Splitting by Hand

[Dalmatian90]

If anyone has learned since then what, if anything, it can be used for please fill me in. It doesn't have to be that sharp to split ash anyway.

I use a wet stone (that was originally my grandfather's), with a file first if I have a big nick.

Took me a while to learn how to sharpen stuff, but I do a credible job now. Best I can describe it is imagine you're trying to shave the stone.

It is a joy to use a sharp tool...especially one you sharpen yourself!

My most used kitchen knife is made of pretty cheap stainless steel, it has tons of nicks in it...if I couldn't sharpen it, I would've thrown it out twice already. Couple minutes on the stone takes it from squeezing lemons to slicing them like a hot knife through butter.

i would LOVE one day to get a working old-fashion sharpening stone setup -- big round stone, foot pedal, water trough on the base to keep the stone wet and clean. You see lots of stones, but almost all of them are missing both the foot pedal and the trough.

 

[blacklocst]

Did I mention that I don't use the sharpener.

 

[lapeer20m]

Normally I try to split in the woods so it can come straight off the truck into the stack, so I usually don't have that much to do at once.

Impressive is doing something you aren't normally capable of, so I tip my hat to anyone that gives it a go even if it's one pick-up load a week.

I'm going to have to try hand splitting in the woods. This sounds like a great way to reduce the number of times I handle the same pieces of wood.

I have a nice hydraulic splitter but I still split a fair bit o my firewood by hand or not at all.

 

[lapeer20m]

Perhaps they redesigned the sharpener recently? 2 minutes of sharpening and my fiskars was nearly razor sharp.

I tried sharpening a knife on the same gizmo and I think it made things worse.

 

[zogger]

Did I mention that I don't use the sharpener.

...not lately.....

I think I am about ready for my quarterly dig it out of the drawer and try it again test. Always good for some lulz...

 

[Oliver1655]

I am lazy about sharpening hatchets/axes/ ... I use my orbital sander with 100 grit paper. Super fast & SHARP!

 

[branchbuzzer]

I'm going to have to try hand splitting in the woods. This sounds like a great way to reduce the number of times I handle the same pieces of wood.

It is the way to go, but it takes longer to get it out, so you need to have the extra time to do it. Very nice to have it completely done from standing to stacked at days end though.

 

[branchbuzzer]

I use a wet stone (that was originally my grandfather's), with a file first if I have a big nick.

Took me a while to learn how to sharpen stuff, but I do a credible job now. Best I can describe it is imagine you're trying to shave the stone.

It is a joy to use a sharp tool...especially one you sharpen yourself!

My most used kitchen knife is made of pretty cheap stainless steel, it has tons of nicks in it...if I couldn't sharpen it, I would've thrown it out twice already. Couple minutes on the stone takes it from squeezing lemons to slicing them like a hot knife through butter.

i would LOVE one day to get a working old-fashion sharpening stone setup -- big round stone, foot pedal, water trough on the base to keep the stone wet and clean. You see lots of stones, but almost all of them are missing both the foot pedal and the trough.

I just use a flat file on the x27. I know this won't win any lumberjack sharpening competitions, but I can cut the hail out of my finger on the edge if I slip so it's sharp enough for me. Whenever I try a wet stone it doesn't seem to do much but I'm probably doing it wrong somehow.

My best kitchen knife is a Regent Sheffield I bought at Big Lots for $1 ( well 6 for $5, but I've lost 4 of the set ) about 10 yrs ago, stainless Inox made in Hong Kong it says on it. I've never sharpened it, I think it is one of these "self sharpening" knives that the metal wears quicker on one side to keep it sharp. I can't bring myself to pay $100 for a set of knives, and every time I try to buy something that is a few steps above the bottom rung they still cut like a wet noodle compared to it.

 

[branchbuzzer]

...not lately.....

I think I am about ready for my quarterly dig it out of the drawer and try it again test. Always good for some lulz...

It's good exercise, so it is good for something.

 

[woodchuck357]

I sharpen chopping axes with a file(except for the knot clipper, it's too hard for a file to touch) then three grades of Arkansas stones then strop with rouge. Splitting tools get a quick seeing to with right angle grinder with an over lapping flap disk.
I make most of my handles, ax and maul handles are a touch over 40 inches total length. I don't find shorter handles or lighter heads strike more accurately. They just don't hit as hard. Flatter handles do help me hit where I want and control the flip better. I have no use for round handles.
I wear wrist weights while splitting, either 3 lb or 5 lb depending on how long I intend to work. They don't affect my accuracy in the least, and don't seem to slow my swing and recovery.
The fiskars axes seem to me to not be good enough metal to be used as an ax, and the faces are too concave to be a really good splitting tool. They can be used for chopping and they will split wood but I find other tools do a much better job, for me.

 

[Brian B.]

Splitting by hand- no thanks

 

[zogger]

Splitting by hand- no thanks

It's affordable target shooting for me, kinda sorta....

 

[woodchuck357]

Excellent full body exercise, also