This is part three in my little series of can you survive with a folding knife.

In part one I built this shelter, in part two

we collected materials and made some survival weapons.

Today I'm going to split some wood and make a fire.

Now I know from experience It's perfectly possible to go out , and pick small pieces

like this, shave them down and make a fire, but according to the internet, it's absolutely

vital that we split wood and male a "split wood " fire.

So, that's our task for today.

Right , so let''s get down to business.

I've been wandering around and I've found some deadwood lying around.

This is a piece of dead willow, and I'm going to have a go at splitting this.First I need

to get rid of this portion with the knot, and up here as well, so i want a fairly knot

free piece that I can split.

So I'm going to wedge it here in my little tree, this convenient tree and I'm going to

break off these pieces.

Okay, so that's our piece, and like with our survival club, I'm going to whittle this down

and make it a little bit easier for myself to split it.

I can see that there are some cracks already travelling so they may be useful to us.

So we've got it whittled down guys, now this is seasoned wood, and it may not split as

readily for me, but we'll have a go, I know that this is a bit repetitive but these are

simple techniques that work so if they work why not use them.

so I've got a fairly rudimentary crack there, lets see how we get on.

This is my splinter from part two, and I've whittled it down into a basic knife blade

shape, a basic wedge, and let's see can we use that to split it.

Okay?

So there's our split wood, now I'm going to whittle this off again, get another split

going and make it smaller.

Okay? So once again we have our small split started.

and once again we will do the same with our other piece.

So, split wood with a tiny knife and a simple wooden knife blade, wedge implement.

How's that?

Okay so there may be some who are not satisfied with that, so let's have a go at this somewhat

thicker piece.

Back now bud, Okay , so we'll have a go at breaking this.

Okay? so let's get whittling.

Okay, so that's a reasonably thick piece.

So lets see can we get a little split of some kind.

That should split easily.

Hmmm. Maybe I spoke too soon eh?

Now.

Let's get another little break on it ,Okay.

This is dry and seasoned, it's not by any means rotten.

It's not the toughest piece of wood either , but then why would you pick the toughest

piece of wood.

Oh.

Right we need a better split.

Okay?

So, split wood with a tiny knife?I think it's possible.

.Because of the texture of the wood it did not feather stick very

well, so I merely reduced it to shavings.

As you can see.

So I have some fine shavings there and I have some small branch's around it.

Always a good idea to get out of the smoke.

So there we have it guys, can you survive with a tiny knife.

I was prompted to make this little series of videos, because I'm so tired of listening to guys,

every time they picked up a folding knife , they didn't say it may close on your fingers

or it's possible, they said it's a folding knife so it will close on your fingers.

And I just get so frustrated listening to this.

Like, millions upon millions of schoolboys, children , boy scouts, ordinary people, have

used folding knives for well over a hundred years, and it's only in the last couple of years

that I've heard this nonsense start.

Now I've never been in the Scout's, but I see from the Boy Scouts of America,

that cub scouts who complete a whittling chip course earn the right to carry a pocket knife.

They're not allowed have a sheath knife or a fixed blade, they start with a pocket knife.

So I presume that The Boy Scouts of America feel that these are safer than fixed blade knives

I would say this, if you're not capable of using a knife like this without having it

folding on your fingers, you shouldn't be having any knife, that's my sincere belief.

Any tool or instrument can be dangerous.

And I mentioned myself that I had done some stupid things, in my life, and I have.

for instance I nearly cut my thumb off with a handsaw, in my younger days.

Also, would you consider this to be a dangerous tool.

Your drill.

Well I'll tell you a little story, maybe you can learn from my foolishness.

I decided to make an alcohol stove stand, from a tin can, and in my design, half way up the can, the

alcohol stove would sit on a platform, and I decided to make the platform from a tin can lid.

So in order for air to come up I needed to drill holes through it.

So I put it down on a piece of wood and I started to drill.

And I could feel it starting to move a little, and I knew I should clamp it.

But I was lazy, and I said here, I'll just press with all my force on the lid and it can't go anywhere

And I preceded to drill, just as the drill bit was penetrating the lid

it gripped it and spun it, and I ended up with fourteen stitches all around the top of my thumb

So I'm perfectly entitled to say, "guy's, ye need to stop using drills because the power

supply can fail, and anyway, you'll end up with fourteen stitches around your thumb."

Of course I'd never do that because that would make me a weak and ineffectual person.

I learned from my mistake, and I practiced proper safety in future.

I'm just saying guys any tool can be dangerous, ye need to be careful.

And as i say, if you can't use a folder, I suggest you shouldn't be using any knife.

Thanks very much for watching I hope you enjoyed it, bye bye from vinniesdayoff