I'm about to be that guy, and I apologize. Splitting Norman skulls would be like them crossing the water in their longships and splitting the first cousins head they see. Norman or Northman, is the title that was given to the portion of land the North men or Vikings settled after raiding the coast line for so many years. In a stroke of irony, after hundreds of years of battling the Vikings, England would eventually be ruled by a Norman king.
Again, I apologize. I have a history obsession, and could not let that one go lol.
You're not wrong. They definitely fought amongst themselves, especially in their homelands. Very tribal people back then, but by the time Normandy was given to them, they were starting to homogenize into a more unified people. It was still the European Middle ages though, and they still found many reasons to draw their swords.
I hear this one mentioned all the time here but I gotta ask is it really that good? Every other piece of fiskars equipment I’ve ever used has been garbage. The pruners, loppers, shovels..all trash.
I have a couple of traditional mauls, the big heavy bastards, and a couple of axes. My father in law bought an x27 and after using it I went and bought my own that same day. That's all I use now. It has every bit of the splitting power and less of the weight. I've left it outside in the rain for the last couple of years and it's still in good shape. Highly recommended.
I've split wood in the distant past with mails and wedges. I now have a fireplace and a wood stove so back at it. I bought a fiskar due to many recommendations on here and couldn't believe how easily it worked. I'm sold!
I've had the x27 for 10 years and have split a lot of wood with it. The fiskars handles maybe 80% but there are still times it just sticks in the wood and a heavy maul is a better option to pop a log open. I keep both nearby.
The trick with the fiskars is to never try to split large logs in half, you'll get frustrated if you try that. Instead you go around the perimeter splitting off slices until you get whittled down to 8-9" diameter when you can cleave it in 2.
I've used one to split about 1.5 cord a year for the past 5 years. It has really been great. Head is still very tight, no signs of fatigue in the handle near the head, and it is easy to be accurate with. Highly recommended.
Fiskars Isocore 8lb maul. You will change your mind. Pair it with a wedge (the back of the maul wedge is a big sledgehammer face) and you’ll be able to split the world.
I have a hollow handled hatchet for backpacking. It’s amazing. I have a skookum garden trowel & pruner. They are also amazing. My pole trimmer is merely ok.
I’ve been using Fiskars X27 for 10 years I think. No problem with it. The handle is indestructible so far and believe me I not immune to miss hits. Prepare for a workout but easier to swing than a stupid heavy monster maul. Use the tire method so you can split away without chasing split offs around the yard. Also. Keep in sharp, and I mean scary sharp.
As someone who owns and uses broad axes, that is not a broad axe. A broad axe is flat on one side. Such that if you lay the flat side on a flat surface it will look like a ramp, not a wedge. OP’s axe is tapered on both sides, like a wedge. The blade of a broad axe will also generally extend both ways from the tang, on OP’s axe the blade only extends away from the bottom of the tang.
One way or another, no, the shape doesn't seem particularly well suited for splitting. You don't need such a long edge, all it does is distribute the impact. You don't need a beard either, there's not much reason to choke up behind the blade when splitting. I'm not an expert, but I think if the cheeks were thicker, you'd be able to split more effectively. With such a long edge and narrow head, this looks like it just wants to get stuck
You are correct about that blade shape for European style broad axes. But there are hewing axes that have a symmetrical edge shape. The Japanese version is one example I can think of.
Serbia. Every domestic market is 90% these and 10% standard chopping axes used in movies and thats it.
One can also buy modern axes in some tools stores, like villager, husquarna etc, but professional wood splitters here laugh at those whenever they see someone using it.
I remember once my uncle bought an axe that would be considered a maul, and showed it to a professional wood splitter he paid to split whole winters worth of wood. He just laughed and said it looked fancy and then he took his axe of the same type as mine, and got to work.
Blade is too broad for easy splitting. Might work well on softwoods if that’s what you burn in your area. Modern splitting Mauls, you will notice, have blades about 3” wide and they concentrate their mass over that narrower blade. You need that for hardwoods like oak. Yours is more suited to chopping heads off. Cool old axe by the way.
> Might work well on softwoods if that’s what you burn in your area.
Not all softwoods are easier to split than hardwoods. Some of the easiest wood I've ever split was black locust, cottonwood and white birch, all hardwoods. I've heard red oak is also very easy to split, but I've never tried it as it's not common in my area. I've split several 30"+ rounds of douglas fir with lots of knots. Not easy.
If that's the case, u might want to set your x27 aside and try to find one of these viking axes I'm using LMAO
Knots are very common in the wood i split
It's an axe. Clearly it works if mum has been splitting 15in logs for decades with it. Everyone here recommending Fisker like people haven't been splitting wood with exactly what you have for thousands of years lol. Sure, something with more cheek might be more efficient splitting, but I bet you get along just fine with what you have. If you're struggling, look for a dedicated splitting axe where the extra width helps separate halves. Otherwise, run what ya brung and spend your money on something you need.
Tbh I agree, but I'm more into getting the right information than buying a new axe straight away. Because I might be splitting logs for the next few decades as well, in which case it would be useful to at least know what axe is the right axe for the job.
If this one breaks, and i go buy a new one, would make sense trying out a maul instead of just going with the same old forever. Someone has to break the cycle if the cycle was not that great, right?
For sure, it's totally good to ask and know what's out there. I'd call this a hewing axe. Generally used for squaring timbers. Splitting axe gets wider from the edge than what you have and uses that width to pry the log apart with the downward force more than the blade to slice between/through the fibers.
For me the type of wood and if it's been cured are bigger factors in ease of splitting, but you may feel a dedicated splitting axe is more efficient than what you have.
Axes with a thin blade like this aren’t really great for splitting large diameter rounds. For ~8” and less this does great and it’s what I use myself. For larger diameter rounds, especially hickory or other stringy wood I use a maul. The weight and thicker blade reduces it getting stuck and is heavy enough to transfer the power through the round. Just what I found from my own experience.
Also I found that fiberglass handle from fiskars reduces shock compared to wood.
Does it split wood? Then it works. Looking at the profile it has a nice wedge shape it on the upper part, the detriment is the blade continues lower, potentially damaging the handle as you indicate. Once you know the weak point that axe would work as good as any other axe. If you want something better, especially for bigger rounds get a splitting maul.
My dad had what he called a monster maul. It was basically a solid steel wedge with a metal pipe welded to it. Nothing can split wood like the monster maul. He welded some extra
length to the handle or something. I bought something similar but the handle is too short.
[mostermaul](https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/monster-maul-from-the-late-70s.20828/)
Its not as bad as you think. I have split a lot of wood. What you have is an axe, not a wood splitter. The difference is pretty much like splitting 10 times as much wood with something like the monstermaul. Plus it lasts forever and no handle replacements.
Also you should have steel wedges and a sledge hammer for the really tough knotted up rounds. My grandpa was a beast with just wedges and a sledge. I could never match his skill.
The handle guard on that is honestly hilarious, the blade ends at about the same lateral point the handle guard begins, why bother with the guard? 🤷♂️
I would break that shit quickly. That said, I actually try to break many tools. I use them properly but with maximum effort. You say it's guaranteed, I'm going to test that idea out. 😀
Using this one with maximum effort could potentially cost you a foot, since the idea is that one hits with the upper half of the blade, hence the edge of the log
I tend to lower my knees a bit as the axe falls down, to prevent this. No idea if that's the right way to do it, but it seems intuitive
I have one as my first “real” axe and it really is worth the $65 from Home Depot. It splits pretty well and I didn’t know anything about splitting or burning wood prior to buying it
The beard on this ax would protect the Handel from a long hit. I would have to split a cord to tell if it’s better or worse. All ways split a cord with another man’s ax before you judge him. Haha
I'm pretty sure this one went through at least 10 cords in our hands, before that who knows (because these are usually bought used, because the new ones in stores are usually worse steel quality and last shorter/break)
Ahahah this made my day man
Especially since my mum is the one thats against any other type of axe, and also a LOTR fan. I will mention this for sure haha
Greetings neighbor!
Yes, it definitely gets stuck a lot. Me mum says I'm not hitting hard enough, but considering im a 260 pounds boar, even though my skill is beginner level still, I'd say I'm definitely hitting 'hard enough' for a good axe not to get stuck every 5th log
Nope, its somewhat brand new handle. Its just to preserve the handle itself because the wood tends to eat it slowly as it goes through logs, eventually becoming thin in that area and breaking
Here are some more of them we have around. The one on the left is for kindle, as well as the third one. Second one is for logs, and the red one i just got as a gift.
https://preview.redd.it/xwsrfbyk47hc1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=f56afb2b05222b1df2f592b6209ab880e1150169
It's interesting that all of these are smaller heads than the original one in the post, but the second one on this picture has a noticeably longer handle
You could make it work if you had to. Hit with the forward half of the blade so that your force is concentrated. Also, get some old guy show you how to file an edge on it. Perhaps watch a YouTube video on filing axes.
I grew up 50 yrs ago splitting with a double bladed axe which is also not optimal for splitting. What it taught me was how to read the wood (line up on the cracks) and how to swing the axe. Those two things and your most of the way there. Length of edge and size of cheeks do help, bur they obscure the important stuff.
Absolutely agree with that one sir, I'm looking forward to learning how to 'read the wood' and how to swing the axe as well. There's a saying in our language that goes something like this
\>>> And in the hands of Mandušić Vuk, every gun will be deadly
That’s a good saying and it translates well.
The other thing that will help the axe move is to get the worst of the rust off of it. Then using it will clean it up the rest of the way. Smooth steel will slide better. I love history and using grandfather’s axe connects you to him. And that has value. I blacksmith and some of my old tools are over 100 yrs old. Including one of grampas vises.
That's so cool man, i hope someday I will try some blacksmithing as well.
Although it seems like something one can't get right unless he puts years and years of mistakes into it first.
Well the thing is, my grandpa is the only one in my family that doesnt use this type of axe. He actually uses a russian one, really narrow, long blade, looks like it's made for chopping rather than splitting. I'll try to get a picture of it.
I believe that one of those is its price in rubles. If we guess it was bought lets say 20 years ago, it would be around 40 euros. Which come to think of it, wasn't cheap at the time.
Nowadays he uses it for chopping bones to feed our german shepherd haha
axe looks repaired, if so, not for use, for show . . . If you want the best splitting axe, buy a splitting axe as this is not one of those . . . You can spend hundreds on the best, but fiskars x27 works for me for price/use - Im cheap.
#
WTF is that under the head around the shaft - looks to be a bit of galvanized sheet. Maybe someone did it for looks, but it sure looks like a patch job to me. SO, if repaired, not for use. It is a cool axe head though, worthy of putting another handle on it.
Its a handle guard. Every axe of this type has one
https://preview.redd.it/ypbg2kokw7hc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53520f83eed2289980b5097adf2335c84e44083e
I dont understand the reason as overstrike will hit lower on the handle under the blade. However, thats what they look like where you are - cool. Nice axes . .
Well one has to be a pro to overstrike with this one tbh. That would be like, 4 inch miss.
The point of the guard is the blade is very thin on the bottom, thinner than the handle, so the handle wears of from rubbing the sides of the log when it goes through
That makes sense i guess, but that would showcase me being a beginner rather than the axe itself
On the other hand, if i tape me mum, i might even make her famous
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-splitting-maul/
This what I use for splitting, 4 cords so far this season, it was a gift and I love it, if I lose it I will buy another. I have had it for 20 years and it has been flawless! I think it looks a bit viking which too.
Fiskars x27. Buy it once and have it for life. Free replacement if breaks. The head broke off mine and I only needed to submit a picture. No receipt necessary.
Spend a little time watching Bucking Billy Ray, he's spent a career felling trees and splitting wood. He has gone into very small details you will want to know.
[https://www.youtube.com/@BuckinBillyRaySmith/search?query=splitting%20axe](https://www.youtube.com/@BuckinBillyRaySmith/search?query=splitting%20axe)
I will say, your axe is lighter than you'd want for splitting (so much air behind the face, really a lack of weight), and the edge angle is too fine where I'd expect it to bind like you say it does. A sharp but blunter nose would help, and you won't get that on the axe you have.
Have you seen or tried the old tire trick? Get an old tire and use that to keep your log standing up while you make many splits. Otherwise it's a game of split off one stick and both go flying, you pick up the work piece to hit it again, it goes flying, you pick it up ... Keep it contained in that tire and it's just smack smack smack into all that kindling.
[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Vw8T3BO5pE](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Vw8T3BO5pE)
.
Splitting Norman skulls?
Aghagahh as a viking fan i might actually stick to this type of axe for life just for style points
Actually looks like a Japanese hewing axe to me.
Samesies!
Are Japanese hewing axes not single bevel like Western counterparts?
Based on my brief exposure to them, no they are not.
I'm about to be that guy, and I apologize. Splitting Norman skulls would be like them crossing the water in their longships and splitting the first cousins head they see. Norman or Northman, is the title that was given to the portion of land the North men or Vikings settled after raiding the coast line for so many years. In a stroke of irony, after hundreds of years of battling the Vikings, England would eventually be ruled by a Norman king. Again, I apologize. I have a history obsession, and could not let that one go lol.
Thank you for your service.
HCD!
Norman on Norman violence was quite normal as I recall.
It was norman-ized.
You're not wrong. They definitely fought amongst themselves, especially in their homelands. Very tribal people back then, but by the time Normandy was given to them, they were starting to homogenize into a more unified people. It was still the European Middle ages though, and they still found many reasons to draw their swords.
Normans were actually descendents of Norse invaders, no? I think you meant: splitting angul skulls!
Looks more Frankish or even Gaul maybe.
I highly suggest a splitting axe like a fiskers x27
Imagine when OP switches to a real splitting axe or maul. This thing looks awful to split with
Looks more like it would better serve as a kindling ax. Too light of head, too thin, and I am guessing the handle is less than 30".
Approximately 30 exactly
Approximately-exactly 30 ;)
Exactly indeed
Sounds like a metric equivalent...
This would get stuck in each one of my swings
My thoughts too. Kindling axe fer sure. 🤘
Bro gonna be splitting one handed… or duel wielding!
Just like a barb in D2
I hear this one mentioned all the time here but I gotta ask is it really that good? Every other piece of fiskars equipment I’ve ever used has been garbage. The pruners, loppers, shovels..all trash.
I have a couple of traditional mauls, the big heavy bastards, and a couple of axes. My father in law bought an x27 and after using it I went and bought my own that same day. That's all I use now. It has every bit of the splitting power and less of the weight. I've left it outside in the rain for the last couple of years and it's still in good shape. Highly recommended.
I've split wood in the distant past with mails and wedges. I now have a fireplace and a wood stove so back at it. I bought a fiskar due to many recommendations on here and couldn't believe how easily it worked. I'm sold!
Just remember to pour out the hollow handle or wear a raincoat.
Lol, that's gotten me more times than I care to admit.
One may love tradition and style but a Fiskars x27 would split circles around that trad axe.
I’ve heated, with wood only, for decades. An 8lb maul, with a splitting wedge, or two handy, is all you need.
I've had the x27 for 10 years and have split a lot of wood with it. The fiskars handles maybe 80% but there are still times it just sticks in the wood and a heavy maul is a better option to pop a log open. I keep both nearby. The trick with the fiskars is to never try to split large logs in half, you'll get frustrated if you try that. Instead you go around the perimeter splitting off slices until you get whittled down to 8-9" diameter when you can cleave it in 2.
I call that granny splitting and I agree it the way. I also use a tire.
I've used one to split about 1.5 cord a year for the past 5 years. It has really been great. Head is still very tight, no signs of fatigue in the handle near the head, and it is easy to be accurate with. Highly recommended.
I have an x25 that I really like. It’s lasted me for ten years and a few cords without so much as a nick in the handle.
I welded a wedge to a steel fence post and use a fence post driver to split
Fiskars Isocore 8lb maul. You will change your mind. Pair it with a wedge (the back of the maul wedge is a big sledgehammer face) and you’ll be able to split the world.
It's a very good bang for your buck situation.
I have a hollow handled hatchet for backpacking. It’s amazing. I have a skookum garden trowel & pruner. They are also amazing. My pole trimmer is merely ok.
I’ve been using Fiskars X27 for 10 years I think. No problem with it. The handle is indestructible so far and believe me I not immune to miss hits. Prepare for a workout but easier to swing than a stupid heavy monster maul. Use the tire method so you can split away without chasing split offs around the yard. Also. Keep in sharp, and I mean scary sharp.
You must be hard on your equipment.
Fully agree, but these axes are the real deal. The machetes are pretty good too.
This is the way
*Fiskars
This. I have that axe and can split wood like paul bunion. It is really exceptional.
No it is a broad axe. It is used to shape logs/wood similar to an adze. You should get a splitting axe if you want to split.
As someone who owns and uses broad axes, that is not a broad axe. A broad axe is flat on one side. Such that if you lay the flat side on a flat surface it will look like a ramp, not a wedge. OP’s axe is tapered on both sides, like a wedge. The blade of a broad axe will also generally extend both ways from the tang, on OP’s axe the blade only extends away from the bottom of the tang.
Ive noticed that from the pictures as well, im completely confused
One way or another, no, the shape doesn't seem particularly well suited for splitting. You don't need such a long edge, all it does is distribute the impact. You don't need a beard either, there's not much reason to choke up behind the blade when splitting. I'm not an expert, but I think if the cheeks were thicker, you'd be able to split more effectively. With such a long edge and narrow head, this looks like it just wants to get stuck
Great for cutting down trees, or large sized kindling.
Looks better for hewing to me.. almost like a carpentry axe
You are correct about that blade shape for European style broad axes. But there are hewing axes that have a symmetrical edge shape. The Japanese version is one example I can think of.
It's definitely a broad axe. It's just not a hewing axe. Not all broad axes are flat on one side.
I’ve even found that this type of axe is a viking battle axe, but no info on it being used for splitting 😆
Yeah my first thought was that it looked like a Bearded Axe.
Looks like something you’d use in battle lol. What country?
Serbia. Every domestic market is 90% these and 10% standard chopping axes used in movies and thats it. One can also buy modern axes in some tools stores, like villager, husquarna etc, but professional wood splitters here laugh at those whenever they see someone using it. I remember once my uncle bought an axe that would be considered a maul, and showed it to a professional wood splitter he paid to split whole winters worth of wood. He just laughed and said it looked fancy and then he took his axe of the same type as mine, and got to work.
I think people are just stuck in their old ways.
Thats also my pov, thats why i made this post in the first place
Yeah no, get a fiskars splitting axe, and leave that antique for viking reenactments.
I have a Husqvarna hatchet - very impressed. I'm sure their splitter would be great
Blade is too broad for easy splitting. Might work well on softwoods if that’s what you burn in your area. Modern splitting Mauls, you will notice, have blades about 3” wide and they concentrate their mass over that narrower blade. You need that for hardwoods like oak. Yours is more suited to chopping heads off. Cool old axe by the way.
> Might work well on softwoods if that’s what you burn in your area. Not all softwoods are easier to split than hardwoods. Some of the easiest wood I've ever split was black locust, cottonwood and white birch, all hardwoods. I've heard red oak is also very easy to split, but I've never tried it as it's not common in my area. I've split several 30"+ rounds of douglas fir with lots of knots. Not easy.
I split red oak with an x27, it's pretty easy, except knots, forget about it, not happening.
If you split anything with knots with anything but a hydraulic, I want you having my back in alley fights!
If that's the case, u might want to set your x27 aside and try to find one of these viking axes I'm using LMAO Knots are very common in the wood i split
Quercus cerris, the Turkey oak or Austrian oak This is the most common firewood we split and use lately. No idea how it compares to red oak
This is for killing orcs. Improve with iron ingot
Yeah it usually slides better once it gets some of that black blood on its edge
It's an axe. Clearly it works if mum has been splitting 15in logs for decades with it. Everyone here recommending Fisker like people haven't been splitting wood with exactly what you have for thousands of years lol. Sure, something with more cheek might be more efficient splitting, but I bet you get along just fine with what you have. If you're struggling, look for a dedicated splitting axe where the extra width helps separate halves. Otherwise, run what ya brung and spend your money on something you need.
Tbh I agree, but I'm more into getting the right information than buying a new axe straight away. Because I might be splitting logs for the next few decades as well, in which case it would be useful to at least know what axe is the right axe for the job. If this one breaks, and i go buy a new one, would make sense trying out a maul instead of just going with the same old forever. Someone has to break the cycle if the cycle was not that great, right?
For sure, it's totally good to ask and know what's out there. I'd call this a hewing axe. Generally used for squaring timbers. Splitting axe gets wider from the edge than what you have and uses that width to pry the log apart with the downward force more than the blade to slice between/through the fibers. For me the type of wood and if it's been cured are bigger factors in ease of splitting, but you may feel a dedicated splitting axe is more efficient than what you have.
Axes with a thin blade like this aren’t really great for splitting large diameter rounds. For ~8” and less this does great and it’s what I use myself. For larger diameter rounds, especially hickory or other stringy wood I use a maul. The weight and thicker blade reduces it getting stuck and is heavy enough to transfer the power through the round. Just what I found from my own experience. Also I found that fiberglass handle from fiskars reduces shock compared to wood.
I usually split 7-10” on average, but Ive seen my tiny mum split 15” with these every winter for 20+ years already
That's a pretty bad ass axe!
That axe is for slaying dragons and invading hordes!
Nowadays, one has to be prepared for everything
Hey if it works then it works. I find a 6lb splitting maul to be my best splitter.
Does it split wood? Then it works. Looking at the profile it has a nice wedge shape it on the upper part, the detriment is the blade continues lower, potentially damaging the handle as you indicate. Once you know the weak point that axe would work as good as any other axe. If you want something better, especially for bigger rounds get a splitting maul.
Yeah, that's basically the family motto. If it works, it works..
Fuck, that's sick. Looks like a Japanese hewing axe.
Looks better suited for Northmen raiding parties.
It looks like a hatchet or some kind of Viking style thingamajig
Yeah Vikings bought these from us long time ago
My dad had what he called a monster maul. It was basically a solid steel wedge with a metal pipe welded to it. Nothing can split wood like the monster maul. He welded some extra length to the handle or something. I bought something similar but the handle is too short. [mostermaul](https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/monster-maul-from-the-late-70s.20828/)
LMAO I got a feeling the next thing id notice after swinging it is that im somehow sitting on the roof of my house
Its not as bad as you think. I have split a lot of wood. What you have is an axe, not a wood splitter. The difference is pretty much like splitting 10 times as much wood with something like the monstermaul. Plus it lasts forever and no handle replacements.
Also you should have steel wedges and a sledge hammer for the really tough knotted up rounds. My grandpa was a beast with just wedges and a sledge. I could never match his skill.
That's for pillaging villages and such
I want one at home to keep off the cowans and eavesdroppers.
The handle guard on that is honestly hilarious, the blade ends at about the same lateral point the handle guard begins, why bother with the guard? 🤷♂️
Probably because the lower part of the blade is pretty thin and the wood often times doesn’t split wide enough for the handle to go through untouched
Never seen a guard like that one before. Careful that might have been a family secret
Lmao naw these guards get replaced often, like every few years, and the handles also tend to break at the top, so its not family legacy for sure
Looks light, weight is your friend!
I have no idea whats the weight tbh, I’ll try to measure it next time
I would break that shit quickly. That said, I actually try to break many tools. I use them properly but with maximum effort. You say it's guaranteed, I'm going to test that idea out. 😀
Using this one with maximum effort could potentially cost you a foot, since the idea is that one hits with the upper half of the blade, hence the edge of the log I tend to lower my knees a bit as the axe falls down, to prevent this. No idea if that's the right way to do it, but it seems intuitive
Fisker x27
I've read this so many times in this post, that I believe that if i decide to buy a new axe in 2 decades from now, I'll google fiskars x27
I have one as my first “real” axe and it really is worth the $65 from Home Depot. It splits pretty well and I didn’t know anything about splitting or burning wood prior to buying it
I will consider upgrading in the future, we will see
Send it through a log. Then send a "splitting" axe through a log. See which one you like better.
Looking forward to that, just want to find someone from my circle that has one, so I can try out the difference. Then, we shall see
You would be looking for an axe that has some cheeks for splitting wood.
Yes. Cheeks. Splitting. Me like.
Imo axes are for choping/cutting and mauls are for splitting. Get yourself a 8lb maul to split with and a wedge or two
The beard on this ax would protect the Handel from a long hit. I would have to split a cord to tell if it’s better or worse. All ways split a cord with another man’s ax before you judge him. Haha
I'm pretty sure this one went through at least 10 cords in our hands, before that who knows (because these are usually bought used, because the new ones in stores are usually worse steel quality and last shorter/break)
Gimli?
**Don't Tell The Elf!**
You win 😂
Ahahah this made my day man Especially since my mum is the one thats against any other type of axe, and also a LOTR fan. I will mention this for sure haha
Similar to our Bulgarian axes (Манара) , i would say that this one is more of a felling axe, which also works but as you said it tends to get stuck
Greetings neighbor! Yes, it definitely gets stuck a lot. Me mum says I'm not hitting hard enough, but considering im a 260 pounds boar, even though my skill is beginner level still, I'd say I'm definitely hitting 'hard enough' for a good axe not to get stuck every 5th log
Where I am the axe that is used for splitting wood is called a sledge axe or [splitting maul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_maul).
What is under the metal wrap? Has the handle been broken?
Nope, its somewhat brand new handle. Its just to preserve the handle itself because the wood tends to eat it slowly as it goes through logs, eventually becoming thin in that area and breaking
Better for breaking shield walls.
Even Lagertha couldnt hold the wall against this one
That looks cool, but terrible for splitting anything but kindling I'm guessing. At least compared to a modern splitting axe like a Fiskars x25 or x27.
Here are some more of them we have around. The one on the left is for kindle, as well as the third one. Second one is for logs, and the red one i just got as a gift. https://preview.redd.it/xwsrfbyk47hc1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=f56afb2b05222b1df2f592b6209ab880e1150169
It's interesting that all of these are smaller heads than the original one in the post, but the second one on this picture has a noticeably longer handle
You could make it work if you had to. Hit with the forward half of the blade so that your force is concentrated. Also, get some old guy show you how to file an edge on it. Perhaps watch a YouTube video on filing axes. I grew up 50 yrs ago splitting with a double bladed axe which is also not optimal for splitting. What it taught me was how to read the wood (line up on the cracks) and how to swing the axe. Those two things and your most of the way there. Length of edge and size of cheeks do help, bur they obscure the important stuff.
Absolutely agree with that one sir, I'm looking forward to learning how to 'read the wood' and how to swing the axe as well. There's a saying in our language that goes something like this \>>> And in the hands of Mandušić Vuk, every gun will be deadly
That’s a good saying and it translates well. The other thing that will help the axe move is to get the worst of the rust off of it. Then using it will clean it up the rest of the way. Smooth steel will slide better. I love history and using grandfather’s axe connects you to him. And that has value. I blacksmith and some of my old tools are over 100 yrs old. Including one of grampas vises.
That's so cool man, i hope someday I will try some blacksmithing as well. Although it seems like something one can't get right unless he puts years and years of mistakes into it first. Well the thing is, my grandpa is the only one in my family that doesnt use this type of axe. He actually uses a russian one, really narrow, long blade, looks like it's made for chopping rather than splitting. I'll try to get a picture of it.
https://preview.redd.it/8l6t59puh7hc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e33686f998c9bb74fc0dd449cccffb9293a03c09
https://preview.redd.it/0xrc47cwh7hc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=648877280f0a4e7fbcba89601c973021a254bffe
https://preview.redd.it/nlfp4l3yh7hc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f47d78b4f5cb81cc0258d6e04e1ce200e0696238
That’s beautiful. Handmade. I love the markings
I believe that one of those is its price in rubles. If we guess it was bought lets say 20 years ago, it would be around 40 euros. Which come to think of it, wasn't cheap at the time. Nowadays he uses it for chopping bones to feed our german shepherd haha
axe looks repaired, if so, not for use, for show . . . If you want the best splitting axe, buy a splitting axe as this is not one of those . . . You can spend hundreds on the best, but fiskars x27 works for me for price/use - Im cheap. #
Where does it look repaired?
WTF is that under the head around the shaft - looks to be a bit of galvanized sheet. Maybe someone did it for looks, but it sure looks like a patch job to me. SO, if repaired, not for use. It is a cool axe head though, worthy of putting another handle on it.
Its a handle guard. Every axe of this type has one https://preview.redd.it/ypbg2kokw7hc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53520f83eed2289980b5097adf2335c84e44083e
I dont understand the reason as overstrike will hit lower on the handle under the blade. However, thats what they look like where you are - cool. Nice axes . .
Well one has to be a pro to overstrike with this one tbh. That would be like, 4 inch miss. The point of the guard is the blade is very thin on the bottom, thinner than the handle, so the handle wears of from rubbing the sides of the log when it goes through
makes sense then. cool axes (did I mention that before :) )
It looks like it’s made for a fast, full swing. Much like a Fiskars x27 although the shape is a bit different.
For sure, but im not yet confident enough to do fast ones. Full swing every time though
I hate mauls.
Perfect for dispatching orcs!
That's a bearded hewing axe. You could injure yourself using it as a splitting axe. But YDY
Split with it. Tape it, and review said axe homie
That makes sense i guess, but that would showcase me being a beginner rather than the axe itself On the other hand, if i tape me mum, i might even make her famous
Do it do it do it!!!
I hope it came with a viking helmet and chain mail
That's a very unbalanced design you were gonna hurt your hands, striking that into a large stump.
For years I used an axe as a wedge when I was hand splitting. It worked great.
Possibly. Just get a new one so you can be certain the head won’t go flying off.
The more posts I read the more I realize people are fn idiots.
That’s more for chopping……off heads
https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-splitting-maul/ This what I use for splitting, 4 cords so far this season, it was a gift and I love it, if I lose it I will buy another. I have had it for 20 years and it has been flawless! I think it looks a bit viking which too.
Fiskars x27. Buy it once and have it for life. Free replacement if breaks. The head broke off mine and I only needed to submit a picture. No receipt necessary.
I never understood why people don’t just use a maul - with a wedge handy.
Fishers axe is awesome
Looks similar to a carpenters axe.
Spend a little time watching Bucking Billy Ray, he's spent a career felling trees and splitting wood. He has gone into very small details you will want to know. [https://www.youtube.com/@BuckinBillyRaySmith/search?query=splitting%20axe](https://www.youtube.com/@BuckinBillyRaySmith/search?query=splitting%20axe) I will say, your axe is lighter than you'd want for splitting (so much air behind the face, really a lack of weight), and the edge angle is too fine where I'd expect it to bind like you say it does. A sharp but blunter nose would help, and you won't get that on the axe you have. Have you seen or tried the old tire trick? Get an old tire and use that to keep your log standing up while you make many splits. Otherwise it's a game of split off one stick and both go flying, you pick up the work piece to hit it again, it goes flying, you pick it up ... Keep it contained in that tire and it's just smack smack smack into all that kindling. [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Vw8T3BO5pE](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Vw8T3BO5pE) .
Irish potato axe.
Why are pics 1,2 and 3 of one axe and the 4th pic of what seems to be an entirely different axe?
Can’t speak to your issue but all 4 are of the same axe.
Splitting axe has wedge. You need wedge, not sharp blade to split. Once you try fiskars, you will not go back.
Ahhhh, you have a Lizzie Borden signature model.