Care for knife, saw, and ax
3d.
Demonstrate proper care, sharpening, and use of the knife, saw, and ax. Describe when each should be used.
You covered basic pocketknife safety as a Scout. Tenderfoot expands that into the full suite of woods tools you’ll use in camp — pocketknife, camp saw, and hand ax — along with proper maintenance, sharpening, and field techniques.
Choosing the Right Tool for the Job
| Tool | Primary Purpose | When NOT to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pocketknife | Whittling, cutting cord, food prep, precision tasks | Chopping, splitting wood, heavy prying |
| Camp Saw (Folding or Bow) | Cutting branches, logs, and downed timber to length | Fine carving, felling live trees without permission |
| Ax / Hatchet | Limbing downed branches, bucking logs, splitting kindling | Cutting fine rope, pounding stakes with the side, close-quarters carving |
Pocketknife
- Primary Purpose
- Whittling, cutting cord, food prep, precision tasks
- When NOT to Use
- Chopping, splitting wood, heavy prying
Camp Saw (Folding or Bow)
- Primary Purpose
- Cutting branches, logs, and downed timber to length
- When NOT to Use
- Fine carving, felling live trees without permission
Ax / Hatchet
- Primary Purpose
- Limbing downed branches, bucking logs, splitting kindling
- When NOT to Use
- Cutting fine rope, pounding stakes with the side, close-quarters carving
Pocketknife Care and Sharpening
- Sharpening on a Whetstone:
- Moisten the whetstone with water or a few drops of light mineral oil (or use dry if designed for dry honing).
- Hold the blade at an angle of about 25 degrees (between 20° and 30° off the stone).
- Push the blade forward across the stone as though slicing a thin layer off the surface, maintaining a consistent bevel angle. Flip and sharpen the other side with an equal number of strokes.
- Testing sharpness: Examine the blade edge under a bright light or the sun. A dull edge has a rounded flat surface that reflects light and shines; a truly sharp edge is microscopically thin and does not reflect light.
- Cleaning: Clean lint and grit out of the casing channel using a damp cloth wrapped around a toothpick. Wash food residue with hot, soapy water, dry thoroughly, and apply a drop of mineral oil to the pivot pins.
Camp Saw Care and Safety
- Saw Types: Folding saws fold into their handles for compact packing; bow saws use a rigid metal frame to hold a tensioned blade for heavier cutting.
- Sheaths and Care: Always store saw blades in a sheath. You can make an inexpensive bow saw guard by slitting a section of old garden hose lengthwise and securing it over the teeth with cord or duct tape.
- Saw Teeth: Saw teeth are “set” (bent alternately left and right to clear sawdust). Replace dull blades rather than trying to file saw teeth in camp.
- Cutting Technique:
- The Undercut: When removing a branch from a trunk or log, make a small undercut on the bottom side first before cutting down from the top. This prevents the falling branch from tearing bark off the tree.
- Cut branches flush to avoid leaving sharp “hat racks” that snag packs or clothing. Cut saplings level with the ground to eliminate tripping stumps.
Ax and Hatchet Care and Field Techniques
Ax Anatomy and Safe Ax Checklist
An ax consists of the head (with the cutting bit, toe, heel, and flat poll), the shoulder, the handle, the knob, and the sheath.
- Safe Tool: Check that the head is wedged tightly, the handle is free of splits, and the bit is sharp and free of major nicks.
- Safe Gear: Always wear sturdy boots, safety glasses, and work gloves.
- Safe Working Area (Ax Yard & Blood Circle): Establish a 10-foot clearance zone in all directions (the “ax yard”). Check your clear space by holding the ax head at arm’s length and slowly turning in a full circle, checking above for overhead branches.
- Safe Carrying: Carry the ax at your side with your hand choked up near the head, blade facing outward. If you slip or trip, toss the ax away from you as you fall. Never carry an ax on your shoulder.
- Safe Passing: Hand the ax over handle-first, with the head down and bit turned away. Do not let go until the receiver grips the handle and explicitly says “Thank you.”
- Safe Storage: Keep the ax masked in its sheath whenever not actively in use. Store it under a dining fly or inside a tent, never left stuck in a log or lying on the ground where moisture rusts the steel.
Essential Chopping Techniques
- The Contact Method for Splitting: To split kindling safely, never hold a piece of wood upright with your bare hand while swinging an ax. Instead, place the ax bit directly against the end of the stick. Lift both the stick and the ax together, bring them down firmly against the chopping block, and twist the ax handle slightly to pop the wood apart.
- Limbing: When trimming branches off a fallen trunk, stand on the side of the log opposite the branch you are cutting, keeping the log between you and your blade as a safety shield.
- Bucking (Cutting to Length): Cut a V-shaped notch as wide at the top as the log is thick, swinging into a solid chopping block.
Sharpening an Ax
- Wear leather gloves.
- Fit an 8-inch or 10-inch mill bastard file with a handle and a knuckle guard (a 3-inch square of leather, plywood, or rubber slipped over the tang).
- Brace the ax head on the ground between two wooden pegs/stakes and a log.
- Push the file into the bit using firm, even pressure. Remember: files cut only on the forward push stroke — lift the file off the metal on the return stroke. Finish by honing the edge with a whetstone.
