A new axe

[calmloki]

I still use my great grandpa's axe. Been through two heads and three handles, but it still works well.

Long as you kept the handle wedges...

 

[brewer12345]

I guess I am just a sick person. I do love the quick cutting feeling of easy cutting wood. But...there is just something that gets me going of an ornery piece of knotted wood that's hard to cut. I will just keep smacking away until that sucker gives up. Sweating is very much involved.....and swearing....

By the time I resort to the chainsaw, I have tried everything several times with the splitting axe, sledge hammer, etc.

 

[Walt34]

For $281 I could rent a splitter a long time, for the tough stuff.
MRG

That's what I was thinking. It's half the price of a low-end splitter and the splitter is a lot less work.

My wood-splitting days are over. Liked the fire but not the work. Now I flip a switch for the gas fireplace.

 

[F4mandolin]

By the time I resort to the chainsaw, I have tried everything several times with the splitting axe, sledge hammer, etc.

I don't have a chainsaw......I just keep beating on the wood until it cries "momma" and finally gives up. I didn't say I was smart......but I'm a terror when you get me going.....

 

[martyb]

My axe is a 94 strat.

Martin HD-28.

 

[martyb]

Looks interesting. I'd give it a try. I've used a maul for years, though.

 

[Donzo]

I heat my house close to 100% with wood - sometimes my wife hits the propane central heating...but not often, only during real cold snaps here (12-15 degrees)

I kind of cheat when cutting wood -if it is good to go/fit in my woodstove it is 18". If I have to split it - I cut it to 12" logs and it's much easier to split. I use an axe, 2 or even 3 wedges and a large sledge to split the wood. Who needs a gym when storing up wood?

 

[F4mandolin]

Martin HD-28.

Mann.......5 string electric mando. That.....and the 1924 Gibson F4 mando. Now if I would only practice more.....

 

[veremchuka]

I saw a video about this ax, I didn't click the link in this thread. From what I saw in that video he's splitting white birch, probably fozen too, you could throw it against a tree to split it so I don't consider that to be indicative of anything. I'd like to see him split yellow birch with that! Hickory and be very stringy and some oak is difficult. Anything with knots is going to be hard. A straight grained wood like white birch, ash and maple (without knots, maple with knots is hard) is so easy to split you could use a pocket knife and a carpenter's hammer! I've heated with wood for over 20 years and split a lot of wood. I use a 6 pound splitting ax and an 8 pound sledge hammer. That ax would be great (if you want to spend a small fortune) if you were just working with straight grained wood but when you get mixed hardwoods there's a lot of everything in it and usually the butt ends and scrap that is useless for lumber.

 

[Mr. Paul]

Stupid question - but if you are using a stove (not a fireplace), why even split the wood? From what I've seen of stoves, they get so hot internally they burn everything, I don't think you need that surface area to 'catch' like you do in an open fireplace.

I've read that they split it to help it dry faster. Isn't a whole log pretty dry after a season or two? Unless you don't have the space, why not just keep a rotating supply of 2-3 years worth of logs?

Or just split in half - I'll bet that is the most important with steep diminishing returns for each additional split (which increases exponentially in number of splits, though the effort is somewhat less with each split).

-ERD50

The new high efficiency stoves do not like burning wood that is not well dried. Creosote buildup and trouble getting a good clean fire with limited air intake are the main reasons. A log really doesn't start to dry to desired levels unless it is split. I can season split pine here in 6 months but we have dry air, lots of sun and high winds.
In other climates it is not unusual to hear of oak that has been split for two years still not being optimally dry.

Oh and my axe is a Goodall THR000

 

[Mr. Paul]

I use my splitting axe for odds and ends but for the 4 - 5 cords I burn every year there's a 27 Ton splitter in regular use that wins the battle every single time

 

[Snowcat]

Wooding season is among us. DH collects, makes rounds and splits about 4-6 cords a year. I do all the stacking. We have up to 8 cords in various stages at the end of wooding season. He makes sure there is enough wood to keep the house far too hot. He uses a big maul for splitting. He gets into it. I believe he actually enjoys the whole process. He makes it look really easy. So for the time being no renting/buying a splitter.

 

[braumeister]

Wood in our fireplace insert probably gives about 5% of our winter heat, so it's not a big deal.
Still, I bought an electric splitter from Home Depot a couple of years ago and I'm really happy with it.

 

[heeyy_joe]

Got this old chopper 1 axe from my dad, a half century ago. Works fine on pine but a joke on oak...

I used one of these in the 80's, wood was only source of heat for seven years. It is a wonder flying wedge axe, but larger diameter logs require striking well off center to split off flanks before a center strike is effective, Grab one of these if you can it was the best axe I ever used.
Beautiful Vintage Chopper 1 USA Splitting Maul Axe Firewood Tool Very Nice | eBay

 

[ajs56]

My axe is a 94 strat.

'88 Strat here. Also Taylor 314CE and Takamine dread.

 

[ajs56]

I wouldn't mind trying one of these, but the cost is a bit high. And it sure sounds like he has really really dry wood which always makes splitting easier.

Vipukirves by Heikki Kärnä: A new and improved ax that makes chopping wood less of a chore.

I agre on the price, and also that the video looks like he is splitting easy wood, maybe frozen? it looks TOO easy.

I use a maul and save the tough or knotty stuff for an annual one day splitter rental.

 

[sanfanciscotreat]

That splitter looks horrible. Watching the twisted off center angle of the head as the tool is brought down just makes my wrists hurt.

Oak splits really nicely when green, unlike pine or fir. After oak is dry it's a bugger.

I agree; oak splits easiest right after you cut the tree. I have tried to split some old dry oak with much difficulty.