watching
The wood wedge method is better but takes longer to make. If you only have one knife take the time to make wedges. Also if you have to split a bigger log for any reason, like making a bowl. In most cases batoning is just for thinner wood for your fire, lets say wrist size. Easy to baton even with a budget camp knife. So if you have a back up pocket knife you can make wedges if your knife gets stuck. It saves the time of making them beforehand.
Batoning wood with a knife is only popular because of survival shows. It's only necessary if a knife is the only tool you have in a survival situation. But do you really want to risk losing your only tool when you're already in a survival scenario? I don't! These tips will save both knives and lives! Thanks Dave and Nick!
Was batoning with whatever I had since childhood, and my grandfather too, to make the fire in stove, campfire, etc. In Russian villages back in time was popular big machete-like knives which woman used to split small pieces of firewood for stove (and also for many other purposes).
I've been batoning long before "survival" shows lol
Batoning a knife has been around forever. It's in Mors Kochanski's book "Bushcraft" from the 80's. It's a knife technique of ancient times. It's nothing new at all.
Obviously, you don't want to risk damaging or breaking your only tool in a survival situation. It's better to have more than one tool and the appropriate tools for the tasks at hand.
Reality is though, in a survival situation, you're usually only ever going to have one tool on you (if you're always prepared and lucky). This is the benefit to modern "survival knives" that are built thicker and tougher for such abuse.
A perfect option to have a 7-10" survival knife that is still just small enough to easily be able to be packed and hidden inside a small EDC bag or backpack. That you carry on you all the time, every day.
Survival situations rarely occur when you have all your woods gear and large pack ready for adventure, otherwise, it wouldn't be a survival situation, but an inconvenient, extended camping trip.
@@pennsyltuckyreb9800 Man, you are wrong. You broke the leg and guess what, welcome to survival. Its not inconvinient camping at all. This winter in local mountains a woman hiker was surviving 2 days (it was below zero temperatures, - 15 C at night) before she was found by rescue team, after falling from trail at very popular hiking spot. Without fire (she lost her matches while falling). This is not rare but people often found dead.
@@voyager667 Well, yeah, we can play the what if game all day. I think you missed the entire point of my original post, though.
Obviously, even being Uber prepared, things can still turn south fast. I've been living in the mountains my entire life, fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, bushcrafting, etc. I'm also a post-9/11, U.S. Marine veteran with lots of hard experiences there too. I've been there before myself. Not a fun place to be.
But most of my days aren't spent with my entire tool shed on my back nor would I want to or can even physically do so anymore from various service related injuries. Especially with rifle and ammo in tow.
I try and stay as minimalist and lightweight as possible.
So, for me, and I'm sure many other folks, the "one tool option", while not as desired and efficient, is where many folks tend to be. It's not practical carrying around a massive pack and gear all day in daily life. It is most practical to carry an easily packed and concealable knife or two.
I'm reminded of a story of a (Cherokee?) woman Native back in the day that had to escape into the wilderness of the Appalachian Smokies to survive....even through the winters. She had nothing but a wool blanket and large knife and she was able to survive like that. Skills, knowledge, and experience are infinitely more important than the tools at hand. She obviously knew the limits of her one tool and how to work around it to keep her going and yet still effect her survival.
Excellent video as always guys! Tons of great stuff packed in here! I really enjoyed seeing you use the wedges Dave. I personally always cringe a little when I see someone using a high quality knife to baton when they don't really need to. Sometimes it's necessary though I suppose. That short wedge that you used for splitting wood sideways was a new one on me... so learned a new trick from ya man 👍 Thanks! You and Nick take good care my brother!
Thanks brother, I'm glad you liked it. I hear ya, anytime I see a nice knife being bashed through a large diameter hunk of wood I'm always expecting it to break. These wedges work and are kinda fun to use! As always thanks for watching Brother John!
@@Reallybigmonkey1 You're more than welcome my Brother! Yeah, it would be bad to see someone break a good knife when they could easily just use wedges instead. I'm heading up to the mountains for a few days and plan to have a good ol' campfire... with wood split with... wedges! 😉 Take good care buddy!
Ooooh yay! A new Mr RBM1 and sidekick Nick video! Perfect, because weater here where I am is all grey fog and rain!
Thanks for watching
Another inspiring and helpful video on how to deal with wood. As always I learned something new for me. Greetings from germany
Fantastic to hear that and Thanks for watching
Personally, I carry a folding saw and a hatchet/axe however to each their own. I prefer a very sharp knife for protection, breaking down game/food, etc.
Its hard to beat a folding saw and hatchet, they can handle anything
Besides an axe or small hatchet, I think I would bring a small metal wedge to split smaller pieces of wood for fire starting. Perhaps using a tomahawk or the hawks head as a wedge.
Good thinking!
Great video Dave. Wedges, for being such a simple tool can be a tremendous force multiplier. I love how you show the proper use for your knife and use techniques to enhance what it can do without damaging it. I suck at sharpening any edge but I’m definitely going to learn how to add a carving edge to my machetes. My gear for going to the woods always includes a knife, machete and a saw. You’ve shown over and over what can be done when they’re used properly and what you can fabricate with them in the way of tools. Hey-oh to Nick!
Thanks Steve, Im glad you liked it. Yep, those three tools can handle any chore and you really dont have to push a knife to its limits. Heres a year old video on how to sharpen that scandi section in case you havent seen it.ruclips.net/video/ugve3kjT5wY/видео.html Thanks for watching
Since this comment is only 10 months old according to YT, Let me encourage you to watch Daves sharpening videos for outdoor tools if you haven't done it already😁
Always good to see Nick and Dave with sharp knives and machetes in the woods teaching “How To’s” Lot of good info.
Thanks! and its always great to be on here Randy!
Wedges are very under used and under rated, thanks for showing some different ways to use them! Hope all is well and have a great weekend!
Oh I agree! Im glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and you have a great weekend too!
I'm guessing those really tough, dead trees were some sort of oak. But oak trees up here in NH are different.
Probably so. Our red oaks die and dry like steel. Lol.
Never batonned in my life, just can't do that to my knife 😊 These methods are much better!
Sounds good to me! Thanks for watching
Chisel grind is helpful. Its why the Japanese use it for their wood working knives like the kiridishi. The only real issue is that they are designed to be biased towards one hand or the other. Whereas the centered edge is just as effective in either hand. I do carry a small chisel ground knife myself though.
Very well said JC. Im right handed so the grind will always be just like on my parang is here.
Whoo hoo! time for some fun in the woods.
Absolutely!
GREAT Vid. Good to know for new and old bush crafters, hikers and campers. Thank you for sharing and thank Nick for the camera work. Stay safe.
Thanks John! Im glad you liked it. Thanks for watching
Learned something new !!! Gonna get my machetes out and practice grinding on my cheapest one first. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Dave.
Fantastic to hear that! Hey, if you have time watch this other video on how to sharpen that edge. ruclips.net/video/ugve3kjT5wY/видео.html
@@Reallybigmonkey1 thank you sir
The things you show are more realistic than other channels because I find that things that I see myself in the field never go the way that these other channels show them going.
I remember that guy Colhane, and I wonder what happened to him.
Thanks! We try to not pre stage and keep it as realistic as possible. I think hes still around but just not making videos.Thanks for watching Brother
I have to tell you. I started watching about 5 yrs. ago. Your videos just popped up on my RUclips. I have learned so much from your videos. You were the one that made me put together go bags for me and my family. I also made them for my Grand kids. So they would have them in their first vehicles. And put together tool bags for their cars as well. With jumper cables and air compressors for airing up tires. So Grandma didn't worry about them on the road. Their parents showed them to change tires and things. The kids already know how to camp and set up tents. I caught small tents on sale and each had a tent. A whole small camp set up. The girls still have their setups and use them. They have had them about 5 yrs now. And have used their camp setups to teach their girlfriends as well. So thank you for all your videos and knowledge you have given to us all. But you were the first one to really make me get down to business to actually put those bags together. Thank you, and to really think about what to put into one. And give me the knowledge to use these things safely. Your information did not fall on deaf ears. And I was able to prepare my Grands as well.😊
Fantastic to hear that! I think it's great that not only are you prepared for anything but now your family is too! That definitely made my day. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching
Hilarious comments, Nic! Gotta keep the old nan on his toes! Awesome video, guys. Always enjoy. 👍😎🇨🇦💫🗡🔥⭐
Thank you Marian! We had a lot of fun with this one. Thanks for watching
Some additional points if I may Dave:
One very crude method to access dry wood is to smash open a branch with a pre-split in it using a heavy rock. It's quite brutal and using gross motor skills (caveman bushcraft), but it does work
Perhaps obvious, but the other thing is to pitch a tarp up first to process the dry wood under. To stop the rain getting to the newly accessed dry wood.
I try to use a hardwood wedge whenever using a baton-wedge. Ideally the wedge ought to be tougher than the wood you're processing.
I bring a small premade wedge made from ash in my kit. Size approximately 1/2" x 2" x 6"
If the branch/log does not have a natural split; you can saw the end of dry piece of cut branch about three-quarters of an inch into the end grain. Then use a wooden wedge to split down the middle.
I know you know all this. I'm just sharing to help others.
Thanks for the comments Colin
Good video ! 👍 Wooden wedges ( to split ) are effective, but often require a little more work, time and energy. Is it a Swedish "Castrom" knife you are using in this video? Finnish Varusteleka's "Skrama" is tough and holds up to harder batoning... All the best! Greetings from the south coast of Finland!😀
Thanks Dennis, Im glad you liked it. Yes, its the Swedish forest knife. I love it and I try not to beat on it if possible. Lol, I LOVE my Terrava Skrama! Thanks for watching
@@Reallybigmonkey1 Yes, Caström knife, came about thanks to Lars Fält. About Lars Fält: Lars Fält is internationally regarded as one of the foremost experts in wilderness and survival skills. A large part of Lars' life has been about bushcraft and survival. He founded the Swedish Armed Forces Survival School and was in charge there for many years. His interest in outdoor pursuits, survival, and knives came early during his military career. Lars Fält has extensive experience as an instructor with airborne units of the Swedish armed forces and has trained with British and US Special Forces. He has also participated as an instructor with other overseas armed forces in terrain as varied as the Canadian arctic through to the Australian outback. While working with indigenous peoples in different parts of the world, Lars has developed a profound respect for their knowledge and view of life. Many of these contacts have followed Lars Fält throughout his life and provided an important source of knowledge and inspiration for the development and adaptation of survival techniques. With the end of his military career, Lars concentrated his efforts on spreading knowledge about the wilderness and survival techniques to the general public through education, lectures, and the publication of several books. But you might already know this…😄
@@Reallybigmonkey1 I recently met David, the CEO and founder of Casström. Really nice guy and knows about knives and steels. It was at a bushcraft gathering in Germany. There were at least 2 more knife stands just selling knives. David was the only one there giving workshops about knives, teaching people how to sharpen and even sharpened other brand knives for them.
Excellent and fun video. Nick was busting your chops on the forest fire potential! 😂. Your video some years ago on batoning was one of the first things I saw when I started watching RUclips some years ago. It was also funny and informative. I have a Cold Steel Bushman Bowie, basically a wide flat blade with a tubular handle, all one piece of steel. I’ve beat the crap out of it, works great and was only $16. We camp on National Forest land, have a site hidden off in the woods no one goes to but us. Keep wooden wedges and a baton there, save the steel! Can’t wait for you next video, whatever it is!
Thanks, Im glad you liked it. Ive seen that Bushman, I think itll bend way before it ever breaks. What a tough knife! Thanks for watching
Great information and demonstration Dave! And many helpful hints also like, “you don’t ever want to carve on a rock”. Thanks for your down to earth teaching which works perfectly for people like me!!
You are very welcome Marci and thanks for watching!
Dave, another great video!
When you were swinging the ,log into the tree, were you hitting the far end beyond your saw cut or the end you were holding?
Whenever Ive done this and seen others do it, we would hit the end against an object and the piece in our hands is what split…
The small piece stayed together…
YMMV!
Thanks for the videos!
Thanks, Im glad you liked it. I was holding the uncut end. Rays Mears is the one that originally showed this process and he bashes the log directly at the point of the sawed section and its supposed to break off. Thanks for watching
You mentioned a draw knife and it is a great idea because you can buy draw knives with folding handles that would be great for shaving curls and also splitting small diameter wood pieces. they come in knives down too 6
'inch blades and are easy too carry in a pack.
Draw knives make great curls. I didn't know they came with folding handles. Thanks for watching Stuart
Great video. Awesome tips an tricks for splitting some wood. Definitely need to practice making those wedges.
Thanks Matt! We are glad you liked it. Those wedges definitely have a learning curve to make them durable
A bunch of great alternative methods Dave. Very smart stuff. Save your edge to save your life! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
Batoning is just a fancy RUclips term for splitting wood to access dry wood :-)
Lol, I agree
What a great class in survival in the woods and it's complimentary too. That scandi on the machete is such an excellent mod. Thank you Reallybigmonkey & Nick. We would appreciate it if you & Nick can do a video on putting a scandi grind & other grinds on machetes. Cheers from Australia.
Thanks! Im glad you liked it! Actually I did a video on that about a year ago, heres the link ruclips.net/video/ugve3kjT5wY/видео.html
That flat bottom wedge on the rock is a great idea. Lots of methods I’ve not seen before. 👏👍✌️
Thanks, Im glad you liked that Jason!
Big Monkey Strikes Again! You know it makes sense. Great advice.
Thanks! Im glad you liked it. Thanks for watching
just another way to improvise on things around you to get through a situation , great video.......
Im glad you liked it. Thanks for watching
I love how nothing is preplanned. I think you are both American heroes.
Thank you Steve! We keep it as realistic as possible!
Yep, another video proving that a machete is better than a knife,,
ha ha,, 🤣🗡️
In my opinion, Id always take a machete first!
i was just watching your other video about batoning, good timing lol
Very cool to hear that!
nice vid guys.
i love the outdoors, i used to live in Canada.
but moved back to the Netherlands. many years ago. now the Netherlands do not have many large forest arias.
but where i live, we have some small forest, where i practice my skills.
have learned a lot, just by watching your channel throughout the years.
to me it is all about having fun. i am not a great knife collector, but i own 3 knives,
a pocket barlow, a mora no 1, and a 40 year old kukri from Nepal, i got me 40 years ago.
and with that kukri i have batond everything. kuri,s are great, 40 cm long, 10 mm thick.
razor sharp. it is like a small hatched, do not have to worry about breaking.
thank you for sharing your great videos, all these years.
greets from the Netherlands
I think kukris, parangs and machetes in general are fine for batoning. Not all knives tho. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend!
Fully agree we don't have much forest left in The Netherlands and everything is restricted. That's why I travel. But your knife setup is the same as mine. Pocket knife, small fixed blade camp knife and a short machete (in your case kuhkri).
Good to see you guys. Wealth of knowledge, sir. As always.
Always great to hear from you Brother Jim and Thanks for watching
Proper batoning works. I'll take a thin saw blade in my belt and a mora companion. I like how you ground those Machete blades. I think that originally comes from the sas manual. That is how they describe Certain survival machetes and kukris coming.
Thanks for the comments. I have Lofty Wisemans book, Ill have to relook at it and see if it mentions it. Thanks for watching
@@Reallybigmonkey1 .It's page 36 in my edition. In the knives section. Where he describes the Parang. I'm not talking about your chizzle grind idea. I'm just speaking of the varying grades of sharpness.
@@Reallybigmonkey1 You did a great job demonstrating proper batoning techniques here. I think some people think batoning Means splitting cord wood directly with your knife.
That's something I never saw the point of doing was beating my expensive knife just to split wood. I have always had an axe with me to split or even use like a knife to make shavings. Now if I lost my axe and saw and all my gear like in a river or some other way and only had my knife then I would baton in a survival situation but not when I'm just camping. A friend of mine last year put a slight bend in his expensive knife batoning after I told him not to. He was mad the whole time we were camping. Great video and a great idea to sharpen the part of the blade no one uses to use to make feather sticks. I may try that on mine. Thanks again. Kelly from Texas !
I agree 100% Kelly! I'll baton if I have no choice but I'd rather not and I certainly won't push the limits of my knife. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching
Kelly, glad you mention travel risk w small tool falling into River. Small line or rope can utilize hole provided in hatchet or knife, or two loops clove hitch slipped about a tool can tie tool to thwart or cleat on a boat.
I use a Mora for food prep and camp chores. I have never battoned with it.
I use my Cold Steel for battoning and wood curls.
As a guide I will only batton a piece of wood that is no thicker than the width of the blade.
Sounds like a good rule of thumb! I use stainless Moras for food prep and machetes for batoning
If I have the chance to bring more knives I bring a food prep and woodwork (including batoning) knife also. The food prep knife is thin and very sharp and the woodwork knife a bit thicker and still sharp but with a different stronger edge. This can be a simple as a Mora 546 and a Hultafors GK. This method saves me a lot of field sharpening. I only go wrist size when batoning and if it's bigger I use wedges. But you can baton this wrist size wood with a simple Mora 510, 511 or 546. The Hultafors GK and Mora Robust even JoeX could not break.
informative as always. (edit) sharpening the dull area of your manchette near the handle, that doesnt seem to have a guard or slip protection seems very prone to injury
You could easily get cut with that section so you do have to always be careful with it.
@@Reallybigmonkey1 i definitely dont trust myself not to lol...
Great video guys. Y’all never fail to impress. I loved the carved wedges especially the the carved stumpy anvil. That dog will hunt . Thank you gentlemen
Thanks Timothy! We are glad you liked it brother
Thank you once again for educational entertainment. You and Nick are friends I just haven’t met face to face yet. You two have a relationships that should be cherished, and I hope it serves as an example for others to develop. Beating on a knife is a practice I avoid. Your examples show that beating the knife has alternatives. I especially like that short fat wedge. One of those could serve you well while camped for an extended stay in a single location.
One more thing-you both work well without appear to have a script. You both make good public speakers and educators. Thanks again.
You are very welcome McCoy and we are glad you liked it! And thanks! We never use a script or stage anything. Whatever happens just happens. Thanks for watching my friend!
Great info. I have always sharpened my kukri in this manner after being shown this by a person at a blade show back in the late 80's. I enjoy your vids more than most others because you fail and show it. Your information is always unique and never fails to impress me. I did know about the wood shim method but not the method of using the short wedge to split the wood. Thanks for all you and your son, Nick, endure to make these. Take Care and Stay Safe.
Thanks, we are glad you liked it. That's great you've had that edge on your kukri so long! Amazing how many different ways there are to process wood. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching my friend!
@@Reallybigmonkey1 I've also worked out a way to have a floor/ground sheet in that tipi you once did many shows ago. Connect if you want to know. It works for most tents too. I have yet to make it for my tent, but the theory is sound and too easy for most.
@@DamianBloodstone Are you pre sewing some fabric?
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE BATON THEIR KNIVE'S IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN THEIR NOT MADE FOR THAT. JUST BUY THE RIGHT TOOL FOR CHOPPING WOOD, LIKE A SMALL HATCHET OR AXE. DUH!!!, AND NO PEOPLE I'M NOT YELLING OR MAD. I ALWAY'S TEXT IN CAP'S👍
I think batoning is only popular because of survival shows. The only reason to use a knife to baton is because you don't have anything else to cut wood. However survival situations are less than one percent of outdoor situations so unless you just want to practice what you would do in a survival scenario there's no excuse not to have a machete/hatchet/saw/axe to process your fire wood.
@@punishedmatteson7108 YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT. MOST PEOPLE WHO HUNT, AND CAMP KNOW IT'S COMMON SENCE TO HAVE MORE TOOL'S FOR CHOPPING WOOD, BUT IF YOU'RE JUST OUT FOR A NICE WALK IN THE WOOD'S, AND YOU GET HURT. IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE SKILL'S TO USE YOUR KNIFE IN OTHER WAY'S. KIND OF LIKE STARTING A FIRE WITH A FERRO ROD INSTEAD OF MATCHE'S, OR A LIGHTER. IT DOESN'T HURT TO LEARN DIFFERENT SKILL'S, SO YOU'RE READY IF YOU NEED THEM.
It started as a fad and now I think people just enjoy doing it as a part of the fire making experience.
Good common sense video Brother Dave. I preciate your time. Hey Nick!
God bless y'all buddy ~John
Thanks John, Im glad you liked it. Nick says hello, Thanks for watching and may God bless you too!
I am very grateful to YT for teaching me all the knife/ferro rod skills that I now have BUT....
Ive made a LOT of camp fires in my life with nothing more than a box of matches lol..
Having said that...
A full tang knife and ferro rod is now part of my EDC..
It always pays to know multiple methods to start a fire. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching
I'm gonna stick to batoning and my axe. Work smarter not harder lol. Good stuff fella's. I got a 12 dollar Camillus that will baton anything you throw at it.
Some knives are unbreakable! Thanks for watching brother
Very very outstanding video young man. Clean language too. Thanks. Great job. Keep up the good work. Thanks a lot friend. SC. Navy vet. 1965. 🇺🇸😊
Thank you Tony! And thanks for your service
Another great informative video Dave, easy to understand...well done!......always enjoy your vids, keep'em comin'
Thank you Doug! We are glad you liked it and lots more to come!
When I was growing up, if any adult would have seen me batonning a knife, I would have gotten my butt blistered. It's knife abuse. I hate all the videos that show the fad of batonning a knife. I'm glad there's someone out there who agrees with me on this. I know those of my generation would agree with me on this. Keep up the good work.
There's definitely better ways of splitting wood of getting to the center of dry wood. Thanks for the comments and thanks for watching
I agree
Years ago all knives were stick tangs and battening would break the tang and the knife
Also we all carried hatchets
Now many knives are full tang therefore much stronger
Yes, many knives are full tang and some aren't. I have bought and assembled knife kits with full tang knives. That doesn't mean that I want to beat on it with a branch.
Thank you Dave & Nick. Brilliant. Comprehensive and to the point as always. Nick is naturally comical.....having a sense of humour is a sign of good mental health.
The great debate: 'To baton a knife or not'.
For me, it's straightforward - only baton using a blade with the following criteria:
1/. Minimum 6"/150mm in length blade
2/. The blade has a minimum 4mm spine
3/. It is a fixed blade, preferably with a full tang
4/. It has a quality strength blade
In preference, I always carry a minimum of two blades - a wood machete/long knife (with convex angles) + a smaller back up carving knife.
So in effect, I never need to baton my smaller fine crafting (bushcraft) type knife. So there's no real argument. I make sure my fine carving knife covers the four above criteria.
Only in the rare occasion, I lost my wood machete, I could use my back up knife in an emergency.
Just like me, I always carry a knife and machete so the machete usually does all the batoning
Well explained Dave,I guess many have broken their knife using it wrong.
Thanks Steve! No knives were harmed in the making of this video. Lol.
One thing you could add to your repertoire is using your saw to start the split and insert the wedge into the cut before batoning. It takes the pressure off of the brittle edge of the wedge. Love your videos, Dave.
Yep, that's an excellent idea! I'm glad you like the videos and thanks for watching my friend
I found out your bug is Bombylious Bee Fly - the tongue feeds on nectar and pollen - perhaps there is pollen on your gear or something sweet from your cooking adventures
Thanks for the info!
Hey guys great methods! thanks (ps I love batoning with moras and I have yet to break one :D )
I have to agree. I have broken two folding knives batoning, but I've never broken a sheath knife batoning. I understand the aversion to beating your knife, but my knife is a tool not a museum piece. I need it to do work. Having said that, when I baton I don't beat the snot out of the knife either. It's more of a finesse game. Baton gently until you start to make headway.
Still, it's great ideas in the video. I use wood wedges (gluts) quite a bit when the wood already has a natural split. I really liked the short wedge set on a rock. Never saw that before. Looks very effective.
@@georgeclark7208 Yeah and please don't read my comment as talking down the video it really was good methods how to deal without knife batoning.
Thanks Andy! We are glad you liked it. Moras may be rat tail tang but they sure are tough knives. Thanks for watching
I'm glad your still making some great vids brother been a while since I watched but you still got it buddy.
I'm still here and hopefully for a long time to come! Always great to hear from you and thanks for watching
G'day Dave, Nick, I thought long and hard as to how to reply, .... since there was so many cross over aspects involved, ...... besides how, not to baton a knife to get fire. Suffice to say, appreciate you showing it as it is in reality + provoking a great deal of thought along the way, in terms of material selection, methodology and tool choice. And a great vid for an array of skill/experience levels too. Btw; haven't seen the ol' upside down wedge in, must be at least 20+ years, many thanks for the reminder, very valuable to have up one's sleeve. Cheers Duke.
Hello Duke and we are glad you liked it! This is definitely an array of ideas that'll get the ole wheels turning! Thanks for watching brother