They’re an indispensable tool for almost any camping or outdoor excursion. Familiarization with the many styles (splitting, hand axe, splitting maul, etc.) and safe handling procedures will ensure that you will get the most from your new tool. First, ensure you have selected the proper tool for the job. The hand axe, while the name implies, is designed for single-handed use and is most ideal for cutting small firewood or thinning branches. Hand axes might have either wood or metal hafts (or handles). Viking axes A great rule of thumb is always to rely on a hand axe for anything around 3″ in diameter. Larger than that, and it’s time and energy to upgrade to a bow saw or two handed instrument.
To create down live trees, a felling axe is required. Felling axes are produced with various head weights and haft lengths – make sure you choose a dimension that’s comfortable enough to wield safely. A medium-size felling axe generally features a 3.5-4.5 pound head and 30-35 inch haft, with larger axes sporting heads around 6 pounds. The point is, whether you are working together with hand axes or felling axes, keep consitently the blade masked when not in use and never leave your axe outside overnight or in wet weather. A quality felling axe is just a very valuable tool that may last a lifetime if properly cared for. Be sure to keep consitently the axe head well oiled to prevent rust, and sharpen the axe with a carborundum stone when necessary.
If you plan to utilize your axe primarily to split seasoned wood, consider investing in a Scandinavian-style splitting axe. These splitting axes have a wedge-shaped head which are suitable for wood splitting but poorly suited to felling work. Scandinavian splitting axes often have shorter handle lengths than other two handed axes, and commonly rely on a 3 pound head, although other sizes are generally available. Larger splitting axes may be known as splitting mauls. These types of tools routinely have much heavier heads, and have a direct handle, as opposed to the curved handle. Turnaround hooks are frequently shaped on the end of a mauls splitting head to be able to help with flipping logs over throughout the splitting process.
