Batoning - Intended Use of a Fiddleback Bushfinger/Bushcrafter, or Abuse?

LightGuy

LightGuy

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I just got a dream knife - pictured below (again :)), and I want to make sure I am using it for activities it was intended for, and not doing anything with it that is considered abuse. I do not want to do anything to hurt this awesome blade. I want it to last me a long time..

I love getting out in the woods with my knives, and I love using my knives to make campfires. I find using a knife to baton smallish diameter sticks for kindling much easier and safer (for me) than using a hatchet. (I have a nice Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet and love it, but I hate trying to make small kindling with it). I can get much smaller size pieces, and easily vary the size of the kindling pieces to help me get the fire going quickly.

I have a large thick blade I use for splitting larger diameter stuff, but for smaller stuff I sometimes use a smaller 4" blade. So the question is - is this considered appropriate use of a Fiddleback, or would it be considered abuse? I am referring to my Fiddleback (below), which is a 4" Bushfinger with 3/16" O1 steel.

Thanks in advance!

My Fiddleback :D:D:D

6631423337_902f29895d_b.jpg
 
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Looks too delicate and too new - better send it to me, and I'll send you back a tough old knife you can abusse all day long.
Best Wishes,
"Bloody Bill"

(Afterthought: isn't that a Bushfinger, not a Bushcrafter? I'm new to the FFB line, so I could be wrong)
 
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w.t. anderson said:
Looks too delicate - better send it to me, and I'll send you back a Busse you can abuse all day long.
Click to expand...

I think I'll take my chances and hold on to it, but thanks..;)

Already got a Boss Street, but not sure how much use it'll get after getting this one..especially out in the woods. Actually, not knocking the Busse at all, love it too. Just a different beast altogether.
 
That knife is intended to do bushcrafting tasks. I baton my knives, hard, crossgrain through Hickory, and Dogwood. If I am using one of my personal knives while out in the woods on a hike, I baton way more carefully.

Choosing the right wood to baton is important IMHO. Expect edge damage if you baton wood that has pin knots. This is with any knife that has been ground to an appropriate cutting edge. Be aware that a piece of firewood with pin knots should not be the one you choose to baton. Pin knots don't distribute the force over much area, and are very hard on edges.

Don't baton kitchen knives, or skinners. That, IMO is common sense.

Very important to note. This knife is not a prying tool, and it is not covered in the warranty. That is also common sense IMO.
 
w.t. anderson said:
Looks too delicate and too new - better send it to me, and I'll send you back a tough old knife you can abusse all day long.
Best Wishes,
"Bloody Bill"

(Afterthought: isn't that a Bushfinger, not a Bushcrafter? I'm new to the FFB line, so I could be wrong)
Click to expand...

Looks like a Bushfinger to me.
 
Fiddleback said:
That knife is intended to do bushcrafting tasks. I baton my knives, hard, crossgrain through Hickory, and Dogwood. If I am using one of my personal knives while out in the woods on a hike, I baton way more carefully.

Choosing the right wood to baton is important IMHO. Expect edge damage if you baton wood that has pin knots. This is with any knife that has been ground to an appropriate cutting edge. Be aware that a piece of firewood with pin knots should not be the one you choose to baton. Pin knots don't distribute the force over much area, and are very hard on edges.

Don't baton kitchen knives, or skinners. That, IMO is common sense.

Very important to note. This knife is not a prying tool, and it is not covered in the warranty. That is also common sense IMO.
Click to expand...

That is great to hear! This knife feels so stout and solid I would have been surprised if I couldn't baton with it. Thanks for taking the time to provide the detailed response Andy. I hadn't heard of pin knots before, but I'll be looking it up on google so I can recognize wood with those and stay away. And I wouldn't dream of prying with it. That would constitute abuse for sure.
 
I've batoned with my FB Nessie on pine in New Mex. It performed great but like Andy stated, watch out for those knots....BTW, if ya choke up on that hatchet & take your time you'll be fine.....
 
I batoned my hunter quite a bit last weekend and it held up fine. I'm real careful around wood thats frozen or wood with knots. I'll hammer a Becker through a knot but thats about it.
 
My rule of thumb is never to baton anything much thicker than the width of the blade. Anything larger than that and it's hatchet time. I also use a small 6-10 inch stick in my left hand to hold the piece to be split with the hatchet/knife (in my right hand) for the first blow. Just seen too many times where the first strike goes a little left and people end up with a huge gash on the meaty part of the thumb.
 
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