New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
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Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#2if you ever tried to use an axe, the video in the article will look like sorcery.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#3if you ever tried to use an axe, the video in the article will look like sorcery.
That person can really swing an axe too. Very accurate.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#4That has to be some of most seasoned knot free wood ever split. I wonder how many logs he had to go through to find stuff that split that well - 20 logs for every one that did that?
Sledge Hammer, Splitting Maul gets the job done 95% of the time. "Eccentric Axe" the other 5%.
Well - maybe, 85% Splitting Maul 12% Eccentric Axe, and 3% splitting wedge (which typically has a torsion in it to create a turning effect to split the wood.)
I would love to hear of an independent comparison of the Eccentric Axe versus a Splitting maul.
The tire is a really great idea though.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#5I thought it was already common knowledge among the axe-wielding cognescenti that the way you chop wood, without tiring yourself out completely, is that you add a little 'twist' to your down-swing, just as the blade makes contact, that has the same leverage effect - albeit with a 'normal' blade.
I dunno, I guess I just learned that little twist from my uncle and grandfather, and never really thought it was so magical. Not sure how I feel about the safety of a mighty wood-cutting sharp blade being off-balance on the downswing - sure, the guy in the video has a fairly safe setup, but if you don't have the luxury (i.e. are a consumer who just bought one of these Wonder Axes) of having a safety rig, the potential for mis-direction and glancing blows from the axe being redirected towards the user seems pretty high ..
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#6I've spent nearly every winter growing up swinging axes, and I cringed a bit when I saw him strike branches.
For the most part the axe does a wonderful job against anything, and that guy has ridiculously good aim, but anyone who have at some point been bad at chopping wood probably knows those twists to the side can do a real number on your wrists and hands. It seems to happen quite a bit.
It's still an amazing innovation, and I hope to be able to pick one up as a gift. The article is sadly not very informative.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#7I've spent nearly every winter growing up swinging axes, and I cringed a bit when I saw him strike branches. For the most part the axe does a wonderful job against anything, and that guy has ridiculously good aim, but anyone who have at some point been bad at chopping wood probably knows those twists to the side can do a real number on your wrists and hands. It seems to happen quite a bit. It's still an amazing innov…
I have no idea about axes in general, so please acquire a large piece of silicon dioxide before reading on.
That said, it seems that the problem with traditional axes is the large amount of friction from penetrating the wood. This requires a firm grip of the handle and long swings to induce sufficient kinetic energy in the head of the axe. With the rotational design, much less energy is needed, allowing for a) a loose grip of the handle and b) shorter swings, which in turn allow for better aim.
But, as ghshephard wrote, some additional/independent information might be very nice.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#8Knotted wood is much more challenging to split.
Even with a hydraulic splitter, chunks of wood with lots of branches can stall a machine pressing with tons of force. Great demo, but unrealistic unless you only chop beautiful limbless tall oaks.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#9This would hurt sooo many newbies... You're much better off with a normal axe that won't try to twist and jump out of your hand every single time.
For wood cutting, the size of the axe head matters a lot - too small and it doesn't have enough force, too large and it gets stuck very easily.
The length of the handle is also important - you'll fare much better with longer ones, but the longer it is, the harder it is to aim and control.
As with anything, practice is key, but I'm pretty sure you don't want to start with this axe.
Re: New axe design uses lever action to make splitting wood easier
#10I am most impressed by the use of the tire to keep the wood upright and positioned.