It's Time (Hults Burk)

David Martin

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It's that time of year when all us axe men should be doing some splitting.
Here I'm giving my Hults a work out on some Emory oak rounds.
I sharpened it to 600 grit on a X fine India and went to work. I checked it after splitting about
1 1/2 wheel barrows and the edge had no curling and it could still slice cloth. So, I think I'm on
the good side.
We are forecast to go down to 17* tonight with some wind. So, I'm getting us plenty of oak on
the porch. DM
HultsB.jpg
 
Hults bruks make a fine axe i have a couple of them mainly the large splitting axe and the maul(KLY and SLY) they are made by hultafors ao they dont have the exact same finish as the premium line i have the 26 inch axe that is nice for limbing or cutting where a round is still kinda stringy after splitting. Also have a husqvarna branded hults axe. I like the one you got there is it a dayton.
Ps.. i just split two truckloades (f350) of oak on my last two off days but i used the x27 because how light and efficient it is for that task. I dont use my other axes nearly enough. I guess im just getting old and set in my ways :)
 
Yes, this Hults is for splitting. It is stamped HB, a 1950's axe. Perhaps some earlier. It has a 29" handle on it and when it needs replacing a
33" is going with it. What type of oak were you splitting?
I'll use my Hults all winter and spring as I don't have a hydraulic splitter. The knotty rounds I haul to my neighbor's who allows me to use
his. So, I get exercise cutting wood from about Sept. to April. DM
Bruk.jpg
 
Great photo David good to see you in the field and choppin'. Looks like a beauty of a day for it :)
 
Well it is red oak but my grandfather always referred to it as "piss oak" because of the way it smelled :) that is a great looking ax and i agree ,im not a fan of short handles on splitting axes. 33 -36 is a definate sweet spot for me.


I noticed for me about 15 inch long pieces is where i like to split by hand anything longer and the hydraulic splitter does come out i usually bust until im tired and then use the hydraulic splitter. I havent had to use it this season but then again i have only busted the about 3 truckloads.

I have to split for a total of four households so im going to have to get after it and probably be using the hydraulic more this year.
 
Thanks Kiwi. The wind has been turning out of the North and increasing. It is 48* and feels much cooler. So, we will get a blast of winter
this week. Since, I use only wood to heat our home I make sure we have enough. DM
 
Yea in my home wood heat is all i use as well. Saves money on the electric bill. It made a huge difference for us
 
Goose, that' good. Bucking wood will keep a fellow in shape. Not to mention you learn a lot about axes and sharpening. Thanks, gents. DM
 
splittingHB.jpg @Square_peg, I'm surprise you haven't kicked in about my splitting location. However, look carefully as I'm stranding on a 1/2 sheet of old
plywood. Then I slide the round on to the corner when I start splitting. It usually takes 4-5 hits before I know it Will split and where. Then
I'll flip it or move it so the axe won't strike the ground. DM
 
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Gents, notice I swing right handed. I bat right handed but throw left. I do many things right handed but write left. In light of this: there was a topic/ thread in this Forum a month or 2 back about how the body will off-set the axe swing or batting swing in some manner with the feet or arms for accuracy. I have come to realize that as I start my swing I focus and stare at the spot I see a possible weak spot in the log. Then I'll slant or set my forward left foot about 25* right of the mark. This helps to bring my ax hit onto the targeted mark. When I set my forward foot straight on pointing at the spot, I usually hit right of the mark. Just a correction technique I've learned that helps me strike a log with more consistent accuracy. DM
 
I did a lot of splitting and stacking earlier in the year, so I'm all staged up for burning. Looks like I got plenty more to cut up before I'm out of firewood though. Couple of years worth came down in a freak storm back in May. Slow and steady, with an emphasis on slow. Anyway, I have mountains of fuel to burn now.
IMG-4701.jpg

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This is only the start of the stack I've set aside. It is now taller than I am and I'm stacking more in the area next to the fuel tanks so it stays dry.
 
DB, a May storm brought those down! Must have been some wind with it. What type tree? There are several cords in that one tree. Yes, you
have several years worth of wood cutting in your front yard. Some good cutting.
I've seen some of our Emory oaks that size and wind took them down. So, it can
happen. Glad they didn't fall on the house. Thanks for these photos. I don't see this type felling very often. DM
 
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Yes, we had a micro-burst or tornado hit us (I was home and looking out the window was like looking into a blender). Less than two minutes later, it was gone and left this wreckage behind. Those are hickories (variety unknown) and are around 150 years old by my estimation. They had withstood many wind storms and I was surprised to see them go down like this. Possibly older. Insurance won't cover their removal since they did no damage to the house or other structures. Cost of removal is in the tens of thousands of dollars because it will destroy my septic field and well to get the heavy equipment in. So a chainsaw, an axe, time and effort will be the order of the day for some time to come. On the bright side, it has renewed my interest in axes and other tools as well carving wood and making tools from some of the fine wood that nature has left at my disposal.
 
Whoa! You were lucky on that storm. No roof damage and the falling trees missed the house. Did you go out and buy a lottery ticket?
What is your splitting and limbing axe? DM
 
I didn’t get a lotto ticket as my luck is the type that keeps me caught up, but won’t let me get ahead. I seem to be able to survive a plethora of natural disasters and accidents, so I got that going for me and I’m thankful for it.
For limbing, I have a new HB Kalix and I have restored a Kelly TT 2.5lb double bit. Both are on 26 inch hafts and are invaluable for keeping my work area clear and safe for my chainsaw work.
For splitting, I have two beater axes. A 3.5lb Vietnam made axe and a 4.5lb Husky. I am searching for vintage replacements for both. I am looking at heavy HB’s, Connies, Maine wedges and Jerseys. No hurry. I’ll get quality tools with some perseverance.
I will need a maul when I get to those thick rounds that are soon to be coming off those trees, but so far the Husky has been able to split anything up to roughly 20” across with some effort and turning.
 
Yes, good, I'm thinking that direction too. My splitting axe you've seen, is a 4 lb. Hults. But I would like a 5 lb. Hults and use as a splitting ax
as well. The 4 lb. is a great splitting ax but sometimes I need two axes. As you cut up more of the hickory I would like to see more pictures. Good
cutting. DM
 
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The 5lb Hults' I have seen on the auction site tend to get mighty pricey. I do really like your 4lb, though. I keep an eye out for them. I hope I can find something locally, but most likely that will be more on the lines of American vintage (which I am fine with too). A 4lb or heavier Snow & Nealley or other Maine type axe would be a good fit for this work, I feel.
 
Great conversation going fellas, good reading. Wow DB that is mighty impressive! Wood for years! Amazing happy choppin pal! Glad house is okay.
 
DB, perhaps you could use some logs for landscaping? As it looks like you live on a hillside? For holding in the soil on a downhill slope.
I've seen some folks here in the mountains do some impressive landscaping using cross-ties to shore up a down hill slope on one side.
They stacked them 9 or 10 high, then filled in on the house side, leaving enough for a short fence.
I have stacked cross-ties 3 high here on my down hill side. Then filled it with planting mulch and soil and planted shrubs. This really
helps with wind and rain erosion for holding in the soil. DM
 
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