I've batoned a lot of Ash and Oak, and both of those are pretty danged hard.

That´s true. I would and will not force a knife through a knot. As you say even for an axe it is too much.

It's funny, I have batonned with a knife and it works fine IF it is applied correctly. I also baton with a hatchet if I am splitting wood for my small fire pit on my patio. A small maul or dead hit rubber mallet and a hatchet will easily split kindling in a much more controllable manner than regular or long side splitting, and the hatchet wont bury itself in the concrete.

Never seen the need to baton wood with a knife. I always believe in the right tool for the job. Using a knife in this manner, certainly does not apply to that believe.

Not sure if "stupid" is the right word, but batoning is definitely not necessary to build a nice roaring fire - A technique looking for a plausible application..

If you have the right knife it is the right tool for the job of wood processing. That's the beauty of a knife- it can do a wide variety of tasks whereas an ax is pretty much a one trick pony.

Bingo! Would not do it with a small knife (blade length under 5 inches). But with a bigger knife (7 or more inches blade) no problem.