The Shooters Apprentice
Addicted to ArboristSite
When I was a kid my dad had a splitting maul named "Old red". Old red was a solid chuck on steel in a perfect triangle with a short pipe handle. My dad swore that was the best thing for splitting wood, and that's all he used. When I became a teenager, I bought one of those big heavy mauls and carried it around in my wood truck.
Flash forward 10 years and I had moved back to Alaska and was gonna start heating my house with wood again. During one of my moves around the lower 48 I had opted to leave that heavy POS behind and needed a new maul. My wife convinced me to try a "Speed maul" and I ended up with a 4.5lb channel lock speed maul with a 36" handle.
Man what a difference! that thing splits wood and you don't tear your arm off swinging it. I've split a lot of wood with that maul in the last couple years, and even though I have a 30 ton splitter, I almost always hand split since its faster.
However, I had a old timer tell me once that a properly shaped double bit was the best thing for splitting, because it had more weight then a standard single bit axe. I thought it was bull pucky. I have a couple double bit axes, and none of them really split that well.
A few weeks ago we were clearing out a locker at work and there was a old double bit axe in there and I took it home. I can't find any markings on it, but I believe it is a plumb brand. Man, this axe SPLITS. It swings easy, and splits instead of getting stuck and has become my go to splitting tool. The other axes I have are mostly Kelly True Temper axes ive picked up here and there, most likely misplaced from forest service crews. The bits on these are quite a bit longer then this plumb axe.
Anyway, figured I would show off a few pics.
Flash forward 10 years and I had moved back to Alaska and was gonna start heating my house with wood again. During one of my moves around the lower 48 I had opted to leave that heavy POS behind and needed a new maul. My wife convinced me to try a "Speed maul" and I ended up with a 4.5lb channel lock speed maul with a 36" handle.
Man what a difference! that thing splits wood and you don't tear your arm off swinging it. I've split a lot of wood with that maul in the last couple years, and even though I have a 30 ton splitter, I almost always hand split since its faster.
However, I had a old timer tell me once that a properly shaped double bit was the best thing for splitting, because it had more weight then a standard single bit axe. I thought it was bull pucky. I have a couple double bit axes, and none of them really split that well.
A few weeks ago we were clearing out a locker at work and there was a old double bit axe in there and I took it home. I can't find any markings on it, but I believe it is a plumb brand. Man, this axe SPLITS. It swings easy, and splits instead of getting stuck and has become my go to splitting tool. The other axes I have are mostly Kelly True Temper axes ive picked up here and there, most likely misplaced from forest service crews. The bits on these are quite a bit longer then this plumb axe.
Anyway, figured I would show off a few pics.