Old school .

As it was too cold to use my electric kinetic wood splitter .
I figured I would have some fun with some axes. On the left is my 5+ lb Cyclone . On the right is my 4 lb 14 oz Gransfors Bruk .
Both are Tasmanian pattern . But are sharp. Both chop great and split Awesome.
Both are convex cheeked . The Cyclone is just barely . The GB is a full on wood bullet.
This is all in the pallet shed now save for the 3 or 4 splitting blocks. Setting up 4 or 5 rounds to be split at 1 time is more efficent in movement than doing 1 round at a time .

 

Electric splitter? I think I would have set it up on the kitchen table and split in shorts and a t-shirt!!! Looks cold out there!

 

While I love a good wood handled tool, before getting into wood burning, one stipulation was to invest in a hydraulic splitter. Dad hand split all through growing up and I saw the toll it took on his body.

+1 though, sure looks chilly there.

 

Ahhh I bucked, split and tossed 1/3 of it when it was like 10 below . Finished it , day after thanks giving at 45 below.
Wood splits GREAT at that temp.

 

Ahhh. It's just work. I needed the exercise anyway. And at these temps . Wood splits very nicely.

 

Wow, nice work. Glad to see you posting again, you were missed.
I can't even imagine those temps........

 

It's kinda different. Working outside in these temps . Not uncommon to have 140° F temperature swing in a 6 month period here from dead of winter to summer Heat .

 

You know...as I become more 'old school' I tend to take issue with the term. Seems derogatory most of the time. I like to use the term 'traditional'.

 

Coldest I can recall hand splitting is -14F. That was a steel handled tool

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aHehm9-IJsA

 

Nice looking couple of axes there, I love to see them in the wood and not just hanging.
When someone calls me "oldschool" I smile and say thank you. I take it as a compliment...whether or not they mean it that way

 

Gives new meaning to the term cold turkey.

I don't mind hand splitting on occasion, but at those temps I'll stay inside. Some nice looking axes though. I did like my Collins axe when I hand split.

 

Council Tools has a very nice 5 lb axe they call the Splitting Axe . Because not one in thousands knows what a Rafting pattern axe was actually designed for. So they , CT , wouldn't call it a Rafting axe . But the Splitting Axe is a cross between a Old Tasmanian pattern and a Rafting pattern . Convex cheeked bit of the Tassie and long and heavy poll of a Rafting axe .
It makes for a great fallers axe also . Neutral balance so it will steer to the poll when swung horizontally to drive falling wedges.
But , with its convex cheeks , it will really pop apart splits . And with its neutral balance it will work great for flick splitting.
Which is easily accomplished if the axe hits the piece being split at say a 25° angle .
Flick splitting also works well for keeping the round On the chopping block. And blowing the split off .

 

I don't have a CT 5 lb Splitting axe yet. But plan to get a couple/few of them .
At last count I'm just under 40 axes and a few hatchets . Around half are Tasmanian pattern and a few Australian pattern.
Then several Michigan pattern.

 

No steel handled splitting tools for me !!!!
I tried to use a monster maul several times. Most horrible invention know to man kind I think !

 

I bet the sticks sound like bricks or iron clanking.

 

We need an axe hoarding thread!

 

Forgive me Scotty, but looking at your profile pic, all I can see is Bruiser Brody. Anyone else see it?

 

are you sure . ?
I'm a member of The Axe Cordwood Challenge group.