I decided to delete the facebook app from my phone last week, with the intent of improving my mental health... I have found so many awesome, wholesome, and just down right educational! So damn refreshing to see positivity out weigh the negativity

Dang, this 70 year old learned something. I can remember many things over my lifetime of ‘inconvenient camping’ but this trick is ‘new’ to me or maybe I’m forgetful. I will teach this to my 5 granddaughters and let them impress their parents,my 2 daughters. You can teach an old dog a new trick, thanks.

Great video, thank you. This is one I learned as a teenager back in the 1980's. My high school ran a program where some of the students could go into the bush with some of the local (Australian) aboriginal elders and learn traditional bush-craft. The elders use the same technique for splitting rain forest vines such as lawyer cane etc. God bless my KZfaq friend.

I like the light amusement factor whist learning cool stuff. Like your positive energy as well! 💪 greetings from the Netherlands

Ahhhhhh, my daily dose of Dan. No better way to start my day. Learning, learning, learning.

I love how he laughs at himself! It cracks me up 😂😂😂

Thanks for all the tips AND for making short videos that get right to the point. This woman appreciates the style.

Great tip man. I remember Ray Mears showing something similar when he was splitting spruce roots for cordage. Glad to see this knowledge is still being shared.

Thanks, Coalcracker Bushcraft team!

I've split a lot of sticks, never knew you could recover from it going toward the side! Nice trick. Thanks for posting.

I agree with George ... I'm 73 and been a camper my whole life. And you just taught an old camper a new trick. 😊😊. Thanks Dan. God bless.

Thanks for sharing! I grew up in Missouri Ozarks, as a kid I watched neighbors and family pull oak splits for baskets and I couldn't remember how they did it. This brought back some memories and some past skills learned. I really enjoy your videos, thanks again.

The Dad jokes at the beginning are awesome, also my family....loves when I do that..😋

We do this when we are splitting our materials when making baskets, then we smooth the splits with draw knives. Good tip, almost a lost practice that was well known and applied a few hundreds years back in this country. Had a lot that needed toting back in the day, vegetables from garden, eggs from the hen house, thus they wove tatter and egg baskets, if you needed a box or a basket then you made it. Also needed for weaving a certain type of chair bottoms

Thanks Dan Coalcracker , I'll remember that. That worked great!

A skill that I never knew I never knew.

Same principle as with splitting spruce roots. Good vid, really enjoy your content.

Man! I’m learning so much on this channel, thanks Dan, the tool box that never gets full . Always room for more tools. Alan Rice.

Yessir Mr Dan is a treasure I really like this young man he reminds me of myself when I was his age but he's taught this codger alot of BC hacks God bless you Dan.

Ha! An old-timer did in fact teach me this. Good job on your explanation, bud, well done.

Thanks for the trick my Grandfather showed me this year's ago great trick.

This is the same process used in splitting Spruce roots evenly, for sewing birch bark baskets or canoe together.

I really like your crucial skill videos. No bs over useless survival skills. Nice job.

Dan, you keep me smiling!😁

Those Old Timers !

Good morning lad. You have some great skills. Have alot of wood to split today but tables saw for me.

That was counter intuitive. .. Always good information. . Thanks. .

this is why I enjoy your videos so much more than the big name individuals on youtube. you share the simple tricks from he old timers as my uncle did with me in my youth. you sir have the true gift of teaching!

Great tip Dan. Up early you are today, hope the coffee was good. I’m sure it was. Take care.

Yes sir 👍 Same goes with cordage Very good Dan

Dan great video so refreshing this day and time really appreciate

A great trick to look really good in the woods.

Simple yet effective. Thanks man.

I like your down to earth presentation style. So far these videos seem to be something anyone can do without a lot of money investeded.

I been watching a few of these videos. My grandma taught me what I ve seen so far. I had forgotten these things. I ll watch more videos. Thanks buddy

Dan keepin' the Wow in Wowak! This is great! The only other info I ever found on "steering" a split was an Englishman demonstrating how to make wooden shingles with a froe. It wasn't made clear whether you pushed the handle towards the direction you want to steer the split, or away from it. Given what Dan demonstrated with his hands, it seems most likely to push towards the desired direction. Nice tip dan, this is the sort of thing that can save a bushcraft project when using uncooperative wood!

And thanks for another great one

I had the chance to work on a birch bark canoe with penobscot friends. The split out is the way they treat their spruce root for stitching the canoe. Cool tip, thank you and merry christmas.

Nice tip. Trying it today.

Good presentation. I guess it’s because I’m old but I “discovered” this splitting technique when I was in the woods as a child. I’m glad to see it was common knowledge once. It really is handy when making snowshoes or other things with long thin parts . Are you or have you shown making strip bark cordage?

Another little nugget! Thanks again!

I will never forget this bit of knowledge. Right on man.

"Get Your Fingers In The Crack" Roger that....

Thanks Dan; another very useful bit of woodcraft from a master...Cheers.

That's absolutely genius bro. Many thanks.

Michael L. Hoel This is the same technique one uses to split out Spruce roots when making cordage. Since I'm an old woodsman it's good to know that the young can still learn from us old guys.

On bigger logs, I use a wedge. Get a piece of wood, make a long flat point on it with your knife. Then start off the split with your knife and a baton. Put in the wedge and hit that with the baton. Keeps your knife sharper and prevents breakage, gets a large bit of wood split in half with considerably less effort than banging a blade all the way down. A wedge is especially useful if you have a small knife.

I like it Dan thanks…time to “SPLIT” the scene :)

Thanks for the tools 🔧 😀 Take care and stay safe my friend !!!!

simple, easy, effective I *LIKE* it.

I really like all your tips and tricks and tools for my toolbox.

As always...great stuff. Thanks

Very cool, thanks.

Roy Underhill (The Woodwright Shop) taught me that a long time ago. He knows all of the "Old Timey" tricks. Also, the bark follows the grain. Knowing that will save you a lot of problems.

Huh... I never knew you could redirect a split like that. I figured the only way you to do that would be to make a new angled cut with an axe or a knife. Good information, man. Thank you. 👍👍

I've used this to evenly split spruce roots for cordage with great results, but I hadn't though to use it on larger material like sticks. Thanks for the heads up.

Cool and easy. Thanks. Greetings from Russian woods

This was fantastic! Simple and bushcrafty. I like it!

Great video man. I like your style and your channel 😁👍🍻

We use this in traditional birch bark canoe building to make tonnes of cordage from spruce roots. Its not just pulling more, if you find it breaks on that thin side, press into the thick side and then pull a bit harder, its a mix of both. Cool to see, i forget about things like this

Well worth refreshing and nice to get visualized. Among other places, it's mentioned in volume one of the Foxfire books, where "White Oak Splits" are used for basket weaving and chair seats.

Outstanding job. Glad I watched this

i'm 68 and never heard of this trick...thanks for the info....as usual your videos are excellent and informative....my thanks for your excellent insight

I can't wait to try that!

You are really well skilled! And I your humor and sensibility.

I had seen this concept already while splitting conniferous roots to make cordage out of, but it was awesome to see this done with branches as well. A good refresher.

I love those bushcraft tips. Thanks

Learned this approach with making gigs for catching frogs along creeks in the woods....... also good skill for creating all kinds of tools when out with no additional tools..... make what is needed... I like it!

Another great bit of info!!! Thanks for another great video brother. Stay warm

That's a handy skill to know. Thanks for sharing the tips!

Smartness pays off! ;D

Awsome. Thank you Dan. Cheers from Oregon.

Subscribed on the strength of that tip. Brilliant!

Ray Mears showed this trick years ago with spruce root.

Love the vids buddy

Really nice little trick! Thanks a lot for sharing it.

This is how we split bamboo into very thin and long pieces/panels, regardless of how long the pole is. Same technique is also used when we have to make strings from tender bamboo to tie bunches of paddy, or other things. The blade just sort of helps in initiating the cut. Rest of the work is about how you use your hands. So one could just use a sharp stone to make the initial split and then the hand splitting takes over.

I'll leave a comment, but then I have to split.

Hi I just got introduced to you from James Townsend Channel, and I must say you are so clear and precise! Thank you! Making my life easier in the Woods🌲

Really like the knife design from the thumbnail

Now that is something I didn’t know before. Thank you.

Good info saw this once on the woodwrights shop.thanks for the reminder.

Cool beans! Always something new to learn !!

Worthy knowledge. You are redeemable.

Just think about how much of these tricks primitive man came up with when everyone was doing this every day. Ever wonder how many tricks were lost due to modernizing civilization.

Dan, you are a master!

Awesome!! Thx Dan!

Simple but effective, nice video

That's the coolest trick I've ever seen! Thanks.

Thanks for sharing 👍

Thanks an; another very useful bit of woodcraft from a master...Cheers.

Thanks - Now I can say I learned it from an old timer, too. LOL I'm probably 15 years older than you. Great channel and you've got a great personality. Cheers

This has frustrated me for a long time. You gave me a good tip. Thanks!

You are a good teacher👍 Subscribed.

Thanks for the Video

Good to know. Thanks!

thank you for posting have a good Christmas 🦌🦌🦌🎅

I knew that trick as a kid, learning by making tree forts in the forest... I just didn't know people made vids about it 😂🍻

Hey, I learned this myself!

Thanks for sharing