Choosing a Splitting Axe

Glenn Bailey said:
I'm surprised this hasn't come up yet, but 348win, you are likely deep enough in to realize that 'a' splitting axe will never suffice. And there shouldn't be any reason to settle on just one either (finances aside). There is no perfect splitter because all wood is not the same. All conditions are not the same. And people are not the same.

I have three splitters I bring out to the wood pile by default. 5 lb Jersey (I've had it on a 36 and 32 inch over the last 25 years), a 4 pound Dayton (32") that's a bit thinner in the bit for fighting with stringier wood, and a 3.5 pound (32") Michigan bullet for straighter stuff. My wood stove will take up to 24" pieces but I generally buck no bigger than 21". I buck around knots, so my lengths vary quite a bit. I use the 3.5 lb axe for what I can (shorter and straight). The 4 pounder comes out next (but just for a second because it really is for stringy stuff), and the 5 pounder cleans up. No need to swing the 5 pounder all day if I don't have to. And (this is really really important!) it is waaaaaaaay more fun to have multiple axes to swing in one 'session'!

Based on your investment so far in research, and your watching of BBR, you ought to give in and accept that you're hooked and ask "What are the 3-5 splitting axe profiles should I be looking for to complete my portfolio?"

BTW, I'm in the Northeast as well- Vermont.
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not sure this will work, but below are links to the three axes I mentioned on Instagram, if interested.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGxdecGh5IA/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfNiOhBUVu/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGudpnGBJfq/
 
Glenn Bailey,

How did you like that 5 lb jersey on a 32 " handle? I've got a 5 lb Kelly jersey to haft and am planning on a 36". Intend to use for splitting and bucking.
SwedeFP
 
SwedeFP said:
Glenn Bailey,

How did you like that 5 lb jersey on a 32 " handle? I've got a 5 lb Kelly jersey to haft and am planning on a 36". Intend to use for splitting and bucking.
SwedeFP
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I like the 32" better than the 36" (I split from a stump, I'm 6'1" with longer arms than the traditional proportions). I had it on 36" for about 15 years and it unnecessarily introduces variability in the accuracy at that length. It's on a 36" right now because I had 36" that had no home and I hate waste, but 32" is the preference all day for me.
 
I'm the same way with this 36" for a 5#, as it was available and bought. I'll eventually put it on a 32". I have a Plumb 3_2 on a 32 House handle, and it handles really well. My local Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply only seem to only carry 36" for a non boys axe single bit, but some have good grain so I get them for spares.
SwedeFP
 
Anyone got a 5lb PLUMB or similar axe they would sell me????

(on 34" handle if I'm lucky?)
 
348win said:
It looked to me like the plumb rafting axes were the flatter wedge type with very little convex.

Thanks for responding
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Oh, no. Plumb rafting axes have just the right convexness to their cheeks. I think they are the cream of the crop among rafting axes. All I've seen from Plumb are 'Dreadnaught' models of the highest caliber. The True Temper models are also excellent, right there with the Plumbs.

I have Plumb, True Temper, Collins, Walters, Warren and Forest King (likely Mann) rafting axes. Maybe another brand or two.

You would be hard pressed to find a better 5-pound splitter than a Plumb rafting axe. I haven't found one.
 
348win said:
Anyone got a 5lb PLUMB or similar axe they would sell me????

(on 34" handle if I'm lucky?)
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You can still buy a new 5-pound rafting axe made by Council tools for $40 plus shipping.

https://www.baileysonline.com/forestry-woodcutting/axes-mauls/falling-logging-axes.html

They call it a fallers axe (wedge banger). It comes with a short 28" handle so you'll need to rehang it. But even after rehanging you should be into it less than $70. I suggest a 36" straight handle so that you can still use both the bit and the poll.
 
I think the council fallers axe is a good option. However, I'd recommend trying it first with the 28" handle before you cut it off - you just might like that length. If you use a chopping block you really don't need a 36" handle. Using a chopping block also keeps your axe bit out of the dirt and rocks.
 
I split 4 or 5 cord of wood every year, mostly larger diameter fir rounds that are generally easier to crack with a wedge.
Even though I have several #5 rafting pattern axes, my first choice splitting tool is a #6 Council maul. I have thinned
the edge of the maul to an axe profile, and it is a great splitter, and not having to switch tools to drive a wedge saves time.
Finding the maul head at a yard sale for a dollar was also a plus! Driving steel with an axe, even with a hardened poll, will eventually damage the axe!
The axes work great on smaller rounds, and it is fun to grab a good #4 double bit once in a while as well!
 
Count me in on the thinned profile 6# maul. This is the most efficient all-round splitting tool for me on our wood species. I thought the Fiskars X27 was a step up from the traditional maul, and it is, till you properly profile a traditional maul and give it a thinned and sharpened edge. You can thin them out quickly with a grinder if you are careful till you get it close and then switch to a file and stone for the finish. I also prefer the axe handle eye for better control.
 
Keeping it simple if you want to split wood with an axe in a traditional straight down swing ... you want to find a head that is fairly short and which thickens like a wedge with a higher center in the middle. For splitting, the profile is more important than finding a respected brand. Quality steel is always preferred, but cheaper steel will sharpen sufficiently for splitting. It goes against my grain to suggest something short of good steel, but really, the wood won't know the difference if the profile is right and its reasonably sharp. The right profile on cheaper steel will split better than a quality thin bit felling axe. So find the right profile, fine tune it with usage, and then mate it with a good handle that fits your style.

If you can find the right profile in a quality vintage head, then you can bond with your tool and it becomes a joy to use--then this is what I'd recommend. Quality steel will hold an edge better. You should have at least 1 good axe to pair with a maul.
 
thunderstick said:
Keeping it simple if you want to split wood with an axe in a traditional straight down swing ... you want to find a head that is fairly short and which thickens like a wedge with a higher center in the middle. For splitting, the profile is more important than finding a respected brand. Quality steel is always preferred, but cheaper steel will sharpen sufficiently for splitting. It goes against my grain to suggest something short of good steel, but really, the wood won't know the difference if the profile is right and its reasonably sharp. The right profile on cheaper steel will split better than a quality thin bit felling axe. So find the right profile, fine tune it with usage, and then mate it with a good handle that fits your style.

If you can find the right profile in a quality vintage head, then you can bond with your tool and it becomes a joy to use--then this is what I'd recommend. Quality steel will hold an edge better. You should have at least 1 good axe to pair with a maul.
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I'm really enjoying this thread, and not to get too far from the core of it, but it makes me wonder about all those great looking unmarked axes out there that were likely USA made, so probably decent steel. I've taken to snapping up any older axe that is a decent price (for me now about $10 down unmarked) and local. As for the profile, this is an old thread below that has given me some good info. I don't know what it is, but the high centerline axes really get my attention.
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/ax-head-geometry.850453/
SwedeFP
 
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