They’re an indispensable tool for any camping or outdoor excursion. Familiarization with the many styles (splitting, hand axe, splitting maul, etc.) and safe handling procedures will ensure that you get the most from the new tool. First, ensure you have selected the proper tool for the job. The hand axe, since the name implies, is made for single-handed use and is most suited to cutting small firewood or thinning branches. Hand axes might have either wood or metal hafts (or handles). An excellent principle would be to count on a hand axe for anything around 3″ in diameter. Larger than that, and it’s time for you to upgrade to a bow saw or two handed instrument.
To bring down live trees, a felling axe is required. Felling axes are manufactured with various head weights and haft lengths – make sure you choose a size that is 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 dealing with hand axes or felling axes, keep carefully the blade masked when not being used and never leave your axe outside overnight or in wet weather. Viking axes for sale A good felling axe is a very valuable tool that may last a very long time if properly cared for. Make sure to keep carefully the axe head well oiled to stop rust, and sharpen the axe with a carborundum stone when necessary.
If you plan to utilize your axe primarily to split seasoned wood, consider purchasing a Scandinavian-style splitting axe. These splitting axes have a wedge-shaped head which can be perfect for wood splitting but poorly fitted to felling work. Scandinavian splitting axes often have shorter handle lengths than other two handed axes, and commonly count on a 3 pound head, although other sizes are generally available. Larger splitting axes might be called splitting mauls. These kind of tools normally have much heavier heads, and have a straight handle, instead of the curved handle. Turnaround hooks are frequently shaped on the finish of a mauls splitting head in order to assist with flipping logs over through the splitting process.