I like both at certain times. And yep the location and wood type matters. Your demo of splitting axe-cut wood with angled ends was spot on, thats best done with an axe for sure. My favourite in the backyard for saw cut wood on a stump is a homemade chopper made out of a mower blade, basically a froe with a knife handle, but it gets set in the wood then slammed down like a hatchet, not battoned.
Great video Ben. I feel that learning to baton with a knife is a useful skill to learn.for a situation when you find yourself without an axe. I prefer to split with an axe.
I split small dia wood using the bill of the billhook by chopping in deeply and twisting, not by hitting the spine/batoning...my general purpose everyday hooks on the homestead are around 700-750g and 45-50 cms long overall with a 30 cm cutting edge, a long handle to allow choking up for finer control or moving the grip back to increase reach and thus power in the cut.
I couldn’t agree more about bushcraft knives. I use my pocketknives for everything. For small kindling, however, where you can use your hand to knock the knife through match sticks, well, there the knife is more efficient and safe, I’d say. And yes, I did learn that from the bushcrapers.
You could argue those smaller 45s are already small enough for the fire so dont need sprit but again the knife isnt useful becouse they don't need sprit.
Very good demonstration. 👍👍 Axe or Hatchet for splitting wood 👎🏻👎🏻 Big Knife for splitting wood As you point out proper technique is the key to safe operation. Many things you do with a large or medium sized knife can also be done with an axe or hatchet.
I think the point you made about experience is why I prefer to baton and a lot of the points can be either for axes or knives depending on experience. I am far more experienced with a knife than an axe or hatchet, so when I'm tired, cold, rushing and its dark, a knife is a much safer for me. If I was more experienced with an axe or hatchet, I would use that. When batoning on an uneven log like you showed, lie it down, get the knife in the wood, then stand it up. You can even point the edge away from you, place the tip in the branch, and strike the pommel/tang. If I'm going bush, I carry a BK9 and a PM2, which works quite well: BK9 for clearing brush, batoning, limbing, chopping, striking ferro rods, feathersticks; PM2 for detailed work. I could do without the PM2, but why would I? That knife you used didn't look like a great knife for batoning: quite a tall blade. Try with a better suited knife and you'll have much better results. Anyway, experience. I would take an educated guess and say you are more experienced with an axe than a knife, so you'll be more efficient, safer and have better technique with one. I am more experienced with a knife, so I will be more efficient, safer and have better technique with a knife.
I'm rather old fashioned. When im on my canoe trips i carry a tomahawk a relativly small fixedblade (a kephart design latly) and a nice muli blade folder like a stockman. That way i always have te proper tool for the job on me without much more weight than one of these large, thick, modern bushcraft knifes that are most of the time just really terrible in doing knife stuff like food prep.
I like to use both but the axe is better for splitting definitely. Been using big knives quite a lot lately havent really had any decent axe time in ages.
Yeah for me I like a mora or buck knife for actual knife tasks, or a proper billhook. the inbetween size is just awkward and mostly stems from combat knife use
i like watching Forged In Fire and MANY a contestant has lost because they intentionally make something big and heavy because they assume big and heavy = good, when really it just limits you control and makes you have to fight the weight and size more often than not 👀
@@beepboop204 certainly the case when you compare the tramontina machetes actually used in the jungle versus the overly thick and heavy survival machetes sold at ten times the price too
So those large knives are more craft than bush, I think a small 7inch froe with thin blade and sharp point would do the same thing if not better as those bushcraft knives
Big knives belong in Rambo, Crocodile Dundee and war movies. Lots of spec op soldiers carry these days an small axe with a spike on the poll side and are also insulated to chop through electric wires. For knives many carry rather a multi tool like Leatherman.
Most of Asia, South America, Africa a long knife is worth it's weight in gold out in the bush, horses for courses, I prefer Indian billhooks and Khukuri myself.
@@benscottwoodchopper Try an Angelo B. Roma pattern billhook (it should correctly be called a "marraccio"), It's a very ancient pattern (there are Roman statues of an ancient god of agriculture that are depicted sporting it) and still professional pruner of the region always carry one at work. Other than being a great chopper, it's considered the best tool for delimbing a branch "on the fly".
Great discussion, but not broadly representative. I continue to steer wilderness campers in my area (Great Lakes region of the US/Canada) away from axes. No one is carrying behemoth knives like yours out there, they aren't needing to generate a ton of split wood for a few nightly campfires, they are sawing wood that is arm diameter ideally, and they are generally cutting it less than 18" in length. The small Mora or whatever they'll almost surely be carrying for a variety of uses will do the job of splitting some rounds and making kindling and do it safely more often than not especially for people without experience with axes. Bringing an axe would only serve a redundant purpose, add weight, and given the inexperience of most people who have to ask, is more dangerous. And of course if you have axe-cut wood instead of saw-cut wood, clearly you *have* an axe. If you've bucked the wood with the axe, surely you'll split it with that axe also anyway.
I absolutey agree with what you are saying, but for the sake of not going too much on a tangent simplified things a bit fot the sake of this discussion to adress is a knife safer than an axe for splitting. When ive seen this discussed normally its by one tool option proponents talking about the benefits of 10" heavy knives such as bowies or stuff like an esse junglas 10" 650grams. Often people claim these knives can also chop wood in a survival situation so the 45° ends would still be an issue. My hatchet in this video is 450 grams, can also be batoned as well as traditional splitting methods and generally is more effective and cheaper. I gues what im trying to say is the issue is a bit more complicated than one being safer in an absolute way
@@benscottwoodchopper Yeah, giant knife guys trying to justify their giant knives is a whole other animal, and I'll carry an axe way before I ever carry a giant knife. Those bushcrafty types always seem like they're trying to prove something to somebody.
They just like playing with knives! I would only baton sticks in a emergency, not great big bloody logs! That is dumb. All steel will break, just when you need it!
I've always used a hatchet for kindling. Can't picture a knife being any easier.
As usual, great video! Excellent axe too! 😉🪓
I like both at certain times. And yep the location and wood type matters. Your demo of splitting axe-cut wood with angled ends was spot on, thats best done with an axe for sure. My favourite in the backyard for saw cut wood on a stump is a homemade chopper made out of a mower blade, basically a froe with a knife handle, but it gets set in the wood then slammed down like a hatchet, not battoned.
Thanks for demonstrating the benefits of a small axe! Has really opened my eyes up to how good they are!
Welcome back.
anyone can use almost any tool safely with the right knowledge and safety methods
i like to live dangerously... by getting my knowledge and methods from CZcams 😉
Long Live the Axe! 🪓
Great video Ben.
I feel that learning to baton with a knife is a useful skill to learn.for a situation when you find yourself without
an axe.
I prefer to split with an axe.
It has its place for sure however shouldnt realy be the main concern of what makes a good knife or not
i agree 🪓🪛
I split small dia wood using the bill of the billhook by chopping in deeply and twisting, not by hitting the spine/batoning...my general purpose everyday hooks on the homestead are around 700-750g and 45-50 cms long overall with a 30 cm cutting edge, a long handle to allow choking up for finer control or moving the grip back to increase reach and thus power in the cut.
I couldn’t agree more about bushcraft knives. I use my pocketknives for everything. For small kindling, however, where you can use your hand to knock the knife through match sticks, well, there the knife is more efficient and safe, I’d say. And yes, I did learn that from the bushcrapers.
Great vid confirms what I would think is common sense.
Also if it was safer they would of done that back in the old days
You have been found guilty of CZcams wrong think 🤯
You could argue those smaller 45s are already small enough for the fire so dont need sprit but again the knife isnt useful becouse they don't need sprit.
Id argue when camping spitting is pointless buts a whole other can of worms
Very good demonstration.
👍👍 Axe or Hatchet for splitting wood
👎🏻👎🏻 Big Knife for splitting wood
As you point out proper technique is the key to safe operation. Many things you do with a large or medium sized knife can also be done with an axe or hatchet.
Excellent points well made! Especially don't use any edged tools if you don't know what you're doing.
I think the point you made about experience is why I prefer to baton and a lot of the points can be either for axes or knives depending on experience. I am far more experienced with a knife than an axe or hatchet, so when I'm tired, cold, rushing and its dark, a knife is a much safer for me. If I was more experienced with an axe or hatchet, I would use that.
When batoning on an uneven log like you showed, lie it down, get the knife in the wood, then stand it up. You can even point the edge away from you, place the tip in the branch, and strike the pommel/tang.
If I'm going bush, I carry a BK9 and a PM2, which works quite well: BK9 for clearing brush, batoning, limbing, chopping, striking ferro rods, feathersticks; PM2 for detailed work. I could do without the PM2, but why would I? That knife you used didn't look like a great knife for batoning: quite a tall blade. Try with a better suited knife and you'll have much better results.
Anyway, experience. I would take an educated guess and say you are more experienced with an axe than a knife, so you'll be more efficient, safer and have better technique with one. I am more experienced with a knife, so I will be more efficient, safer and have better technique with a knife.
i like both methods
I'm rather old fashioned. When im on my canoe trips i carry a tomahawk a relativly small fixedblade (a kephart design latly) and a nice muli blade folder like a stockman.
That way i always have te proper tool for the job on me without much more weight than one of these large, thick, modern bushcraft knifes that are most of the time just really terrible in doing knife stuff like food prep.
I like to use both but the axe is better for splitting definitely. Been using big knives quite a lot lately havent really had any decent axe time in ages.
he returns. Big knives are like useless for camping, I would take a 3" knife over a 9" any day of the week. Way lighter, easier and faster to use.
Yeah for me I like a mora or buck knife for actual knife tasks, or a proper billhook. the inbetween size is just awkward and mostly stems from combat knife use
i like watching Forged In Fire and MANY a contestant has lost because they intentionally make something big and heavy because they assume big and heavy = good, when really it just limits you control and makes you have to fight the weight and size more often than not 👀
@@beepboop204 certainly the case when you compare the tramontina machetes actually used in the jungle versus the overly thick and heavy survival machetes sold at ten times the price too
All very valid points Ben!
So those large knives are more craft than bush, I think a small 7inch froe with thin blade and sharp point would do the same thing if not better as those bushcraft knives
I should be clear that all the tools i own are very good traditional hedgelaying and cutting tools. A typical survival knife think more rambo
Big knives belong in Rambo, Crocodile Dundee and war movies. Lots of spec op soldiers carry these days an small axe with a spike on the poll side and are also insulated to chop through electric wires. For knives many carry rather a multi tool like Leatherman.
Theres a really good interview with a british guy who volunteered in ukraine, big knives were one of the first bits of kit to be ditched lol
Most of Asia, South America, Africa a long knife is worth it's weight in gold out in the bush, horses for courses, I prefer Indian billhooks and Khukuri myself.
@@adrianjagmag I'm not against proper tools such as pangas, machetes etc, just the concept of large 7-10" tactical or 'survival' knives
I agree with you :) #@@benscottwoodchopper
That knife and wood hammer is lame. People really say that’s better than an axe or hatchet? Their trying way to hard to be different and “cool”.
I should be clear my tools in the video are very good for clearing brush and hedgelaying, 'survival' knives are even less effective splitters
Calabria axe ,parma manaressi and the billhook not wrong roncola da fascina Angelo b... Good taste, cheers
Italian billhooks are the best, love the leather handles with the hook
@@benscottwoodchopperyes and what I find great with the Parma manaresso is the weight repartition being very confortable when using it horizontaly!
@@benscottwoodchopper Try an Angelo B. Roma pattern billhook (it should correctly be called a "marraccio"), It's a very ancient pattern (there are Roman statues of an ancient god of agriculture that are depicted sporting it) and still professional pruner of the region always carry one at work. Other than being a great chopper, it's considered the best tool for delimbing a branch "on the fly".
Great discussion, but not broadly representative. I continue to steer wilderness campers in my area (Great Lakes region of the US/Canada) away from axes. No one is carrying behemoth knives like yours out there, they aren't needing to generate a ton of split wood for a few nightly campfires, they are sawing wood that is arm diameter ideally, and they are generally cutting it less than 18" in length. The small Mora or whatever they'll almost surely be carrying for a variety of uses will do the job of splitting some rounds and making kindling and do it safely more often than not especially for people without experience with axes. Bringing an axe would only serve a redundant purpose, add weight, and given the inexperience of most people who have to ask, is more dangerous.
And of course if you have axe-cut wood instead of saw-cut wood, clearly you *have* an axe. If you've bucked the wood with the axe, surely you'll split it with that axe also anyway.
I absolutey agree with what you are saying, but for the sake of not going too much on a tangent simplified things a bit fot the sake of this discussion to adress is a knife safer than an axe for splitting. When ive seen this discussed normally its by one tool option proponents talking about the benefits of 10" heavy knives such as bowies or stuff like an esse junglas 10" 650grams. Often people claim these knives can also chop wood in a survival situation so the 45° ends would still be an issue. My hatchet in this video is 450 grams, can also be batoned as well as traditional splitting methods and generally is more effective and cheaper. I gues what im trying to say is the issue is a bit more complicated than one being safer in an absolute way
@@benscottwoodchopper Yeah, giant knife guys trying to justify their giant knives is a whole other animal, and I'll carry an axe way before I ever carry a giant knife. Those bushcrafty types always seem like they're trying to prove something to somebody.
They just like playing with knives! I would only baton sticks in a emergency, not great big bloody logs! That is dumb. All steel will break, just when you need it!