I'll have to check those out. I do like using anything made in USA when possible. Wonder if I've got my old maul too sharp...
Warpig6
I doubt that it's too sharp. When I got a 3 kg (6.6 lb) Mueller (Austrian) maul a couple of years ago, on an educated hunch, it was an eye-opener. My previous mauls were Bradlees' specials- 5 lb iron bludgeons. The Mueller is a splitting machine. Excellent metallurgy, sharp edge, faces almost mathematically flat. No outward flare near the edge. For the most part, once the edge went about 1/2 in into the wood, the wood would pop. Essentially impossible to get it to stick in the wood. Not dependent on any funky coating.
More about Mueller's head shape: the head taper at the faces continues back past the center of the handle. That makes it extremely difficult for irregularities of the split faces to hit the handle as it passes by. Result: after years of splitting, the handle is like new. So, I'm saying that the head shape is very important, from my experience.
After seeing what the Mueller's shape did for me, I took a 7" disc grinder to my cheapies, trying to make them mimic the head shape of the Mueller. Mainly ground down the bulges and put an edge on them. That made them useful splitting tools, so the Mueller has friends to play with. Then I got a 5.5 lb Wetterlings on special. It's on my short list of favorite tools. Flat faces, sharp edge. Faces "fade away" a few inches back from the edge, leaving a center rib to spread the splits.
All these mauls have American hickory handles, lightly sanded and oiled. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Council Tools (of Lake Waccamaw NC) have been making special tools for some time, for forest and fire agencies mainly. Lately they've been introducing axes for a more general population. I got their 3.5 lb "classic jersey pattern" axe on special- really nice serious working axe with straight-grain 36" hickory handle. Seems to be a new model. Very good "value engineering". Works great for light splitting.
I see that lately that Council is making a 6 lb maul, with a 36" handle. Looks good in pix, FWIW. Bailey's are selling them for $24 +. I've been listening & looking to hear of people's experience with this tool. Comments I've seen on their 8 lb maul are positive. They sell "sledge eye" and "axe eye" heads, besides. For me, 8 lb head is just too heavy for max effect.
