{"id":144459,"date":"2025-10-12T08:46:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T13:46:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=144459"},"modified":"2025-10-12T07:11:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T12:11:09","slug":"how-to-fell-a-tree-with-a-knife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/skills\/outdoor-survival\/how-to-fell-a-tree-with-a-knife\/","title":{"rendered":"Skill of the Week: Fell a Tree With a Knife"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world \u2014 having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire<\/a>, to handle any situation you find yourself in. With that in mind, each Sunday we\u2019ll be republishing one of the illustrated guides from our archives, so you can hone your manly know-how week by week.<\/em><\/p>\n

In a wilderness survival situation, you may need to cut down a small tree. Maybe you need to make a debris shelter and need a long ridge pole to get it started. Or maybe you need some logs for creating a parallel fire lay (one of the 6 fire lays every man should know<\/a>).<\/p>\n

But what do you do if you don’t have an ax or a hatchet?<\/p>\n

Well, as long as you have a solid survival knife<\/a> on you, you can still fell a small tree.<\/p>\n

You want to use a knife that’s sturdy and isn’t hollow ground. A simple mora knife is ideal for this job. It can take a beating.<\/p>\n

You’ll need to find a sturdy stick too. Then, by pounding the back of the knife with it, you can cut small wedges out around the tree until its structure is sufficiently compromised for you to push it over. <\/p>\n

This technique takes some time and sweat, but it works if you need to fell a tree<\/a> in a pinch.<\/p>\n

Like this illustrated guide? Then you\u2019re going to love our book The Illustrated Art of Manliness<\/em><\/a>! Pick up a copy on Amazon<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An important part of manhood has always been about having the competence to be effective in the world \u2014 having the breadth of skills, the savoir-faire, to handle any situation you find yourself in. 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