Batoning knife recommendation

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seacucumber

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Feb 14, 2013
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What knife would be good for these uses?
  • batoning: not just firewood, but also to obtain straight grain wood for making stuff (snowshoes...)
  • fighting: I'm not violent. Let's assume it's a survival scenario with a trapped animal.

The knife would be paired with a tiny knife and a cross cutting tool (axe, hatchet, or saw).

Features: A 10 to 17 cm blade... I doubt I would cut much with it, so good edge retention is unnecessary. I intend to remove any paint, apply a vinegar patina, and oil it. I can make the handle and sheath. It must not be much heavier than it needs to be, so the tang should be skeletonized. I should be able to remove the handle.

What I had in mind:

Ontario bushcraft field
Likes:
- my favorite blade shape of the 3
- good steel
Dislikes:
- I don't trust the manufacturer because I can't find a picture of the tang without scales.
- perhaps too thin

Buck Punk
Likes: good steel, skeletonized tang
Dislikes: my least favorite blade shape

Kabar becker bk16
Likes: skeletonized tang
Dislikes: The bk16 and bk14 have the same steel and hardness. These two knives have such different purposes that one of them probably has the wrong steel.
 
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Fällkniven A1 or A1 pro.

Edit: They are stainless so not so good for your patina plans..
 
Just curious. Why would you need a big knife to baton, if you're pairing it with a saw or axe?

I often carry a big knife & baton when I don't have anything else. But, a small neck knife would suffice if I had larger tools.

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I have a Trailmaster in o1 paired with a Mora companion that batons pretty well, also I wouldn't wanna be on the pointy end of it in a fight lol. I've heard some good things about the bk9 also
 
MAD777 said:
Just curious. Why would you need a big knife to baton, if you're pairing it with a saw or axe?
Click to expand...

I don't know about the OP, but I will frequently saw deadfall, then baton a knife to split. Saws aren't good for splitting, and knives aren't good for cross-cutting. And a largish knife is less weight than an axe, and easier to use safely when tired. At least by me.
 
Hickory n steel said:
https://youtu.be/7GqgToOMx04
This will be coming out soon, so I'd check it out.
Click to expand...

The Victorians had kindling knives/froes very similar. I use something similar to make log baskets worth of kindling every year.

My recommendation would be the Skrama for all wood processing when complimented with a saw, axe and small knife. Fantastic camp and forestry tool in a portable package.
For fighting large wild animals then take a Glock in 10mm.
 
Surprisingly no one has recommended the obvious, an opinel no.7 and a Leatherman squirt.
 
Sounds like a Cold Steel Tru-flite would fit your needs pretty well. Simple, tough, inexpensive, fairly light weight. Easily modifiable with a custom handle if you choose.

An alternative might be the OKC Vulpine. Skeletonized, a little shorter blade, but in your limits. Lighter and probably a better cutter than the T-F. Easy to add a handle too. I think I would prefer this one personally.

If you plan to do A LOT of batonning, I suggest you skip all these and get an OKC 12" machete, my experience is that these are tough, batonning machines. Well worth the extra size and weight and easily customizable if you wish.
 
If you have a folding saw, then your knife doesn't have to be 7-9" (like a BK7 or BK9). They are great but heavy.

Paired with the Saw, carry a 4.5 - 6" blade that will be much more useful to cut, slice, carve, skin, and yes baton 2" - 5" diameter pieces. Are you really planning to cut down limbs thicker than that?

So with my scenario above, you have some great options that won't break the bank:
Condor Swamp Romper
Schrade SCH42D
Gerber Strongarm
Cold Steel Master Hunter
Becker BK16
Cold Steel SRK

Oh and for protection, I'd strap my backup neck knife to a walking stick (Becker BK11, Bark River Necker)
 
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/prod...ipuukko-140-w-leather-sheath/51421?ref=knives
Or in the carbon steel when next available. These keep selling out because they do what they say on the tin. Batton to your hearts content, fight bears off with it; just a great tool that will put many a more expensive knife to shame. Inexpensive enough to do whatever you like with it. Price doesn't reflect just how good these are. Buy one while you decide to spend more on something that won't really add more other than lighten your wallet. A high quality work knife, for work.
 
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seacucumber said:
Kabar becker bk16
Click to expand...
While the BK16 is an excellent all-round field knife, if the primary purpose is batoning then consider its larger sibling, the BK2.

BK2's have been used to baton thru steel drums and lawn mower chassis.

Here is mckrob's stripped BK16 and BK2 for comparison ...

P1000874_zps21fa38cb.jpg






Dislikes: The bk16 and bk14 have the same steel and hardness. These two knives have such different purposes that one of them probably has the wrong steel.
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1095CroVan is a very versatile steel, suitable for multiple uses.

Though some steels may be more optimal for some tasks than others, it doesn't mean that another is a 'wrong' choice.
 
If you like the looks of the BK-2, then choose the BK-10 which has thinner blade stock. Personally, I use mostly a 5.5-6" blade in the woods for the most part. My batonning needs are minimal. The discontinued BK-15 is one of my favored woods knives. When you toss in "fighting", that's where I lean toward the 7" BK-7 which I think carries easier than the BK-9. That is just my opinion.
 
You might want to contact a knifemaker in the knifemaker forum and see if someone will make a knife blank to your specifications. You can pick the blade shape, steel, have it ground (flat?) to your wishes, and have it skeletonized as much as you want.

You are already making the handle and sheath, no sense paying for items you don't need. And you mentioned that you don't know what are under most handle slabs.
 
Thanks for the help.

Here is a description of the best looking blade shape in my mind. It is a "straight back" with a constant width over >70% of the blade's length. If it's a tanto, the tip angle is <45.

GREENJACKET recommended the Jaakaripuukko. I wouldn't get it because of the tang, but it's blade shape is approximately ideal.
jp_bl_sep.jpg
 
I have both the BK 14 and 16. For your purpose I don't think the 14 is big enough. The BK16 is a great all around knife. Not too heavy, very ergonomic, and not too pricey. I think Amazon has them for around $67. However, probably not the best for batoning with its full flat grind, and 4 inch blade, but it can do it.

Others I would consider would be:
ESEE 6 (not skeletonized)
ESEE Lazerstrike (skeletonized)





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condor_5_inch.jpg

The Condor Bushcraft Basic is now at the top of my list. It has the most exotic and beautiful blade shape I have seen. The lack of a guard and possible lack of skeletonization are annoying. I could grind the tang, so it looks like that of a Helle Temagami. I was thinking of making the handle out of lilac and tung oil. I could make micarta.
 
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