Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread

[LondonNeil]

I've not used it on my axes but I find a diamond grit stone much better than a whet stone on my kitchen knives. Although tbh i've only recently bought it so only done each knife once so far.

 

[Multifaceted]

+1 for SkillCult. He needs to refine the art of making a video and not talk as much, but all in all he provides really good info - especially on axemanship. I like his cordwood challenge idea.

I've not used it on my axes but I find a diamond grit stone much better than a whet stone on my kitchen knives. Although tbh i've only recently bought it so only done each knife once so far.

'Better' is such a subjective term. Diamond definitely cut faster and with less effort; however, diamond stones are expensive. I have a dual diamond stone in 1500/2000 grit for fine honing knives and it's excellent. Eventually I'll use all diamond stones, but for now the inexpensive whetstones work pretty darn good. For axes, up to 1000 grit and stropping gets them shaving sharp with ease.

 

[LondonNeil]

This wasn't much, just like the whet stone I have it was just a few pounds. eBay, all the way from China.

 

[Philbert]

More of a smashing tool . . .







Philbert

 

[svk]

Looks like an isocore maul with the point cut off.

 

[Trx250r180]

Tried out the arvika ,it splits nice ,but the short 32 inch handle makes me bend over a bit with my golf swing when the rounds are sideways on the ground ,i am going to cut it off and put a 36 on the head ,for tree cutting and wedge pounding the 32 would be fine though ,or if i took the time to lift the rounds up onto a block ,It does stick in wet rounds more than the x27 fiskars ,but that is expected with the thinner profile ,most of the strait grained alder hardwood that has been down since last summer was popping first swing .

 

[MechanicMatt]

Did your flip trick today. The litle fiskars was stuck in a piece so i lifter them up and twisted it 180* and let it drop on the chopping block. Worked like a charm!

 

[motolife313]

Here's my spliter all hand made. I'm pretty happy with it. 3" diameter screw. I did all the machine work besides I had to pay a guy to reverse thread the 7/8 tip and he threaded it for me. Splits some wood at idle. I had a HF motor in it the pumped it up but it quite running for some reason not sure so I got a 11 hp Honda engine geared about 10-1 spins 380 rpm or so.

 

[motolife313]

I think I loaded to many pics. It's going retarded lol

 

[motolife313]

I'll keep it to 3/4 pics. The aluminum handles slid right out.

 

[Therival]

Looks great man but build yourself some chain covers or guards! that is an accident waiting to happen!

 

[motolife313]

Ya that would make it safer. Thanks for the compliment

 

[svk]

Anyone find any Black Friday deals on axes?

I found a "refurbished" jersey pattern at an antique shop but they repainted it with a decent amount of mushroom left on the poll and they wanted $30. They also had a smaller axe head for 8 bucks but someone had welded a steel pipe on it as a handle.

Went grocery shopping at Walmart and as I was picking up charcoal in the garden section I noticed the Fiskars products were NOT marked down.

 

[Mustang71]

I was looking for a deal on an estwing hatchet but no such luck.

 

[Lowhog]

A

I've seen some real nice leather ones somewhere but cannot remember where. Amazon or Ebay. Axe handle collars.

 

[Lowhog]

I'd never noticed the "6" on this axe until this afternoon.

Does anyone chop with an axe this big or just split?

View attachment 605790

That is a felling axe.

 

[Lowhog]

Nowadays at age 63 I pretty much run a power splitter. In the past the best maul I ever used on hardwood was the 11.4 pounder my Son made me in High 24 years ago. By far it out splits any hardware store maul I purchased, and it always kept a sharp edge. That's my maul review wrapped up in a nutshell.

 

[Philbert]

I had a commercially made, triangular head splitting maul, that someone gave me when they moved. I think that it was a 'Monster Maul' brand, but I see lots of versions sold under lots of names. It went on CraigsList as soon as I compared it to my Fiskars.

Lots of ways to split. Everybody has to find what works for them, and the type(s) of wood that they are splitting.

I can't justify a powered splitter for the little that I do at home, or the space that it would take. But I really liked the 2-way splitter I tried, and it would be a good choice for the smaller size of wood that I use in my fireplace insert.

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/ran-a-2-way-splitter-sunday.190097/

Philbert

 

[woodsrider]

I have two or three Stihl mauls and splitting axes, but I like to use my Sotz Monster Maul that I bought back in the mid to late 1980s. This thing is a beast....

 

[Lowhog]

I have two or three Stihl mauls and splitting axes, but I like to use my Sotz Monster Maul that I bought back in the mid to late 1980s. This thing is a beast....

View attachment 615496

I need a handle like that for mine.