Big shout-out of thanks to Butthead for sharing this tool with us. I have been using it since July and couldn't be happier. I use it to baton sawn wood. There was a wee bit of a learning curve (figuring out how thick and long of wood i could use) but on my last trip, where it rained everyday I was out there for 11 days, I could have a nice, cozy, warm fire everynight.

Thanks Butthead!

Handy little tool, glad you enjoy it as much as I do.

butthead

Looks great. How big of a piece of wood could you split with that?

$15, 7 ounces, and that pic sold me. Really. Just ordered one from Amazon. I've been wanting to shave some weight compared to my hatchet and I like that this is designed to be struck and doesn't have the sharp point of most batoning knives.

For scale in that pic, the blade is 4.5".

quote andym: "Really. Just ordered one from Amazon. I've been wanting to shave some weight..."

Did the same, but sprang for the one with the sheath. I can see it being my go-to splitter on backpacking trips.

quote Savage Voyageur: "Looks great. How big of a piece of wood could you split with that?"

Yep that was part of the learning curve. I found that if I got any wood that was bigger diameter then the blade width of the Foot, it made it tougher to split it. You really want the blade to go past the end of the wood so you have something to strike after the top of the blade get buried.

And I found that the length depends on what type of wood you foraged. It is was super dry, beaver wood, then the length is no problem. Anything wetter or with a tight grain or had a bunch of knots in it made slamming the knife through that much tougher.

So, all in all I would process firewood that was 4" or so in diameter by 8" to 10" long. Perfect amount for a solo canoeist/backpacker.

I have a friend who has fantastic skills. One day, somewhere in the BW, he took my Gransfors Bruks mini belt hatchet and split a log far bigger than its blade edge into a pile of nice wood to burn. The trick was to split shingles off the sides of the log, rather than try to split it down the middle. I can't even remember how we wound up with a log that big. It must have been cut and left behind by someone with a bigger saw than we carry. So, if left with this knife and big log, there is a way to get to a dry surface and start it burning or turn it into many smaller pieces to feed into a fire.

quote andym: "The trick was to split shingles off the sides of the log, rather than try to split it down the middle. "

Yes. You are absolutly correct. I found that was the key to do with big wood as well. All part of the learning curve.

You guys have got to stop posting about stuff like this!!! Now I have to buy this knife. Thanks for posting about it.

quote OldFingers57: "You guys have got to stop posting about stuff like this!!! Now I have to buy this knife. Thanks for posting about it. "

I know right!

I hate the idea of leaving my little Gransforth hatchet at the house however. Can I admit an irrational fear? I sleep with the Hatchet within arms reach........I know, totally ridiculous. Spent all those years tromping around on the trapline with every gland lure known to man wafting through the air and now I worry about empty candy wrappers! Sheesh, what a weeny!

I think that picture really sells it... You should send it in for a little product promo!

Very interesting! For you guys that have already tried it, did you buy the leather sheath? If not, do you wrap the blade somehow for transport?

While I bought it with a sheath, also made a Kydex thermo-formed sheath for pack carry.

butthead

I also bought the sheath, but would like to upgrade to something like Buttheads. But the leather works for now.

quote butthead: "


While I bought it with a sheath, also made a Kydex thermo-formed sheath for pack carry.


butthead"

Nice work butthead!

Butthead, Minnesotian,

Thanks for your posts on the Sheffield Footprint Hacking Knife.

I picked up a Sheffield Hacking Knife with leather sheath on Amazon. It will be my "go to" for splitting wood on solo trips.

I will stick with my Gransfors Bruk Wildlife Hatchet as my "go to" wood splitting tool on my group trips.

quote SourisMan: "

quote butthead: "



While I bought it with a sheath, also made a Kydex thermo-formed sheath for pack carry.



butthead"

Nice work butthead!"

Indeed well done! I suppose I need to get one of these. The leather would be fine for me carrying it in a duffel bag. I like it.

quote Minnesotian: "
Big shout-out of thanks to Butthead for sharing this tool with us. I have been using it since July and couldn't be happier. I use it to baton sawn wood. There was a wee bit of a learning curve (figuring out how thick and long of wood i could use) but on my last trip, where it rained everyday I was out there for 11 days, I could have a nice, cozy, warm fire everynight.

Thanks Butthead!

"

I'm sure the knife works great. What caught my eye at first was the great photo!!

Thank you, glad you liked it. It was taken at Russel Lake at the end of last month, on the only clear day of the trip and I was so pleased with the knife I had to pose it in some reverant way.

I just picked up one of these knives and decided to try making a sheath using a pvc pipe. After watching a couple youtube videos, I simply heated a section of pipe with a heat gun, and pressed it between two boards with the knife inside. I then did a little trimming and painted it. It ain't pretty, but it's very functional, and only a 20 minute project. If you didn't buy a sheath, it's worth your time to make one of these.

PVC Sheath

What a slick little tool. Got my attention.....

Does anyone know what kind of steel the knife is? Thanks

quote Savage Voyageur: "Does anyone know what kind of steel the knife is? Thanks"

It's certainly not stainless! Mine is quite stained now and some rust pits. Not very hard but that is desired in a chopper, nicks and rust are easily cleaned up. Most likely a mild carbon steel.

butthead

SourisMan, nice job with that sheath. I may give that a try! I also have some sheet plastic and may try with that.

quote butthead: "Most likely a mild carbon steel.
butthead"

Thanks Ken, just what I’m looking for.