Condor Splitting Axe

[thunderstick]

I have one on the way. Has anybody used this one or one with a similar profile?

I like the look. Its very similar to one costing significantly more by Mueller

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[FortyTwoBlades]

I've not used the Condor example but have used axes of that type before. They work quite nicely once you get the hang of them--follow through is important with them so the exponential flare of the "side wedges" don't stop the swing--follow through properly and it just blasts the wood right apart like a charm.

 

[thunderstick]

Lowe's has an Ames True Temper version with a squiggly fiberglass handle--made in India. A local tree service/wood processor I know likes and uses one of the early versions from Lowe's that has a straight handle and has dubbed it his favorite splitter.

The Condor has a curved wood (axe type) handle and a leather sheath and is significantly marked down right now. The look is good and the 1045 steel is decent for a splitter. I'm hoping the narrow entry point will allow quick penetration and widen sufficiently to prevent a stick. The narrower ramp and ears should allow the axe to rotate out of stuck position. I'm also hoping the light weight and backward position of the ears may allow some splitting with a twist like you would with a standard axe if you don't want to follow thru straight down with the ears.

 

[bbforstr]

It looks like an efficient design. I've said it before, I'm partial to a 3.5 -4 pound double bit for splitting. You can use the axe for picking up the pieces if they fall on the ground. No bending over. Bending over to pick up wood is my biggest gripe about anything maul shaped. I'm old and my back has seen better days. Try an axe for picking up the wood. You'll like it.

 

[thunderstick]

The axe was well fitted to the handle but it had a slight wobble which makes me think it dried out after it was installed. I installed two additional wedges and it tightened up. I then sealed the end grain so no more moisture can so easily escape. It has held tight during splitting so far. The bit takes a good edge and holds it quite well with no observed curling when hitting knots. I had some knotty pieces that my sharp traditional 6# maul would not split but kept bouncing off. On the second swing the Condor blew through the wood due to its slimmer profile at the front. The axe is everything I hoped for from the head design. The bit is long enough that you can split with a twist so the axe stops on top of the wood instead of going down thru the whole length and throwing the pieces. If you blast down thru, the ears really throw the wood. The handle is really thick but it absorbs the shock very well. I have a Fiskars X27 splitting axe and this seems on par with it or slightly better due to its greater head weight and longer bit for twist splitting--I need to do more splitting to know for sure. For the money its a very good deal.

 

[thunderstick]

Split some more seasoned hardwood--a number of pieces with twisted grain at branch intersections. I have become very impressed with the overall performance of the axe. It is becoming my favorite all-round splitter as it seems better balanced than the Fiskars X27 and splits very well with the twist action whereas the Fiskars is largely a straight thru splitter because of its short wedge profile. The twist splitting option is nice when busting smaller pieces because you can hit a little harder than necessary to ensure a one hit split without going the whole way thru into the chopping block.

 

[Square_peg]

Thanks for the report. It sounds like a great tool.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Very nice! May have to finally get around to picking one of these up to evaluate for the shop.

 

[DJG097]

I have the kind that lowes sells. While I'm not the biggest fan of the Fiberglass and rubber handle it does work well. I actually just got done splitting a hung of wood with it.

 

[thunderstick]

Nice pile of wood. The reason I did not go with Lowes was because I wanted a wood handle or straight fiberglass. I can't stand that squiggly thing. I slide my one hand to adjust for impact depending on the size of the piece and I don't want any handle telling me where to hold it. I also thought the Lowes steel would probably be cheap and soft. The Condor steel is good and holds an edge very well and has not curled when splitting knots.

My son and I were busting up some cedar today that we'll break down into kindling to use for quick fire starters. We used the Condor side by side with the Fiskars X27 and on this wood we both gave a distinct advantage to the Condor. The extra weight made a difference as well as the initial slender profile. I used both on the same piece to take off a limb section. The Fiskars bounced on the knot because its wedge profile would not allow enough penetration before initiating the split. The Condor cracked it on the first swing and severed it on the second. The Condor shows real superiority to a maul or the Fiskars on knotty sections--it gets better initial penetration due to profile and weight and also does not stick as bad when the split starts. The ramps really help the axe to rotate back out quite easily on a partial split.

On straight grain hardwood with a hard swing those ramps can really throw the wood. If you want them to drop beside the chopping block you simply add the twist. The wood handle is quite beefy and absorbs shock very well which is nice if splitting for a couple hours.