What is batoning? This is recommend great batoning knives!

A batoning knife is a necessary piece of gear for chopping wood for camping and barbecuing. When you hear the word “chopping wood,” you may first think of an axe, but in camping, a batoning knife is often used because it is smaller and more versatile than an axe. In this article, we would like to introduce such batoning knives.

What is a batoning knife?
What is batoning?
Recommended for your first one!Mora Knife
SWISS+TECH Sheath Knife
KANUCHI OUTDOOR Full tang machete
Be careful about storing in a car!
summary

What is a batoning knife?

A batoning knife is an outdoor knife specialized for chopping firewood. While knives are often thought of as knives used for cutting food or cutting ropes, butting knives are used for chopping firewood for bonfires and stoves.

You may think that chopping wood is usually done with an axe, but axes are quite heavy, even compact ones. When camping on foot, by train, or by bicycle or motorcycle, you want to carry as little luggage and light equipment as possible, so an axe may not be the best choice. In addition, firewood sold at campgrounds and home centers is already chopped to a certain degree, so an axe may not be needed as often.

[商品価格に関しましては、リンクが作成された時点と現時点で情報が変更されている場合がございます。]

1/16までポイント5倍！斧多喜火斧革ケース付きアウトドア鉈ナタバトニングナイフ薪割りナイフ薪割り両刃キャンプナイフバトニングフルタング焚き火焚火
価格：13,200円（税込、送料無料) (2025/1/13時点)

楽天で購入

Batoning knives, on the other hand, are compact, portable, and versatile. A knife with a fine, delicate blade is suitable for cooking and fine woodworking, while a batoning knife is for chopping wood (batoning) and shaving wood. Therefore, it can be said that more emphasis is placed on sturdiness than on sharpness.

Carbon and stainless steel are used for knife blades, with carbon emphasizing sharpness and stainless steel emphasizing ease of maintenance. Therefore, beginners are recommended to choose stainless steel. The length of the blade is also necessary to some extent. If you choose one with a blade length of about 10 cm as a guide, you will be safe for now. The thickness of the blade is also important, as it is required to be sturdy.

What is batoning?

Batoning is the process of chopping wood. Thick wood is difficult to light on fire, so it must be split into thin pieces before it can be ignited. Splitting wood is necessary for this purpose. Buttoning is a necessary skill to enjoy camping with the minimum amount of luggage required.

You may be able to imagine the scene of chopping firewood with an axe as you often see it in TV dramas and cartoons, but you may not have seen chopping firewood with a knife.

how to Batoning!

To do the batoning, first stand the firewood upright and apply the blade of the knife. The key is to place the firewood against the blade in the front part near the bundle. Also, try not to go against the grain of the firewood to make it easier to split. With your free hand, hold another piece of firewood or other wood and tap the back of the tip of the knife. Try to split as perpendicularly as possible so that the blade is not at an angle. If the ground is dirt when setting up the firewood, it will be dented, so place something hard, such as a wood splitting stand or other firewood, underneath to strike the firewood.

Batoning is recommended to be done with gloves to avoid accidentally hitting your hands and injuring yourself or getting tree spikes stuck in your hands.

Recommended for your first one!Mora Knife

The Mora knife is the standard among outdoor knives.

There are various types of Mora knives for different purposes, but many people seem to choose this Mora knife as their first one. It is an all-round knife that can be used not only for batoning but also for cooking. Mora Knife is a knife brand with a royal Swedish warrant and is characterized by its sharp blade, rubber grip, and light weight for easy handling.

モーラナイフコンパニオンステンレス Morakniv | ナイフキャンプナイフキャンプアウトドアキャンプ用品アウトドア用品料理調理釣り登山防災安いステンレスバトニング薪割り刃厚2.5mm
価格：2,310円（税込、送料無料) (2025/1/13時点)

楽天で購入

The stainless steel blade is rust-resistant and keeps its sharpness for a long time. The sturdiness of the blade, which lasts so long that you do not need to replace it for a while after buying it once, and the low price, which starts at around 2,500 yen, are also attractive features of this product.

This is a product that can be used not only for camping, but also for fishing and hunting.

SWISS+TECH sheath knife for those who want to be particular!

This is another survival knife that can be purchased relatively inexpensively at under 3,000 yen. SWISS+TECH” is a brand that features a combination of American technology and Swiss craftsmanship.

It has a structure called “full tang,” in which the metal of the knife blade is connected to the handle, making it suitable for hard use such as batoning. It has a sturdy, heavy feel, and the wooden grip part blends in well with the atmosphere of the campsite. Made of stainless steel, it is rust-resistant and easy to clean.

SWISS+TECH キャンプナイフ全長250mm フルタング構造天然ウッドハンドルバトニングナイフ薪割り釣り登山キャンプキャンピングサバイバルアウトドアナイフシースナイフ本革ケース付き
価格：2,980円（税込、送料無料) (2025/1/13時点)

楽天で購入

There is a groove for the index finger to prevent slipping. The case (sheath) is genuine leather, which also has a nice atmosphere. The sharpness is not so good, but if you use it only for batoning, there is no problem.

KANUCHI OUTDOOR Full Tang Nata for professionals!

This is a slightly different type of “KANUCHI OUTDOOR Full Tang Machete”. It looks like a combination of a knife and a machete, and I purchased it at Workman. I bought it at Workman. It is made in Japan by a manufacturer called Takagi.

This is also a full-tang, and has a heavy feel to it. The tip of the blade has a protrusion called a “chopstick” to prevent the blade from spilling when batoning. The structure is similar to the traditional Japanese “ebi-natae” (shrimp hatchet).It comes with a cowhide leather case.

At Workman, the blade section, handle, and case are all black, while at Amazon and other home centers, the handle and case are brown.

KANUCHI OUTDOOR フルタングナタ牛革ケース付き 1個
価格：4,882円（税込、送料別) (2025/1/13時点)

楽天で購入

You can choose which one you prefer based on your color preference.

Both Workman and Amazon have been out of stock for some time due to its popularity since it was first released, but recently it has become relatively easy to obtain. The price is 3,900 yen, which is an easy price to obtain.

It is also quite sharp and easily splits firewood. It is not suitable for use in cooking due to its shape. Anyway, it looks sharp and cool, so we recommend it.

Be careful to keep it in the car!

This may be a bit of a tangent from here, but there is an important caution regarding the handling of knives.

If you carelessly leave a knife or axe in your car, you may be charged with a violation of the Firearms Control Law if you are stopped by the police at a checkpoint. Naturally, you are not allowed to walk around with weapons in Japan. Knives and axes are considered weapons, even if they are used for camping. No matter how much you insist to the police that it is something you use for camping, it probably won’t work. This is because the robber might say the same thing as an excuse for having a weapon.

Examples of firearms violations include the following

Carrying a knife without a valid reason

Possessing firearms, crossbows, or swords without permission

Transferring or importing firearms

Violating the storage of guns/swords

The penalty for violating this law varies depending on the blade. If a person carries a blade with a blade length exceeding 6 cm, he/she is subject to imprisonment for not less than one month and not more than two years, or a fine of not more than 300,000 yen. In addition, even a knife that does not fall under this category may be a violation of the Minor Offenses Act if it is carried concealed. The penalty for violation of the Misdemeanor Act is detention (1 to 30 days) or a fine (1,000 yen to 10,000 yen).

楽天で購入

If you are stopped at a checkpoint on your way to or from the campground, as long as you can prove that you are going camping, there is no problem. However, you will not be allowed to carry a knife unless it is the day of camping, so take it out of your car and keep it at home except on the day of camping.

You should also be careful not to leave the campsite while carrying a knife, for example, to go shopping with a knife in your pocket while camping.

On a somewhat similar note, there is a rule that flammable liquid fuel used for oil lanterns and alcohol stoves cannot be brought on board trains. Please be careful not to bring this gear to a camping trip by train, even if you have gone to the trouble of buying it. By the way, gas cans such as OD cans and CB cans, and solid fuel may be brought into the camp. Cutlery can be packed securely and stored in a bag or other container so that it cannot be removed immediately. These regulations change from time to time, so it is best to check them frequently.

summary

Now that we have introduced some batoning knives and their precautions, what do you think? Of course, it is a knife, so if you handle it wrongly, you can get hurt, and if you do not manage it properly, you can be subject to punishment. However, batoning is one of the best parts of camping. Please acquire the correct knowledge and enjoy camping with your favorite gear.

By the way, when it comes to makiwari, of course you will be making a fire, and here is an article on about the author’s recommended fire pit!

Return to Home page