# Bushcraft and Bugout Hacking knife!



## Woods Walker (Dec 18, 2017)

I am a big proponent of the batoning methodology. The reason being the use of wood stoves within my camping and preps. Tent wood stoves really like split wood. Often some split wood will help get the stove going on the initial stoke or allow wet wood to burn better. Sometimes it's easier to split up kindling inside the warm tent or under a tarp rather than venture out into the nasty cold weather if running low. I have lots of natural hydrocarbons so for an open fire very often using the twig fire methodology works. That said there are rare conditions which the split wood methodology is helpful. Times when the easiest dry wood to find is the core of standing deadwood. Split wood fire methodology is very helpful in those conditions. 


I can baton with an axe or hatchet. Someone doesn't need to swing and axe to split smaller wood. I can also use my knife. However this isn't for everyone. Some wood is too thick or knot filled for many of the smaller knives I pack. So wanted a small handy tool for using within an enclosed space to split wood when employing my knife isn't practical. Here is what I came up with.


http://footprint-tools.com/Hacking_Knife


Description from Foot Print.




> When you see the Footprint Hacking Knife you probably see an old fashioned design? Well it is an old fashioned design combined with modern manufacturing methods to produce a tough, quality and versatile knife.
> 
> 
> Extra Strength as made from a single Drop Forged piece of Carbon Steel
> ...






> High Carbon Steel Blade
> 4-1/2 Inch Blade
> Designed for striking with a Hammer
> Leather Handle




I will use a Mora number 2 for scale. If you don't know the size of a Mora refer to the posted size of the Hacking Knife or buy a Mora number 2. You will not regret it. On a side note the hacking knife is made in England. How cool is that!









Comes with a marginal but functional leather sheath. This a pure tool after all.














Handle made of leather near as I can tell.








The blade profile.








A few passes on sandpaper and it was shaving sharp. Very easy to hand sharpen given the geometry of the edge. Almost reminds me of a Mora Clipper scandi edge.








Full tang and very thick.








So how does the tool preform? This is my initial usage..... Ok it's not as good of a whittler as a Mora #2 but then again the Mora is really good at that IMHO. The hacking knife made the traditional vampire stake just fine.








So how does it baton? Fantastic! Ok there was some slight vibration in the handle when wildly beating through some hard wood knots but it was good. 














In your face all you batoning cry babies.








But what of the claim it's made to be struck by a hammer? Yes it survived with no problems beyond a little scuffing on the rounded spine.








To see if it held an edge the last thing I did was cut jute cordage for tinder and the sacred bacon. Jute all fluffed up. It easily cut the cordage and was still shaving. The charred cattail was made a month or so before with fire created from a WCF neck knife, local quartz and chaga. This is called a fire chain. A new link is created when new fires are started from the char. The chain grows by making new char and fires. First link is marginal firecraft using uncharded materials found in the woods or maybe a friction fire. Here is the initial link in this chain done during a knife review. The firecraft starts around 12 minutes into the review. This is how I charred the cattail being used in the field testing of the Hacking Knife.





And below is that char used.








One lucky strike from a colonial striker and the cattail ignited. It's actually not that amazing a fire can be made using traditional methods nearly as fast as modern means. These methods worked for a long long time.








I like to overkill the charred materials when the air is wet. It rained on and off all day. In a few hours would rain hard all night.








Split wood does burn nice.














Another link in the chain being prepared. I have kept chains going for years just for fun. I guess if the matches and lighters dry up during the zombie apocalypse (or fill in the blank with your preferred end of the world) this method would probably be used again as the primary firecraft methodology. Who knows.








A slight bit underdone on the right of the tin but overall good. I find cattail can be overcooked if not careful. Or at least that's my observation. 








The Hacking knife easily cut the sacred bacon. I like this old school mess kit for cooking over a fire. The long folding handle which holds the plate to the pan is perfect.








Conclusion. Based on my initial usage I like it! Seems prefect for splitting wood under a tarp or within the confines of a tent. It's for sale on Amazon. Here is a video of me using the hacking knife for all of the above. In fact for exactly all of the above as the write up was taken from the same outing.


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## scout24 (Feb 8, 2019)

I have found a similar hard use knife in the Mora Chisel knife. I have been carving spoons with one, and batoning some wrist sized wood to get blanks for said spoon making. No pic, but it's the size of the #2 with a rectangular blade. Single edge chisel grind.


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## CaptJeff (Jan 15, 2020)

scout24 said:


> I have found a similar hard use knife in the Mora Chisel knife. I have been carving spoons with one, and batoning some wrist sized wood to get blanks for said spoon making. No pic, but it's the size of the #2 with a rectangular blade. Single edge chisel grind.




thanks for sharing. Found it on amazon for less than $15 delivered and just ordered one. Thank you!


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## drexter (Feb 3, 2020)

That's a cool knife. I enjoyed watching the video.


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## desert.snake (Apr 13, 2020)

It’s quite improbable to see such a knife in modern times. We have a similar historical knife for the same purpose. Now they are used only by fans of antiquity - reenactors and big lovers of authenticity. 






Now such knives are distributed among electricians - to remove insulation from cables. Now I often see such knives with electricians and plumbers, they are made of a saw for metal of this type. 






HSS power hacksaw blade. This is a good material to make a knife like this, SANDVIK Sweden good quality. The main thing is that it should be a solid piece of metal. There are version bi-metal, it’s bad for a knife, hardening only the teeth.


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## scout24 (Apr 13, 2020)

desert.snake- Your first pic there looks like a medevial version of a Cold Steel Bushman.


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