Green ideas here, been lucky to not have this problem much.
When healing the axe into the wood, unless it is really cross grained, twisty cottonwood, the fact that I'm healing the axe, letting my wrists travel and coming out of the wood again, that roll avoid hang ups.
From a gear stand point, I think it is a function of too fine an edge or too well filed a grind.
I have a decently deep, chisel filed race axe that some times sticks in drier cottonwood. The ridges on the chisel seem to act as barbs, not lifting the chip all the way and sticking.
Alder, with my cottonwood race axes, locked in like vices. The grinding deeper in the axe created friction with the chip.
My impression is you should only narrow the chip in firm wood that isn't clearing, not because of a sticky axe.
This too is part of matching axe to wood conditions of the day.
Again, one greenhorn's humble thoughts.
