As demoed starting at 00:17 in this video: The guy in the video makes it look easy. Yes his hand tool looks to be very sharp. I've tried the exact thing -- sharp tool and same movements -- with some seasoned maple and cherry. The shavings do not come off like in the video, the sharp edge never gets a bite into the wood grains/fibers, it seems to either slide off or dig deep into the wood and stops. Have also tried a simple utility knife with not much better results.
I’ve done that with both spruce and white pine and it worked well (on the sections with no knots) Tulip poplar also splits easy and makes good tinder
Cedar works great! If its shavings you want...you can make a whole barrel full of "noodles" by "ripping" a round lengthwise with your saw in about 5 minutes...man do they light up nice! I just used some tonight...
Also soft maple and bass are extremely easy to split like that. I just prefer making it with hydraulics. Much faster and easier.
I think the key to the effortless shavings is definitely the sharpness of that edge, and a steady hand. The axe head is polished/stropped. He could probably shave with it.
Clamp a 3/4 board (knot free is best) in a vise and use a block plane. I used to make pine shavings for guinea pig bedding that way.
Clamp a 3/4 board (knot free is best) in a vise and use a block plane. I used to make pine shavings for guinea pig bedding that way.
You can do his second way without a vice and hammer just by lodging your ax blade in an inch or so until it grabs and then flip your ax head over so it is upside down and then bring the back of your ax head with the split sticking up skyward down sharply against your splitting stump. Same idea.
You can use another split of wood for a hammer if you can't find your hammer or don't want to use a metal hammer near your nice sharp hatchet.
I dont think it’s been said enough, this guy works that hatchet like a champ! No way I’m chopping g like that with my bare hands!
