My Scrapper5 LE has batoned through about a Cord of mesquite and 50+ LBS of Desert Ironwood Heartwood. The only Problem is when I try to baton through wood with Too large a diameter in comparison to the size of the Scrapper's blade. I don't think holding/keeping the knife in a specific way should affect it as long as It's a Scrapyard, Busse, or Swamprat. I once had to use a Maul to get my Scrapper out of a Piece of Mesquite root. The maul suffered more than the Scrapper.