There Was Fire Before 1095 Steel

In this video I respond to a number of arguments that viewers have made about how important it is to have a knife that can be batoned.
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Music: "back in the wood" by audionautix.com

[@nathanadrian7797]

Years ago, I helped a stranger try to recover a Mountain Goat he had shot. Long story short, we got stranded on an island in a very nasty stream, soaked to mid thigh and not prepared to spend the night. He was a smoker but had no lighter or matches, and although he had been a park warden, he did not have the skill to build a fire nor did he know the basics of which tree was which, and he was getting hypothermic fast. I was a kid of about 22, dressed for a Friday night out, except I was packing my custom , expensive, large and very tough knife. I was also a smoker, but my lighter was done and I had no other ignition source. Long story short, I managed to coax a tiny weak little flame from that dead lighter and light a sliver I had carved from a cedar slab. Once that fire was kindled, I didn't touch my knife again, we burnt logs all night and survived by doing the "turn and burn"! Any pocket knife would have done just as good a job as the expensive custom knife I was packing

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

good story man

[@nathanadrian7797]

@@outdoorsonthecheap It was a great learning experience! Thank you for your no BS approach to outdoor survival.

[@markwalker4485]

Please understand I am true on teasing you. You are a horable human smoker🤪🤬😡😱 I really do not know how many bick lighters I have with me right now. At the least 6. I do not know how many boxes of matches I have…let’s say lots. I only have two plastic containers with hurricane matches…but those are not for cigarettes or a pipe and have one big box of wood strick anywhere matches. Got at least 1L of fuel for my two zippos……and since I’m an addict own three pipes so if I’m lazy can empty my butts into the pipe.

[@davidsmith31]

I have camped all my life and collected knives for all my 80 years. Not once have I ever batoned wood, Intuitively, I knew to start a campfire with twigs and add larger pieces as the fire grew. I wouldn't think of pounding on one of my knives. I do bring an axe. Both your fire making videos are top notch. Thank you for them.

[@TheRichtaber]

You will find zero, as in nada, references to batoning in any of the old woodlore books of the 20th century. How did those woodsmen survive? You explained how very well. I think you hit the nail on the head in this video!

[@woodsman132]

I have been a woodsman,trapper, and hunter for 60 years and built a lot of fires and never batoned wood with a knife in my life .

[@qbarnes1893]

Crazy that before social media this topic wouldn’t be an issue.... Today’s ‘educated’ would seriously struggle with their limited education... Imagine walking into a forest today, with nothing, just your clothes, many of us wouldn’t survive long, Now imagine asking an ancient human, thousands of years ago, to do the same...they would flourish... Brilliant vid and explanation dude..

[@genewentz9906]

Excellent video and with alot of common sense added in. What a breath of fresh air!!

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Wow, thank you!

[@Βόρειο_Σέλας]

I totally agree with your concepts. I am in Australia and I spent the last 40 years (still do) hunting and hiking off-track for days and I never "batoned" with a knife. All types of dead wood is around me and can always make fire raining or not, 99.9% of the wood I find it can be broken by hand, rarely I find anything that needs an axe. "Batoning" is in my opinion something that was invented on KZbin and the trend has taken off. My knife is used as it is designed to be used (I forge my own knives btw), ie skinning, carving and food prep. Keep up the great videos and KISS principles you use.

[@scottnelson9311]

Never in 50 yrs. have I had to batoned firewood. Risks are real when batoning....fingers, hands and an exposed blade, not a good idea. This video is so important.

[@ianbruce6515]

Some old timers here in Maine have been hunting their whole life--and dress out their deer with a jack knife. When they get it home--they butcher it with kitchen knives. Knives made to carve meat.

[@alanbierhoff6831]

This is probably my favorite bushcraft video ! I love this presentation. I’ve had this discussion with numerous people throughout my life and I either end up losing my mind or just walking away. You can’t dissuade the indoctrinated lmao In the 1970’s, I attended a summer camp called Adirondack Woodcraft Camp (Old Forge,NY). The camp was founded in 1925 and was still run and owned by the same great man when I was there. It is still in operation today (4th owner). We were taught an awful lot about Woodcraft (now more commonly called Bushcraft) BUT we were NEVER taught/shown/told about batoning. Why? Because we didn’t need to be. We were shown/taught methods you display in your videos. The most basic information was the anatomy of a tree and how to use it/break it down for fire making. Also, what if you don’t have a knife for whatever reason. I honestly had never even heard of batoning until I attended the second PF Gathering and Canterbury made it “a thing”. Why would you take such a critical piece of gear and beat on it with a log was all I could thing of as I watch him do this. I also saw several gathering attendees break some very expensive custom knives batoning

[@michelplourde5714]

I once saw a native kid, about 10 years old, cutting a log in small pieces by propping up the log on an other, and dropping the largest rock he could lift on it. He did it like it was a daily activity for him, surely his ancestors knowledge at work.

[@DamianBloodstone]

It all comes down to what my Granddaddy told me years ago. The right tool for the right job. I don't have an axe, but I do have a tomahawk. With a belt knife and my tomahawk with a little piece of flint or quartz, I can start a fire without ever batoning anything. With the tomahawk, I can cut 4" dead trees, but why waste the effort and not just push them over? I learned how to make my first tiny fire by using dead twigs, bark, and limbs from the trees in our small yard. So, I agree with you one hundred percent.

[@carrdoug99]

I don't want to get weird, but I love you, man.😄 It's like I'm hearing a recording of my own voice.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

well, self love is important :) anyway man thanks :)

[@kalhammill3806]

Your a breath of fresh air, great video, my brothers and I grew up in the 50s with a pocket knife, saw and a good hardware store ax. And we let the woods be our teacher. No internet in those days. Keep up the good work👍

[@richardnichols1392]

Same but early seventies ,and 60 years later i use the same basic gear as i did then for cutting tools any way ,

[@Vendeevictores]

I’m new here. So glad this channel showed up on my feed. This guy is a breath of fresh air in a community filled with gimmicks and fads.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thanks

[@Shadowaspen]

you are correct.. I try to tell my subs from germany this stuff ..they ALL baton..for some reason they are obsessed with it...greetings from saskatchewan...

[@andytopley314]

I have the same Victorinox folding knife and use it for gardening and camping here in the UK, never felt I needed more even when I am (playing at) bushcrafting. Absolutely agree that skills trump equipment - though at least one decent tool will make life easier.

[@ColinNew-pf5ix]

I get your point entirely. And i appreciate your approach towards this touchy subject. To play devil's advocate...... The point about 'they didn't need knives to start fires years ago'. I'm not sure if this argument is entirely appropriate, because there are umpteen different modern devices which have enhanced our lives and specifically the outdoor experience which we happily use. A simple headtorch for example. How about a PLB which has saved endless lives. So why can't a decent survival knife be inclusive in these developments(?) I think there maybe two discussions here. Firstly the crude argument of whether one NEEDS a long chuncky survival knife to get a fire going. And the other is, will it enhance the experience (just like having a headtorch would). Can we not accept that in some circumstances having a decent survival knife, paired with a quality folding knife will be sence of security, a piece of mind for some circumstances. I think we have have to necessarily get bogged down in IS IT POSSIBLE to get a fire started without a survival knife .....most of the time, in most forests. There is also a difference as you rightly pointed out between a natural wild forest and an artificial woodland. The forest nearest to me is man made and only beachwood. No spruce, birch bark, pine resin. And when saturated the leaves are near useless as tinder. So the two main tools - a decent survival knife & quality folding saw + a half decent fire kit is going to be damn useful. Especially if it was the case if someone in the group was showing signs of becoming hypothermic. You would have to act sharpish. In that situation in that beachwood i do not want to scavagging about looking for dead trees to conveniently push over. I'm not being antagonistic nor awkward, because i admire and respect people like yourself who think out of the box and do not go along with hive-minded thinking. I'm merely suggesting that in some situations having that long edge in a survival situation is definitely going to be a safety benefit. A 7 inch knife for example is going to be easier and lighter to carry than a hatchet. As i accept the hatchet will be superior. All said in good spirit. And i apologise if i have misunderstood or construed your point. Great channel by the way.

[@Mortalrigger]

So here in Florida we have absurd amounts of rain, regularly. I grew up having a fire out in the yard pretty much every night, and I never even became aware of the concept of using a knife to baton until sometime around 20 years old. It seems like another potentially useful bit of knowledge to keep in one's head, but definitely not strictly necessary. It's definitely fun to do though, and it's a good way to justify getting a big knife 😅

[@owimok]

Beautifully done!

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thank you very much!

[@petermarinatos9475]

Very grateful for this and the previous video! I am just starting out learning about bushcraft and survival. I must have watched 50 knife testing videos where batoning was the main focus. You saved me some money, I think. Looking forward to watching more of your content!

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thanks man. Lots of knife salesmen out there. Save your money :)

[@michelplourde5714]

I've never battoned in my life and spent most of my spare time in the forest on the 49th parallel of Ontario. Battoning 😂

[@Anndyinthewoods]

If I head out for the afternoon, I usually carry a knife a saw and a hatchet. If I am spending the night, I swap the hatchet for my axe (we carry the same Garant axe btw). I am a big fan of carry the right tool for the right job but be prepared to work without it if need be. Carrying the equipment is great but you need to bring the knowledge to get things done if you lose or break something during the trip.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Exactly!

[@user-xs5gb3ry4g]

Real world practical knowledge ! Excellent content.

[@MarkM-ke6cn]

AND...there was food before grocery stores. I'm serious. Really happened.

[@southern.pride0]

no way

[@jgods]

Couldn’t agree more! I hike with a Swiss Army Camper and a BIC lighter. I’ve yet to find something better for the weight. I love my big knife, but not once have I missed it after a long, cold trek through the woods - and not once have I been unable to get a fire going with a small folder and a lighter.

[@toms_dayoff]

Yes man! A Vic and a BiC on a hike and everything goes smoothly! Btw, "a Vic (Victorinox) and a BiC" ... could be a nice title for a new challenge on youtube. 😅😅😅

[@QuantumMechanic_88]

There was fire long before ferrocerium rods, which are not remotely a primitive device and require almost zero skill to use. Thanks for your video and have a great weekend.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Well said

[@1skinnypuppy]

Ya that back up knife is pretty good. Unless it was removed from me I’ve had one since about 88, I still prefer the red. Good machete, not sure about the folding saw, but them silkis are my fav. After the scouts move through finding tinder is more difficult, However we did.

[@thomashardy6439]

I’ve done a lot of camping over the years where I’ve practised skills such as friction fires, survival techniques, etc. the three thing that always go into my pack are a good bushcraft knife (4-5 inches), a folding or breakdown saw and a hatchet or camp axe. I’ve watched a few of your videos and think you’re spot on. As the saying goes, you can carry all the equipment you think you’ll need but knowledge is free and a hell of a lot lighter.

[@stpetie7686]

Agreed. As Usual.

[@OutdoorswThatGuy]

I have to agree with you as well , growing up as a kid playing army out in the aka fields/ bushes and or pretending to be " grizzly adams making all kinds of fires , we didnt anything except taken our Fathers knife of many and carrying out there like we were somebody and using matches after matches to start a fire using dry feild grass / leaves and twigs then running out with axe or a hatchet as well , batoning and feathersticking wasnt a thing for us kids , i have done it mind ya , later in life as seen on youtube channels but for the most part to this very day i do what you were showing us here ,snapping of twigs on branches , deadwood , bark sleaves , dry dead long standing field grass ... thanks for this clip , its fun to experiment but in a real survival those who know will not hesitate and stop playing bushcrafter cause they may not have that expensive gear when in need .. just saying

[@SteveRiddel-iz3cy]

Hey just ran into your channel !! I like it!!! Alberta Canada

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@robertscarazzato2340]

Absolument brillant! Votre vidéo offre une réponse et des arguments impeccables. Vous avez parfaitement raison. Le feu précède de loin le couteau dans l'histoire de l'humanité. Il suffit de jeter un coup d'œil à l'équipement de survie porté par Ötzi, la momie préhistorique, pour le confirmer. Votre contenu est instructif et bien pensé. Chapeau!

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Merci!

[@richardhenry1969]

Personally my experience I prefer a folding saw over any ax. I believe KZbin pushed the batoning thing. Then people said they didn’t need it. The KZbin couch kings decided every conceivable reason why you need to baton. They just don’t understand because they actually don’t go outdoors. I’m old enough we didn’t have all these fancy outdoor knives. I’m sure they had a few but if sunny surplus didn’t sell it we didn’t have it. I used a folder mostly because I was left handed and nobody sold left handed sheaths. You had to make you own

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

I agree - saw over axe in general.

[@theressomelovelyfilthdownh4329]

People should go watch some experimental archaeologists. Can you cut down a decently sized tree with a flint axe? Yes, but you better be well-fed and have nothing better to do for a while. They certainly aren't going to mess about cutting it up into nice even lengths, or splitting it, if it's just to burn. Even medieval peasants were only allowed to go into the woods and gather wood, or dead trees. They were banned from cutting down trees for firewood. And even when they could have cut down a decently sized tree, they weren't cutting it into handy 12" - 18" blocks, then splitting them. They broke it up into manageable lengths for dragging by hand, or by a large animal of some sort. The Yule log is an example of just that. It was a large log which was fed into the fire as it burnt away. People have other very important things to do with their time. And if you can drag in a few good-sized logs. That should keep you and your family warm. That's if you don't also have some of your livestock in there with you. There was a Stone Age hallowed out tree trunk canoe found in marsh land where three rivers meet in my home town. That thing was a major investment of time and skill for whoever made it. Esp when all you have to work with it fire, and a stone axe.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

You got it man

[@Haerleif]

hi there, nice video and good points, I just wanted to share that I have the knife (a mora size knife) clipped to the side-pocket of the pants mostly. yes, on my thigh. I have found that this is the best option for me :) try it, it's litterally always next to your hand, even if you crouch etc , it doesnt get under your jacket, or requier a buttoned shirt nor dangle.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thanks man. Yes - It is convenient - more convenient than on the belt I agree, and it feels right - and I've done it that way - but that Mora clip is unreliable when used that way & you run the risk of losing the knife . I've lent Moras to friends, and they have lost them - sheath and all.

[@JuaneDosesII-wj6dd]

I’m in San Diego Ca, the skill here is not starting fires.😎

[@darrinrebagliati5365]

Never batoned, likely never will. I've rarely gone out with a bigger knife than a Mora. But I do usually carry an axe. Always in my truck is a Pulaski, a shovel and a bowsaw. In my pack if I'm going camping is at least my German Foresters axe and usually a tomahawk. Sometimes I find a gimmick axe that intrigues me and I bring it along. Always in my pocket or on my belt is a SAK, a Case knife and a Leatherman type tool. I've recently got a couple different folding saws, but still haven't taken em out of my pack. Never split a log for a fire either unless it was at a campground or recreation site. And if I wanted to make a Swedish Torch, I'd likely use a Scotch eyed auger in the campground. Some of the things that the KZbin Bushcraft League are pushing are absolutely useless, some aren't. Most of what they are actually teaching I learned in Cub Scouts in the early 80s. The rest is designed by people who want to sell you something.

[@alisdar1234]

Nice video🙂 I am wondering if you have a saw, how/why would you use the axe? The axe is fairly weighty, is it really necessary for an overnighter?

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

If its the winter and you know you will need a fire it is wise to bring an axe as a backup to the saw because the axe is more versatile and virtually unbreakable. Saws are awesome - and more efficient, but they are easy to break.

[@grantraynard]

To stop my saw getting caught in the tree my axe works as a wedge

[@pennsyltuckyreb9800]

I personally feel like unless you live in a Canadian/Alaskan winter, an axe is usually pretty unnecessary to carry around, especially if you have a quality saw and a sturdy blade. But, yeah, if I wake up one day in February in the middle of the Boreal... axe please!

[@ianbruce6515]

Ha, ha--I love your comments on the Swedish Torch!

[@ianbruce6515]

I dunno about burning long logs. They smoke like hell out of both ends! The wood frame folding saw I made cuts the wood to the right length to burn full length and both ends. I've never found a axe necessary.

[@stephengarrett8076]

Wow someone a bit of common 😆👍 i shake my head when i see someone batten every time as a norm. Thank you for your sanity 👍just subbed 👍

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

You are so welcome

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thanks man :)

[@TheRichtaber]

Just today, April 21, I read about a new bushcraft bullshit product. Exotac is marketing a hyped up lighter for $106 freaking dollars! I saw it in the latest issue of Backwoods Survival Guide and went to the website. It has the name of a fairly well known survival author attached to it. I’m getting pretty sick and tired of being hustled every time I read something or watch a KZbin video. This is why I like this channel! If you need to spend $106 to light a fire you probably shouldn’t go into the woods!

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thanks man. Stay vigilant!!!

[@Steakfrie]

"If you know the woods" - Hopefully it sinks in as you've demonstrated. I was starting fires using the methods you've shown since a kid in the '70's. Batoning is for knife salesmen and the pretentious modern bushcrafter who buys into all the hype. I've even seen one KZbinr practicing his batoning beside a wood shed with a perfectly good axe leaning against it. It can be hilarious how obsessive the practice has become. Your common sense vids are refreshing to see and sadly seen by too few. My area isn't blessed with a large supply of Birch but there is River/Paper Birch close to water. A gift if available. What we do have in the eastern woodlands is plenty of resin bearing pine. "Fatwood". The axe argument people have yet to discover the usefulness of a forked tree.

[@kevinhodgson2085]

If no one ever needed a Swedish torch, why did the Swedes invent it? In fact the Swedes and Finns argue about who invented it. It was invented and used for a reason, and that was a survival reason, not as a backyard trick. Like you say, different forests are different. Your forest has lots of dead standing wood and a nice mixture of all the nice flammable things like birch bark, pine resin and spruce sprigs. Lucky you.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

The ecology where I am is quite similar to that of Sweden. I doubt there were Swedish torches before there were saws. It only works if you have perfectly dry wood. In the forest, that means you need a dead-standing tree... which means you need to fell it; also, you need a fairly large diameter. Not very practical in most case - but fun to do

[@richardnichols1392]

I always thought of them as a logger trick used at lunch time tbh

[@CandidZulu]

Here in Sweden they are commonly made with a chain saws. They are just a way to make camping more comfortable. Only city slickers don’t have chain saws and a can on diesel with them in the bush! Bring the right tool for the job.

[@shaynehawkins713]

This previous fall i was trying too use a gerber hand axe and trying to baton wood. Plus make feather sticks. I gave up on that shit real quick. My last camping trip i remembered doing a upsidedown fire. So i did that and through twigs all over the top. Im not doing all that work.

[@blainebarringer2356]

Never heard of batoning until I watched my first KZbin knife video. And like you I didn’t see the point. Can gather a lot of twigs in the time it takes to baton

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Exactly!

[@clif4rd1]

The living room "forest" has very few trees.

[@BobBob-jy4dg]

Amen Your brain is the most powerful tool 👍

[@jamesgreen7928]

I agree with you...tools are no good with out skills

[@richardnichols1392]

I just ran in to your channel and so far you havent pointed out any thing i dont agree with ,i just really crack up when i see posts on so called bushcraft sites that call mora style knives "entry level " lol seeing that i could use these or similar the rest of my days and not feel im lacking in a knife for most outdoor work ,of course i have other knives ive used that are more specialised such as the grohman types great for pelting out furbearers eg. Or fillet knives more for fish and or boneing out back straps and loins from biggame eg. I do like the large leathermans for versatility with the pliers you can work on traps and fabricate things of metal ,and also has a small saw etc ,im looking at the " agawa" take down bow saws for easily packed but large enough to cut serious timber if need be as well theyre smaller models also the silky pocket boy is always with me in the hills along with a bacho laplander or i might have one or the other depending on what im doing a cold steel trail hawk dissassembled is often carried along in my pack as well can split kindling limb branches etc

[@grantraynard]

You Sir, are not going to make knife manufactures rich. LOL Excellent video. I do appreciate having a saw in the woods. Do you still have a deal with a saw manufacturer?

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

No - unfortunately they dropped me - most likely for the reasons you mention, because they also make high end knives - and I really wasn't interested in any of them.

[@ibtat2969]

These type of comments just haven't had to opportunity to experience the Canadian bush, eh. The bush is so thick you can't even walk through, not the mention the same thing about the black flies.

[@theressomelovelyfilthdownh4329]

Never had the joy of your Canadian black flies. We have clegs here in Ireland, a type of horse fly. They are silent flyers, and you won't know until they start biting you. It's up there with a wasp sting, when they bite. Was got by one last year while digging up some potatoes. They got me between my thumb, and index finger. Been stung there by wasps before, and I'd say the bite is worse up front. But it's still going to be throbbing, swollen, and itchy all day. I can't imagine your black flies being any nicer to have making a meal of you.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

I like the black flies more than horse & deer flies. They are the worst - and your clegs sound like stealth horse flies - yikes!

[@BravoBassin]

Great video and I have said this same stuff over and over to people but you can't fix stupid. Batoning is stupid and is not needed and I say this all the time as well the fact that so many of these bush hippies and survival dorks thats how I refer to them anyway keep telliing people they need to baton wood and it is an essential skill just blows my mind. These people are full of crap and the last people anyone should be taking advice from. Again great video and keep speaking the truth and debunking all the B.S. that is getting put out there by some of these channels that are just trying to get views.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Thanks man !

[@BackCountryRunaway]

Skill will outway the tool every time. I practice and teach both primitive skills and modern survival skills. I DONT NEED a knife. I just like the luxury of having it. Ive never needed to baton. I do baton sometimes. Usually because of laziness. I didnt grab enough kindling, or tinder. So i split down smaller stucked that i have. Ive only ever batoned a "log" which i define as something bigger than my forearms, a couple of times. And that was just to see how well some of my longer tools like my parang would do it. Usually if i do split. Its forearm size stuff. Like i said. Usually out of laziness or miscalculation

[@shawnpatrick1877]

And yet there will be people in these comments with irrational fears that if you don't know how to baton wood, you may literally be lost in the wilderness and die.

[@calholli]

Here's another thing: Why bring flit when you can just carry 3 lighters? I always have lighters, and I'm not a smoker.

[@jelkel25]

People hear what they want to hear and Daves "one tool option" is a prime example. People ignore that this is to sell a particular kind of knife or sell the video to others who have taken the bait. I've seen videos where they patently refuse to make another tool like a wedge because " muh, one tool option". Do you really think that creator would stick to the stupid if they were in genuine trouble? Batoning and making feathersicks is no great skill anyway, more just an excuse to play show and tell on camera. Here's the thing these people hate to hear, nature doesn't care how much your gear costs, a person with the skills and cheaper gear will outperform a poser every time. Skills require effort and "dirt time" another thing Dave said but some choose not to hear.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Agreed man. I miss Dave's old videos and where he was as a content creator back then.

[@tobiasfreitag2182]

In the video you say that knives are good at knive stuff but bad axes.... In my experience these big fat knives that are intended to be strong enough to bash and beat them in to firewood, normally are bad axes and also quite bad at knive stuff. Can one get some work done with one of these? Oh absolutely! But it is a pain to use in what ever you want to use it for, especially when compared to the tool that was intended for thar particular job....

[@davem4193]

I agree. A while back I bought a Pathfinder knife, mostly because of curiosity and the hype. It's not even thick by their standards (1/8") and has a scandi grind. Last fall I used it to process a Canada goose and I thought it was a huge POS when it comes to game processing. It was my first time using a thicker knife for hunting and I hated it.

[@markwalker4485]

I’m on you side kinda🤪im more the Grohmann style of fixed blade knife. Ok I’m a snob. Truth? If in a real survival or even just a normal situation I will only have a small less than 3” folding knife. Yes I prefer to carry a 4-5” fixed knife, and my axe and folding saw but it’s not always practical. I do not know the many times I just took my wee little folder with me. And though I will never admit it…I did have to track wounded animals and made my little day hunt into an overnighter. Wow it’s funny how in an uncomfortable situation a match can make a nice warm fire. In a sick truth. If I had to choose between a fixed blade knife or an axe. I actually would pick my axe. I have done some really stupid things with with my folding knife and my axe and I would say my axe did everything as good or better than my knife (cleaning finger nails not included). I have on a drunken bet processed an elephant with my small folding knife and when sober ish used my hand axe to process a buff. The axe was way better. But as a side note to defend myself and I hope you giggle at this. I’m also an ar* h*Le which is why I am probably better with an axe. I always (almost always) have an Ulu in my pack and she has never ever been used to cut any wood or make a fire. She probably could do that work easy enough but not her job. My ulu is basically my butchers/skinning knife. So I guess you pen pal will also disrespect me for carrying a knife like object that I will hopefully never use to cut wood or make a fire. But I know at the same time he will never take my .275 and drop and elephant with one round. Well actually no one can now legally I hate the “new” law of 1985 but that’s another argument for another day.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Cool man. I use a 6.5mm Mauser so I'm right there with ya man - although elephants are out of my league and jurisdiction for sure ;)

[@vansgardens2304]

If you’re not batoning and making feather sticks how ever will we know that you know what you’re doing 😂

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

My that is a quandary. I guess I'll have to turn to deadfall traps and wikiups.

[@4ager505]

@@outdoorsonthecheapHere's an idea which seems popular at the moment...underground bunkers...they look pretty easy on YT....really all you gotta be concerned with is finding a suitable low lying location so it will have adequate drainage from runoff flowing into it... 😄

[@gizmocarr3093]

People spending large sums of money on knives have to make up reasons why they did. People making and selling knives that cost large sums of money have to try proving they are worth the price. Someone like you that disagrees with their ideas scares the ones selling and buying expensive knives. All you need is matches to make a fire in any environment, having a knife and saw is just a luxury not a necessity. Knowledge is the necessity you need more than an expensive knife that is pretty to look at.🦉👍🤔😂🤣

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

I agree - I think that's the main thing that get's people defensive because they spent so much and don;t want to hear that it was unnecessary

[@toms_dayoff]

👏👏👏👏👏👍💪 Super great video! You really don't need any expensive tools to survive in a forest. But tools would make things a lot easier. And batoning is absolutely overrated. The question is also whether you still have all the gear with you in a survival situation. I've been wandering around in the fields, forests and meadows for 40+ years now and actually only use a pocket knife and sometimes a cheap, ordinary folding saw. The be-all and end-all of bushcraft and survival is not the stuff you have with you, but the knowledge about nature, how nature works, what types of wood there are and what they are best used for and what other options you have. If you don't have anything in brain, or are you not experienced in using tools, all your equipment is uselss.

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

I totally agree :)

[@hanikaram3351]

wow it does not need all that , most of the people deep inside they know what you are talking about only fools will let their thoughts take them off reality with that survival issue , firstly bushcraft is a craft by itself so owning knives for outdoor usage does not mean bushcrafting unless you are a true Bushcrafter that means you have the crafting skills to manipulate material provided by nature , surviving is not bushcrafting either nor owning a knife not even if you possess the best bushchcrafting skills though it helps a lot to extend your life and comfort because surviving is temporary and for short period when it comes sudden and when you are not prepared , you are missing the point all of you are missing the point of fun , i am a bushwacker wishes i could be a bushcrafter , i love the outdoors and i love camping i also like knives and sometimes just for fun i like whacking on knives and wood , the business opportunity went hand in hand with television preppers industry of outdoor products and knives are part of it however because non of the real bushcrafter and research and rescue instructors and professional licenced outdoorsnman came out from hiding to instruct the public about the differences

[@johnmorrison2894]

Show us your Swedish touch man

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

Will do - waiting for colder weather :)

[@WilliamLalonde-p2q]

Haha he said hard wood 🪵

[@WilliamLalonde-p2q]

Dude reminds me of Norm Mc Donald

[@outdoorsonthecheap]

I get that a lot. I really don't see it - though I do love Norm!

[@danielwillis6936]

Yes, Like you I am tired of all the videos about needing to use your knife to baton with!

[@hanikaram3351]

man you are also using steel tools whether you use a cheap coleman saw or a silky and if you use a silky instead of the cheaper ones because it does a better job do not criticise people that spend 500,600 on a knife because it is better in material in proper care manufacturing process that makes it last almost forever and yes owning any knife whether cheap or most expensive does not mean you have the skills and the training

[@KorumEmrys]

I believe this philosophy is somewhat common. Many people who learned forest survival skills learned them in the military. Batoning is displayed as a method to breakdown wood to ease the fire-building process. Many Bushcraft/Survival classes teach batoning as a "technique" to assist in building your fire. I'm not finding either fault or denying value of batoning. I have shared my opinion which is Only In An Absolute "Survival" situation would batoning ever realistically become a necessity if you have neither hatchet nor axe or saw. Is it good to know how to do safe and properly?? Yes, but really over-rated unless your sole intent is to use your knife for something to feel more "rugged" . I love knives and have a few dozen, at least. Do I always carry a knife in the outdoors - woods, desert, hills, etc,.? YES. Do I also carry a hatchet, axe, or saw? Yes. Knives are tools but the right tool is always the better tool..I don't want to hit and pound my knives into wood 🪵 or anything else unnecessarily. Smart Work is rarely working hard in the outdoors... Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon children lived usually Only by knowing all this. Well Done Sir, And Great Points. Use and Keep Your Good Expensive Knives, but don't damage them without 110% necessity!!

[@hildolfrdraugadrottin7279]

Im in my 60s and grew up in the woods where we constantly built fires. Ive heated with wood stoves half my life and have burned hundreds of brushpiles. So I have made thousands of fires and have never once battoned wood to get a fire started. We seldom cut up wood for outside fires. Its a waste of time better spent on something else. Let the fire do the work for you. Ive got more lots of axes of all sizes and many big knives most would call choppers. When it comes to busting up woods Ill pick an axe every time. Ive got a tiny hatchet a couple of my big choppers can hang with but a standard size hatchet will out cut them. Maybe the people making these claims about a knife chopping as well as an axe just dont know how to use axes. Watching all these so called survival experts build fires on their videos makes me wonder why they are so followed. I'll have my entire camp set up before they even get a fire going. LOL This video pretty much tells it like it is imo.

[@OutdoorswThatGuy]

I heard that , down and dirty here and now ..