Batoning Wood

From WildernessWiki.org

A knife being used to baton a round into two sections. Image by pitdog

Batoning is a technique used to split sections of wood into smaller pieces using only a knife and another stick. It is usually used for making firewood or kindling, as it increases the surface area of the wood, and in a wet climate, exposes dry wood which will more easily ignite. The technique is also used to split wood for making bows, or splitting the ends of sticks.

To baton, place the edge of a knife on the end of a stick, log, or round. Then use a second heavy stick to pound the knife into the wood. The knife will split the grain of the wood, and force it into two pieces. Continue to strike the knife until the two pieces come apart. Though it depends on the knife and wood being split, only a few strikes will usually be needed.