Reinventing the Axe

Nerval's Lobster (2598977) writes "The axe has been with us for thousands of years, with its design changing very little during that time. After all, how much can you really alter a basic blade-and-handle? Well, Finnish inventor Heikki Karna has tried to change it a whole lot, with a new, oddly-shaped axe that he claims is a whole lot safer because it transfers a percentage of downward force into rotational energy, cutting down on deflections. 'The Vipukirves [as the axe is called] still has a sharpened blade at the end, but it has a projection coming off the side that shifts the center of gravity away from the middle. At the point of impact, the edge is driven into the wood and slows down, but the kinetic energy contained in the 1.9 kilogram axe head continues down and to the side (because of the odd center of gravity),' is how Geek.com describes the design. 'The rotational energy actually pushes the wood apart like a lever.' The question is, will everyone pick up on this new way of doing things?"

Comments

Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

This is really damn clever. Few thoughts though:

- My wrists hurt just watching this guy. I gotta imagine some of that rotational force is transferring into the wrist and elbow, which can’t be good over the long term
- That tire: that's brilliant.
- That price: that's insane.

The question is, will everyone pick up on this new way of doing things?

The new way of doing things is called a log splitter. You can get one pretty cheap now (especially if you can do with electric), and while it doesn't have that same rustic appeal, it works really damn well. Personally splitting and stacking was my chore as a kid (I'd guess I’ve split at least 60 cord in my lifetime), and I'm not planning to ever split a log by hand again.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

Also the video shows them splitting some very easy to split wood.

Re:Neat

[AvitarX]

The wrist! that's exactly what I was thinking, actually, I was coming to post with the exact phrasing as you.

it looked far lower impact than swinging a maul though, so perhaps the increased efficiency makes the wrist not hurt.

Re:Neat

[SJHillman]

I haven't used a log splitter in at least 10 years, but last time I did, it was considerably slower than doing it by hand. It saved a hell of a lot of energy, but it just wasn't very fast compared to doing it by hand with a good axe.

Re:Neat

[Anrego]

Like most tools, there's a great deal of variability and options out there.

Some log splitters are painfully slow, whereas some of the better multi-stage/variable speed types probably work at about the rate I could.

Even with a slow log splitter, I'd rather hang out with a beer and feed the thing over a few hours than spend a half hour with an axe.

Re:Neat

[geekoid]

The back of the blade is secure against the log, so that would minimize twisting. If it didn't this ax wouldn't work.
log splitters are slow, and more difficult to take with you into the woods.

Re:Neat

[roc97007]

If you don't want to buy one, you can rent a log splitter in many areas. Moreover, as someone else pointed out, a hydraulic log splitter works with knotted up wood, not just the very easy to split wood in the example.

Re:Neat

[pixelpusher220]

Popular Mechanics agrees. It isn't good for splitting wood that has any tension to stay together.

Re:Neat

[Lumpy]

Price is insane only if you think his labor is free, if you have any metalworking skills at all you can replicate this axe quickly and easily in only a few hours in the forge.
My buddy will make it for cost of materials and 2 cases of his favorite german import beer. But anyone else it would cost $300 for him to do it at his normal hourly rate.

Re:Neat

[chuckymonkey]

Having grown up splitting enough wood to fill a 30'x30'x10' wood shed every year(not all of it was split but a lot was) and all of it by hand because I grew up poor as dirt I can tell you that it's not as bad as you think. The way this thing rotates is actually how you should split wood anyway, it just takes a ridiculous amount of practice to get it right. With a more traditional single bit axe(no maul, too heavy to swing for hours like I used to) you come down as hard as you can and then right at the moment of impact twist to transfer some of the inertia laterally causing a wider split. The only thing this changes is makes it a hell of a lot easier to do and more efficient because you can get consistent results.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

You were using a wimpy "safety" splitter. we had one at work that would split a 18" long log piece into 6 pieces in 4 seconds. as fast as you could load them and hit the ram lever it would split them. now if you put your head in there and someone hit the lever, instantly big splatter, it's unsafe as hell if you dont know what you are doing. it would make a great murder machine for a movie.

Re:Neat

[jandrese]

Yeah, my impression of the video is that he's making wood that's easy to split even easier. On something like scrub pine, that axe would probably be a nightmare. I really don't need a breathtakingly expensive maul to split dry birch.

Re:Neat

[jandrese]

My experience with splitters is that they were much faster than doing it by hand, but we were always splitting stuff that required a wedge and multiple strikes because the interlocking fibers would hold the log together (and snap back if you pulled the wedge) until you had pounded practically all the way through the wood. Of course sometimes we got some nice dry poplar and we would be finished with the whole tree in a couple of hours, but usually the wood we were splitting was just awful.

I can't imagine the guy in this video doing the same with some choke cherry logs.

Re:Neat

[mmell]

I used to use a wedge and a sledge hammer for this kind of work. An ax is a good wood cutting tool that happens to be able to split logs pretty well.

This is a purpose-designed ax, meant specifically for splitting logs. It might be marginally superior to an ax for the job. It might even be better or more convenient than a wedge and a sledge. I don't see it really catching on - I think an ax is a far more flexible tool, and if you're specifically interested in splitting logs there are other special-purpose tools already available that'll do the job just as well.

Re:Neat

[jfengel]

I was wondering about that. If you've got well-seasoned, knot-free, straight logs it splits easily enough with a plain old maul. This may have an advantage over that, but it seems like trying to improve on a situation that's already good enough.

As the GP says, if you're splitting by hand, you're already choosing to do a job by hand that really can be efficiently outsourced to a machine. (And given the high price of this axe, one that's not necessarily all that much more expensive.) The thwack of splitting can be quite cheerful; you feel like you've accomplished something.

I'd like to see it applied to some of the crap I've split in my time, where it takes a dozen carefully-placed whacks to get it to go (and sometimes, not even then). That's not fun.

Re:Neat

[rogoshen1]

never mind the fact that some people would pay money for a gym membership in order to use a machine that works the same muscle groups. :) Domain dependency i tells you.

Re:Neat

[geekoid]

' good enough' is the mantra of the unimaginative and quitters.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

An ax(e) is a rough-wood chopping tool to go across the grain. For splitting along the grain, you generally get far better results with a splitting maul. A sledge/wedge combo is similar.

This "new" type of ax is how an inventor figured out a way to make a chopper into a slightly more efficient splitter than a standard axe. It's still not a splitting maul. Expect it to fail at both chopping and splitting when used for anything beyond the lightest work.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

Right on. That's why on a single bit axe or splitting maul the handle does not enter the head at the center of mass, so after giving that little twist at the end, once the bit is in the wood, kinetic energy is partly working on a lever, much more effectively splitting the wood. As the poster points out, it takes a lot of practice because the right amount of twist depends on the wood type/size/presence of knots, mass/balance of the axe/maul, and how much energy is delivered. But there's great incentive to practice: one can significantly reduce expended effort.

Re:Neat

[Em Adespoton]

I was wondering about that. If you've got well-seasoned, knot-free, straight logs it splits easily enough with a plain old maul. This may have an advantage over that, but it seems like trying to improve on a situation that's already good enough.

As the GP says, if you're splitting by hand, you're already choosing to do a job by hand that really can be efficiently outsourced to a machine. (And given the high price of this axe, one that's not necessarily all that much more expensive.) The thwack of splitting can be quite cheerful; you feel like you've accomplished something.

I'd like to see it applied to some of the crap I've split in my time, where it takes a dozen carefully-placed whacks to get it to go (and sometimes, not even then). That's not fun.

I had a similar question. When I was first taught to use a maul, I was taught to choose a maul with a handle that puts the kinetic energy slightly off centre from the blade tip -- and if the handle ends up true, to adjust my swing so that at the point of contact, angular momentum is slightly to the side.

I don't see that this really adds anything other than changing the swing technique needed to use it to an even curve with a straight grip instead of a twist grip -- and it seems to me that this could be a bit jarring on your wrists as the momentum from the design overcomes the way you're holding the axe.

Wouldn't it be better just to learn how to swing a maul efficiently?

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows, Xbox and Android are good enough.

Re:Neat

[knightghost]

Also the video shows them splitting some very easy to split wood.

Yep. Axes don't split wood - Malls split wood. And there were several times that the axe flung itself sideways which looks both dangerous and painful. I've split about 200 cord of wood in my lifetime so have a wee bit of experience... don't think I'll even touch this gadget. If you need a splitting axe for small wood then I'd recommend Fiskars.

Re:Neat

[Em Adespoton]

Like most tools, there's a great deal of variability and options out there.

Some log splitters are painfully slow, whereas some of the better multi-stage/variable speed types probably work at about the rate I could.

Even with a slow log splitter, I'd rather hang out with a beer and feed the thing over a few hours than spend a half hour with an axe.

Axes are for chopping -- use a maul for splitting. :)

I've always found that while a splitter takes less physical effort, the time taken is about the same, minus the time spent refueling, fixing blade alignment, getting the stuck pieces out, etc.

Plus there's the odd feeling about burning fossil fuels to prepare trees for fuel use -- with me not getting much exercise out of the situation other than a sore back from leaning over to pick up the rounds and load them.

Re:Neat

[davek]

The new way of doing things is called a log splitter. You can get one pretty cheap now (especially if you can do with electric), and while it doesn't have that same rustic appeal, it works really damn well. Personally splitting and stacking was my chore as a kid (I'd guess I’ve split at least 60 cord in my lifetime), and I'm not planning to ever split a log by hand again.

I did also, but I never hated it. I always preferred to swing the axe rather than sit hunched over a giant piston. And as a teenager, wielding an axe to chop firewood is a MUCH better stress reliever than lashing out at parents or going to school with a gun. Very therapeutic, in my opinion.

Re:Neat

[Culture20]

That's nawt a lawg splitta.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Now that's a lawg splitta.

Re:Neat

[Em Adespoton]

This applies even moreso to using a maul; after learning the proper technique on a splitting maul as a kid, I found I could do a couple of cords a day without it getting too heavy to swing (maul technique is different than axe technique, where you need more force and twist, less dependency on the mass of the head). Before I switched to a maul, I used to wear myself out using an axe, chopping at the wood instead of splitting it. With a maul, I could concentrate less on the force of the swing, and more on accurate placement of the head. Once you master the technique, using a heavier long-headed maul is actually much easier, as it almost always split the wood on the first drop.

Re:Neat

[Em Adespoton]

An ax(e) is a rough-wood chopping tool to go across the grain. For splitting along the grain, you generally get far better results with a splitting maul. A sledge/wedge combo is similar.

This "new" type of ax is how an inventor figured out a way to make a chopper into a slightly more efficient splitter than a standard axe. It's still not a splitting maul. Expect it to fail at both chopping and splitting when used for anything beyond the lightest work.

Actually, it could probably be used almost as well as a splitting maul, but the technique would be different (you'd use a chopping swing to do a splitting job). That said, you'd waste more energy with this than using a purposed tool like a maul or wedge. And it'd be much harder on your wrists.

Re:Neat

[unrtst]

This also isn't the first inventive axe by a long shot... though it is unique and new to me.

This is what my dad often used (though possibly some other brand): https://www.chopper1axe.com/

It has rotating levers on each side of the head that swing out when the blade enters the wood, pushing it apart in both directions (as opposed to the articles push in one direction). No twist of the handle and wrist pain needed.

Re:Neat

[dwywit]

Yup. I'd like to see it used on a piece of Ironbark - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I...

Hint: it's not the bark that feels like it's made of iron. There are some eucalyptus species with nice, straight grain, but many don't. You can expend a great deal of energy splitting ironbark, or you can use a chainsaw. Petrol and electric-powered logsplitters are also an option.

My father recalls being put on tree-felling duty in far north Queensland after returning from WWII, along with many others still in the services, while waiting for their discharge. They were dropping ironbarks to cut up and use as railway sleepers. He told me he doesn't feel the need to chop wood *ever* again.

Re:Neat

[pixelpusher220]

The PopMech link describes exactly what you're saying. The experienced swing has a wrist twist to finish the split. This 'axe' does it for the beginner.

Still think this is a solution in search of a problem. And that it costs 2-3 times as much? ouch.

Re:Neat

[thesupraman]

I split quite a lot of wood, and in quite a range of types, from reasonably easy (straight grain macrocarpa) to very difficult (large old falled bluegum with twisted grain).

These days I mainly use a fiskars X27, which is a very nice splitting axe (not too heavy, fast swing, weight in the head, does not stick).
I also use a maul at about twice the weight, but mainly to releast the x27 on the rare occasions it does stick.
http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools/X27-Super-Splitting-Axe-36#.U1WY4FdEBdU

In a side by side comparison to a good hydraulic splitter, against myself using two tyres on chopping blocks and a helper to load/upload them
(and two people on the splitter) I am faster for the first hour, then slow down on easy and medium wood, splitter wins of difficult wood, but only the
very difficult (twisted grain, lots of knots).

Knowing how to use the axe, using a tyre to contain the wood, pacing yourself, and using the twist on impact technique at the right times makes
a huge difference to axe splitting.
I would love to try one of these axes, unfortunately hugely expensive so not worth it - keep meaning to try asymmetric weighting on one of my axes to see if its a gain..
there are videos of it being used on more tricky oak, and discussions by 3rd parties that would indicate it is still useful. if you think any splitting is dont by cutting through the wood then you need to spend more time behind an axe.. the theory of operation on this thing should scale through most wood - but of course difficult wood is always difficult, its just a matter of scale..

And I am not big (140lbs...), so many axemen would do MUCH better.

Re:Neat

[JMJimmy]

Almost 7 times as much.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

- That price: that's insane.

i'll stick with my 3d printed axe, thank you very much.

Re:Neat

[cjames728]

I gotta call bullshit on this vid. As previous posters noted, that wood was the kind I dreamed of splitting. I usually got stuck with Locust, or Cherry. We used a sledge and wedges on the big and hard stuff and on the easy stuff, a double-edged axe would do the job just as easy as what I saw here. My brother shared in my misery in this area and I love CC'ing things like this with him, but this one doesn't pass the test.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

'good enough' is the mantra of people that have to get shit done instead of aspiring to some ideal of perfection.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

1. exactly, this is not a reinvention of the axe, this is a different log-splitter...
2. the twist of the wrist thing was my first thought, too... unless it has a grip which rotates around the handle...
3. i am thinking this is ONLY good for splitting, i can't imagine chopping a tree down with that thing...
4. i'm betting he has that edge sharpened to a razor, which most people don't maintain; wonder about its efficiency then... even a dull splitting maul will split a log if you put enough ooomph in it...
(yes, i've chopped down trees with an axe... um, good exercise... hh there's a very good reason chainsaws are preferred to fell'em, limb'em, and buck'em...)
  thus thoreau's prescription: wood warms thrice: once when you chop it, once when you haul it, and once when you burn it...

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

' good enough' is the mantra of the unimaginative and quitters.

You can't even use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence.

And you presume to tell the rest of us how things are.

That's just too funny.

Re:Neat

[thejuggler]

I grew up splitting wood to heat our home. LOTS OF DAMN WOOD! The only really innovative thing I see here is the chopping block with tire to hold the log being split in place. That is something I wish I had thought of 30 years ago. This axe design is something I've seen before and it's not new. There have been offset head axe designs before for jobs like squaring a log into a timber beam etc.

Re:Neat

[thejuggler]

The only woods worth splitting are hard woods like birch and oak etc for heating a home. Thus they are easy to split. (Hint: If you've never swung an axe, birch wood splits apart really easy when its about -20F outside.) I never split pine or other woods such as cottonwood because their value in heating was limited. Pine causes creosote build up really fast. Cottonwood burns up too fast to be as effective in heating a home.

Re:Neat

[thejuggler]

I've split countless loggers cord of birch when I was in my teens. I never once found it to be a cheerful experience. - just say'n Cheers!

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

Likely wont work worth a pinch of coon crap if the wood isn't stone dry. last batches of wood i have had even after sitting in the sun all summer still had enough moisture in them that splitting them was very difficult even with a hydrolic splitter. (thats delivered "dry" wood from elsewhere)

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

I loved the bits of birch we'd get, but unfortunately pine is much, much greater abundance in my neck of the woods. The trick is to find nice dry, standing dead pine. Burns fast, but you won't creosote your chimney so bad, and you don't need a $200+ axe to split it either. :)

Re:Neat

[phantomfive]

It fascinates me how many people here on Slashdot have significant experience using axes.

Re:Neat

[Sir Holo]

This is really damn clever. Few thoughts though:

- My wrists hurt just watching this guy. I gotta imagine some of that rotational force is transferring into the wrist and elbow, which can't be good over the long term

Anyone with a modicum of hand-skill will loosen their grip at the strike-moment, alleviating rotational forces on the wrist, while still maintaining lateral control of the handle. Pretty simple.

Re:Neat

[ryen]

My wrists hurt just watching this guy. I gotta imagine some of that rotational force is transferring into the wrist and elbow

The axe site says that the user should loosen their grip upon impact to allow the axe to rotate.

Re:Neat

[GrahamCox]

I split Ironbark now and again - while it's harder to split than most other Eucalypts, the key thing is to avoid pieces where a branch, err, branched. The extra wood in those areas and the fact that they follow complex stress-lines make them virtually impossible to split. If you're cutting up a tree you probably won't have a choice, but if you're just picking up unsplit logs from a yard, it's easy to avoid the knotty pieces.

I don't mind splitting by hand, it's a good workout. Mind you I rarely feel like lighting a hot fire afterwards.

Re:Neat

[evilviper]

It fascinates me how many people here on Slashdot have significant experience using axes.

And what were YOU planning on using to protect yourself during the zombie apocalypse? Ammo is gonna get scarce, and swords are more expensive and less damaging.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

use a maul for splitting

Darth Maul? I never knew Siths had a thing for cleaving wood.

Re:Neat

[gsslay]

Exactly my first thought. The rotation of the head is going down the shaft and rotating your wrists. Result is sore wrists and also likely to twist the handle out of your grasp.

Re:Neat

[BeTeK]

Well at least for Finnish guys you have to learn it during army. When camping at woods you really have to know how to make firewood.

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

Same experience. I can split with an axe, and do now that I'm just doing it recreationally (moved into the city), but with a maul and proper technique, I split half a cord about a month after having a microdiscectomy. With a maul, gravity does almost all the work; the art is in placing it.

Re:Neat

[phantomfive]

Interesting; whenever I go camping, there is always enough wood of the right size just scattered around on the ground.

Re:Neat

[phantomfive]

I fully plan on dying........probably quickly

Re:Neat

[jfengel]

It's a lot more fun when you're splitting a few logs for a long weekend. It's a lot less fun when you're doing cord after cord for a whole winter!

As they say, a wood stove keeps you warm so many ways: once when you cut it, then when you haul it, then when you stack it...

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently not the case at Geek.com. The very first word in that article is wrong since chopping is not what is being done. It's splitting.
But then the writer does make a good point, "..if you ever do have to chop wood, you’re more than likely going to suck at it." For the readers of Geek.com I have no doubt this is true.

I use 6+/- cords of wood each winter to heat my home. All of it I split by hand.

So there.

Re:Neat

[Reziac]

Having split lots of cottonwood, I know the problem...

But here's a handy invention that takes all the work right out of it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Of course, you gotta have a spare $38k to buy it with first...

Re:Neat

[Anonymous Coward]

' good enough' is the mantra of the unimaginative and quitters.

You can't even use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence.

And you presume to tell the rest of us how things are.

That's just too funny.

He didn't need to use a capital. The way he wrote it was good enough.

Re:Neat

[evilviper]

Let's just call that: "Plan B"

Re:Neat

[phantomfive]

In case of a zombie uprising, it's definitely my plan A

Re:Neat

[soccerisgod]

What beer would that be? Just out of curiosity.

Awesome

[Anonymous Coward]

When can I 3D print one at home? Surely in this era of 3D printed guns and powerful computers, this should be trivial.

Re:Awesome

[Anonymous Coward]

Printing (as we currently know it) would suck for this kind of thing; you actually want it forged. Though I guess once you get to "Diamond Age" type fabbing, then your models could actually have molecular crystal structure info in them.

Re:Awesome

[jandrese]

Where do you 3D print computer chips? Use the right technology for the job man.

Re:Awesome

[fahrbot-bot]

When can I 3D print one at home? Surely in this era of 3D printed guns and powerful computers, this should be trivial.

Just 3D print the split logs - duh.

Re:Awesome

[Anonymous Coward]

Who said anything about 3D printing computer chips? I said that computers got better, therefore all technologies get better at the same rate. It's like trickle-down economics, a rising tide raises all boats, my friend. And if you don't believe that, you're just a Luddite who wants to go back in the caves. But I suppose you could claim ICs are 3D printed, they are lithographed and there are layers. Yes, chips are 3D printed!

Re:Awesome

[I'm New Around Here]

My god man, that's genius. ;^)

Re:Awesome

[jandrese]

The original poster did:

3D printed guns and powerful computers

Re:Awesome

[lister king of smeg]

well you can buy "wood" filament for 3d printing http://www.3d2print.net/shop/p...

Re:Awesome

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm, the "3D printed" modifier doesn't jump across the "and".

not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Not an axe, axes are not used to split wood. That is a splitting maul, mauls and wedges are used to split wood. And that is actually probably closer to a froe than a maul.

Re:not an axe

[schmmd]

My thoughts exactly--this is a splitting axe/splitter/maul. "Axe" implies cutting across the grain. Also, owning several axes I'd argue with the point that the axe has changed very little over the past thousand years. It's amazing how much you can alter a "basic blade-and-handle".

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/axe

axe (æks) or ax
n, pl axes
1. (Tools) a hand tool with one side of its head forged and sharpened to a cutting edge, used for felling trees, splitting timber, etc.

Sounds like it's an axe to me.

Re:not an axe

[lgw]

I dunno, I'm pretty happy with my grandfather's axe. It must be over 100 years old, and has the head replaced 5 times and the handle replaced 7 times, but it's a fine old axe.

Re:not an axe

[MildlyTangy]

Not an axe, axes are not used to split wood. That is a splitting maul, mauls and wedges are used to split wood. And that is actually probably closer to a froe than a maul.

99% of the population would take one look at that and call it an axe.

You start getting all pedantic, and it just confuses everybody. Maules, froes, wedges....its just axe-nerdery to the rest of us.

Just let us call it an axe.

This is why we cant have nice things without eternal debate.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed:
"A splitting maul also known as a block buster, block splitter, Slegax, or 'Godevil', is a heavy, long-handled axe'
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_maul

Also, it looks exactly like any other axe, just perhaps heavier and maybe with a wider angle.

Re:not an axe

[Opportunist]

Umm... I have to wonder, if you replace everything about a tool over time, is it still the same tool?

Re:not an axe

[chuckymonkey]

I grew up splitting wood with a single bit axe instead of a maul and wedge(all hardwood, maple, oak, cherry, beech, ash). I could hit like the fist of an angry god with an axe because I could get a lot more velocity out of it, plus if you've ever swung a splittle maul that weighs in at six pounds-ish you get really tired really really fast. All that being said this is a great design.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

If the head and handle have both been replaced, what part of the axe is 100 years old?

Re:not an axe

[Opportunist]

Fell a tree with this. Oh, and please don't forget to make a video. Either for laughs or a Darwin Award, depends on how you perform...

Re:not an axe

[lgw]

It's one of the older and more interesting fundamental problems in philosophy. What if you have a rock band, and replace the members one by one, but then the original members re-unite to play their classic tunes, but then both bands go on tour together? What's the identity of each band? Interesting scenarios, yes?

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

That's the joke.

Re:not an axe

[crunchygranola]

Allow me: "Who-o-o-o-sh".

Re:not an axe

[crunchygranola]

It is form of a specialized axe, known as a maul. Still an axe, but only good for splitting short logs. Still, if you are busting wood for heating you would do well to have the right tool for the job.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Umm... I have to wonder, if you replace everything about a woosh over time, is it still the same woosh?

Re:not an axe

[kruach aum]

No, that's an axe. It has an axe handle and an axe head, and you can use it to axe-murder people. If your particular field of occupation uses the term 'axe' as some piece of obscure jargon, that's your prerogative, but it doesn't change the meaning of the word 'axe' in standard English.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

It's one of the older and more interesting fundamental problems in philosophy.

In this case I think it's just a Discworld reference. They might as easily have compared it to a broom.

Re:not an axe

[I'm New Around Here]

I'll give you a new "o" here. Let's see if it's the same after four more replacements.

woosh

Re:not an axe

[Anubis IV]

Oh, for a mod point!

Re:not an axe

[I'm New Around Here]

Well, sure, not is standard English. But the story is from Finland. What's the usage of the word 'axe' in Finland?

Re:not an axe

[geekoid]

It's an axe.
As are splitting mauls.
FYI: There are may types of Axe.
Felling, Splitting, Adze, hatchet. Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, and so on.

Re:not an axe

[geekoid]

You can't fell a tree with a Mortising Axe either, but that doesn't mean it's not an axe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A...

Re:not an axe

[Mr. Slippery]

What if you have a rock band, and replace the members one by one, but then the original members re-unite to play their classic tunes, but then both bands go on tour together?

I was delighted to learn that my hometown has a real-life example of the Ship of Theseus conundrum: the USS Constellation.

"Identity" is nothing but a social and mental convention.

Re:not an axe

[lister king of smeg]

Umm... I have to wonder, if you replace everything about a tool over time, is it still the same tool?

Philosophy major sniping agian?

Re:not an axe

[Em Adespoton]

Umm... I have to wonder, if you replace everything about a tool over time, is it still the same tool?

I think there's a famous quote in there somewhere....

http://fuckyeahterrypratchett....

Re:not an axe

[HornWumpus]

Axe a Finn. It's late there now, they'll all be drunk.

Re:not an axe

[Em Adespoton]

A maul has as much relationship to a sledge and wedge as it does to an axe. An axe is meant for chopping (cross grain) and a maul or wedge is meant for splitting with the grain. Doesn't need to be short rounds either -- although the maul and wedge combo is much better for longer rounds as you don't have to worry as much about binding or swinging technique.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

To me axe doesn't imply cutting across the grains, chopping does. While an axe typically is used to cut across the grains many people also use them to split wood as well. Splitting straight grain wood an axe is easier to use than an maul. This device falls more in to the axe category than a maul category due to the lighter head and slim blade. It uses physics to impart some maul characteristics.

I don't think I'd want to chop down a tree with it but I don't see any reason it couldn't be called an axe.

Re:not an axe

[Em Adespoton]

Not an axe, axes are not used to split wood. That is a splitting maul, mauls and wedges are used to split wood. And that is actually probably closer to a froe than a maul.

99% of the population would take one look at that and call it an axe.

You start getting all pedantic, and it just confuses everybody. Maules, froes, wedges....its just axe-nerdery to the rest of us.

Just let us call it an axe.

This is why we cant have nice things without eternal debate.

99% of the population would take one look at my computer and call it a screen. 20 years ago, 99% of the population would look at my monitor and call it a computer. It's not about being pedantic, it's about people who actually use these things getting annoyed at conflation that loses meaning.

Sorta like a copyright violator being called a pirate or a whistleblower being called a terrorist -- or a Robinson screwdriver being called a hex wrench.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

The Finnish word for axe is kirves, and the kind of axe that is used for splitting wood (a maul in English) is known as a halkaisukirves, which means splitting axe

Re:not an axe

[Tyler Durden]

Solving the following riddle will reveal the awful secret behind the universe, assuming you do not go utterly mad in the attempt. If you already happen to know the awful secret behind the universe, feel free to skip ahead.

Let's say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead a man. Don't worry, the man was already dead. Or maybe you should worry, because you're the one who shot him.

He had been a big, twitchy guy with veiny skin stretched over swollen biceps, a tattoo of a swastika on his tongue. Teeth filed into razor-sharp fangs - you know the type. And you're chopping off his head because, even with eight bullet holes in him, you're pretty sure he's about to spring back to his feet and eat the look of terror right off your face.

On the follow-through of the last swing, though, the handle of the ax snaps in a spray of splinters. You now have a broken ax. So, after a long night of looking for a place to dump the man and his head, you take a trip into town with your ax. You go to the hardware store, explaining away the dark reddish stains on the broken handle as barbecue sauce. You walk out with a brand-new handle for your ax.

The repaired ax sits undisturbed in your garage until the spring when, on one rainy morning, you find in your kitchen a creature that appears to be a foot-long slug with a bulging egg sac on its tail. Its jaws bite one of your forks in half with what seems like very little effort. You grab your trusty ax and chop the thing into several pieces. On the last blow, however, the ax strikes a metal leg of the overturned kitchen table and chips out a notch right in the middle of the blade.

Of course, a chipped head means yet another trip to the hardware store. They sell you a brand-new head for your ax. As soon as you get home, you meet the reanimated body of the guy you beheaded earlier. He's also got a new head, stitched on with what looks like plastic weed-trimmer line, and it's wearing that unique expression of "you're the man who killed me last winter" resentment that one so rarely encounters in everyday life.

You brandish your ax. The guy takes a long look at the weapon with his squishy, rotting eyes and in a gargly voice he screams, "That's the same ax that beheaded me!"

IS HE RIGHT?

-John Dies At The End

Re:not an axe

[rossdee]

I seem to remember something about George Washington's axe (you know the one he used to chop down the cherry tree)

Re:not an axe

[rossdee]

I'd rather have a 'Darth Maul' (double ended lightsabre)

Re:not an axe

[rossdee]

It might be good for splitting wood, but not so good for splitting hairs

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a moot question pondered by those that suffer from the illusion that they are deep down somehow unique, there is some force that makes them them.

The reality is it doesn't matter.

Re:not an axe

[Bob_Who]

Yes. Literally.

Re:not an axe

[KozmoStevnNaut]

How would he know the axe? He was dead at the time.

Re:not an axe

[Opportunist]

Since when do we give a shit about whether zombies are right?

But let's play along. From a forensic point of view he would be wrong. No part of the axe you hold in your hands has been involved in the beheading of the person.

Re:not an axe

[Richy_T]

woosh

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

this is a splitting axe/splitter/maul. "Axe" implies cutting across the grain.

No. You're just confusing the sub-type "felling axe" with the general term "axe"; while imagining that "splitting axes" (including mauls and froes) are not "axes".

Blade and handle = axe.

Specific shaped blade and handle = specific sub-type of axe.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

It's amazing that even when someone shows you that you're wrong, you still persist.

A felling axe is not the only type of axe. And not every axe is a felling axe. The thing in TFA is a splitting axe.

Re:not an axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Except that you're the one who is wrong. Literally, technically, pedantically, colloquially...

An axe that cuts across the grain is a felling axe. An axe that cuts with the grain is a splitting axe, such as a maul or froe.

Saying that only a felling axe is an "axe" and every one of the hundreds of other type of axes is somehow not an axe, and doing so repeatedly throughout the thread, is just bullheaded ignorance.

Re:not an axe

[PJ6]

Not an axe, axes are not used to split wood. That is a splitting maul, mauls and wedges are used to split wood. And that is actually probably closer to a froe than a maul.

It's nothing like a froe.

Wrong wood selection

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like someone spent all their time with nice, straight grained woods and not things with nasty interlocking grain. I've seen some woods like Eucalyptus that when hit with an axe were more likely to "peel" than split. That is the split would go around the piece instead of through it. I think this twisting action would make that worse. OTOH, having split a bunch of wood, you often apply a twisting force to open up the split, so on the right wood(s) this could be a good feature.

Re:Wrong wood selection

[Jorgensen]

Well... You probably won't find too much Eucalyptus in Finland...

Re:Wrong wood selection

[Anonymous Coward]

Fucking elm trunks.

Re:Wrong wood selection

[justthinkit]

And don't forgot maple -- seriously warped wood.

Why don't they show a head-to-head comparison. Take a round, split it once. Then two guys with old & new school axes proceed to split the half rounds. A lot easier to perceive a better way.

Re:Wrong wood selection

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't think that'd be healthy for most humans.

Re:Wrong wood selection

[Em Adespoton]

The problem with this is that the swinging technique for an axe, a maul, and this thing would all be different. So you'd need three guys, each an expert at that tool, to split with each of the three blades on a wide selection of rounds (green, dry, knotty, wide-ringed, etc.). That should show a reasonable result.

Yeah.

[Anonymous Coward]

The inventor also claims this tool is much safer because the downward energy that might cause harm is dissipated gradually as rotational energy. So, no abrupt shock, and no deflection.

Except for the whole twisting in your hands part.

weird axe

[smillie]

I cut and hand split a couple of cords of wood every year. There are some woods such as poplar (in the video) or willow that split really easy. There are other woods that can be cracked open at the top by three inches and still need a sledge hammer to split the two halves apart. Without seeing how it works on the tough woods I can't tell how useful this new axe would be.

Re:weird axe

[mackai]

I agree. My wood is mostly a mixture of blackjack and post oak and will split straight only about a third of the time.

Re:weird axe

[silas_moeckel]

Been a long while since I split a lot of wood by hand. A decent log splitter is faster and safer.

Re:weird axe

[Anonymous Coward]

I googled and found a nice thread:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/hand-tools/4-tough-axes-field-tested

"Comparison: The Vipukirves is designed to twist off to one side as soon as it strikes the wood. Seasoned wood splitters know how to do this with a wrist flick, but it's helpful for beginners.

Best For: Vipukirves is ideal for straight-grained wood that is easy to split, like white ash."

So it's a tool that's a crutch for a person who doesn't know technique. (That'd be me!) And the demo is on easy wood. So..... Yawn IMO.

Re:weird axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Being Finland, the wood in the video is much more likely to be birch, which is the favored firewood in Scandinavia.

Re:weird axe

[bobbied]

Been a long while since I split a lot of wood by hand. A decent log splitter is faster and safer.

Literally decades ago, I used to split post oak using a double bit axe. I could split this stuff faster than anybody could with a splitter, especially when it was frozen. It took one swing. There is no splitter I know that is that fast. I'd set op a line of pieces and then just walk up the line popping each. Granted, this was knot free frozen green wood (which is about the best situation you can imagine), but a splitter would have been much slower.

If you have hickory, cured or knotty hardwoods, bring on the splitter. But in that case, this nifty tool won't help you anyway.

Re:weird axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Same here. I've never been able to describe how painful it is when a splitting maul shanks the log, shears off a hand-sized piece of wood, and accelerates it to a blinding speed toward the direction of your groin. Been there, done that, rolled around in the snow for 10 minutes holding my groin before limping away. Would not recommend.

Re:weird axe

[marcgvky]

Totally agree. Good luck splitting red oak with that...

Re:weird axe

[geekoid]

I know someone who used this axe to split red oak. She loved it.

Re:weird axe

[Charliemopps]

Exactly right... and you forgot to mention the wood is frozen in the video. As far as splitting wood goes, frozen wood is basically cheating. There's nothing easier to split then Pine/Poplar that's frozen. Show him splitting some oak in June like that and I'll be impressed.

Re:weird axe

[Em Adespoton]

That's why you wear a full-length lumberman's jacket while splitting. The heavy flannel absorbs the projectiles.

Of course, using a maul swing instead of an axe swing with a maul also helps, as there's little chance of shanking. It also doesn't wear you out in ten minutes.

Re:weird axe

[Anonymous Coward]

birch, not poplar in that video. And birch tends to be hard.

Re:weird axe

[Anonymous Coward]

Yup. I'm glad someone pointed that out.

I had poplar, maple, and (fark it gently with a proton beam) elm.

The poplar, when frozen, would split, I think, before the maul even touched it. I don't have any video to prove it, but it often seemed that way.

Now, elm? Horrible stuff. Gnarly and twisty and tough--even seasoned and frozen. Nabe came over with his hydraulic splitter, and there were some pieces
    where the splitter went "you farkin' kidding me?"

Re:weird axe

[c]

Without seeing how it works on the tough woods I can't tell how useful this new axe would be.

Pretty much my feeling. Straight grained woods like maple, poplar, birch, etc are relatively easy to split by hand. Splitting fibrous woods like cherry or elm without a sledge and wedge is an exercise in frustration, and I suspect the added rotation would do some serious damage to the wrist; it's bad enough having a maul bounce back in a straight line.

Re:weird axe

[Anonymous Coward]

post oak? is that some kind of hip new oak that is just like an oak but better?

Re:weird axe

[samwichse]

Quercus stellata

Maul

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting concept, but decidedly single purpose: wood splitting. Using an axe with that design that to fell a tree, buck limbs or any one of a number of other axe chores would be rather difficult. The Demo video in the link is truly the ideal wood splitting setup. Very short, wide, well seasoned wood setup in a tire base. You could split it just as efficiently with a run of the mill splitting maul (designed as it's name implies) or a regular axe with minimal issues.

Re:Maul

[bobbied]

Totally agree. Where I'd have to try one of these to be sure, given the flexibility of your standard axe, it's hard to imagine this being worth it.

In high School, we used to cut wood for money in the winter. We had a stand of post oak that was 20' to 30' to the first branch (no knots) that dad would chop into about 18" lengths that I got to split. Using a double bit axe, it usually took one swing. The colder it was, the easier it split. It took longer to set up each piece than splitting did.

We had a splitting maul, but I hated it because it was way to heavy. The double bit axe was easier to swing, easier to control and faster. This "new" axe head design looks like a painful experience to me. I can imagine all the side and twisting forces wreaking havoc with your wrists and arms. I remember when I was learning, if you didn't line up the axe head with your swing, it would hurt your wrists. I'm going to bet this "new" design does the same.

One thing I can say about chopping wood for a living.. Sure makes programming and engineering look like a cushy job.

Re:Maul

[gnasher719]

I can imagine all the side and twisting forces wreaking havoc with your wrists and arms.

The instructions tell you not to hold on to the axe handle when it hits the target. Not only because it's bad for the wrist, but the harder you hold on to it, the more you prevent the rotating of the axe head which we are told makes it work so well.

Re:Maul

[bobbied]

I can imagine all the side and twisting forces wreaking havoc with your wrists and arms.

The instructions tell you not to hold on to the axe handle when it hits the target. Not only because it's bad for the wrist, but the harder you hold on to it, the more you prevent the rotating of the axe head which we are told makes it work so well.

Oh that's a great idea. Let go of a fast moving, sharp piece of metal hurtling though the air. Yea, this inverter isn't very bright and violates the first rule of splitting with an axe (after wearing steal toed boots), don't let go of the axe handle during your swing.

Re:Maul

[Em Adespoton]

One thing I can say about chopping wood for a living.. Sure makes programming and engineering look like a cushy job.

Well, sometimes I pine for the days of splitting wood. There's no amount of technique that'll compensate for the beating that my wrists get from using a keyboard all day.

Re:Maul

[epine]

Yea, this inverter isn't very bright and violates the first rule of splitting with an axe (after wearing steal toed boots), don't let go of the axe handle during your swing.

No, the first rule of using an axe is to either use an axe with a long handle, or a hatchet, but never anything in between.

I'm not much worried about my toes wielding a long-handled axe, but I am worried about more distal objects (and people) in the plane of the swinging motion. Medium-handled axes are for crazy people who never much liked walking around in the first place, or who get an unbearable itch to perform a District 9 pedicure.

Re:Maul

[bobbied]

Good point, taken...

Re:Maul

[Richy_T]

I cedar what you did there.

PIty

[Jmc23]

Smart enough to use his brain to compensate for his poor technique.

Unfortunately, not smart enough to actually develop something that wont exacerbate the underlying physical reasons for his poor technique.

Not at that price

[unfortunateson]

They're selling those things for close to 200 Euros, plus shipping.
The Home Depot sells splitting mauls for $30-$40.
With mass production, the prices should be similar, but not until the price comes way down would I even consider it.

Re:Not at that price

[bobbied]

They're selling those things for close to 200 Euros, plus shipping. The Home Depot sells splitting mauls for $30-$40.

Back in High School, I used to cut and split wood to heat the house and sell for a living during the winter. I think you are right, this thing is way too expensive. Personally, give me your standard axe, hammer and wedges, skip the splitting maul. What you cannot pop with the axe, split with wedges or a powered splitter. Skip the splitting maul and this 200 Euro fad. They are not worth it, if the goal is to get the job done.

Re:Not at that price

[jovius]

The price of this one won't come down easily. It's almost thoroughly hand made from a man of the woods to another and comes with 10 year guarantee. Sure mass production would bring the price down but it would still be expensive. It's a high quality designer tool nevertheless. Quick searching shows that splitting mauls can go over $100 too. From the description / faq it's evident that a whole lot of thinking how to improve the axe experience has been put to practice.

Re:Not at that price

[Anonymous Coward]

Forget this axe. It doesn't solve any problems, but if I ever split wood again, I want that tire!

I look forward to seeing that axe

[geekoid]

in the next zombie movie.

Oblig B. Kliban Cartoon- Unnatural Ax with a Sheep

[Anonymous Coward]

Then there's this - Unnatural Ax with a Sheep

Try Google.

[Gorobei]

The axe has been with us for thousands of years, with its design changing very little during that time. After all, how much can you really alter a basic blade-and-handle?

Well, a simple Google image search for "axe catalog" shows 42 different axe heads sold by the Shapleigh company in 1929.

So, the answer would seem to be "quite a lot."

Re:Try Google.

[14erCleaner]

I'm reminded of the trite comment about "reinventing the wheel". There are a lot of different wheels out there (check the Discount Tire website, for example).

Adze

[Anonymous Coward]

already has the attributes described, and is excellent for splitting wood, in addition - the adze has the blade oriented perpendicular to an axe, causing it to fail very differently on loss of control. Both suck if you entirely miss the workpiece, of course.

Re:Adze

[Em Adespoton]

Never got to use an adze, but always thought that it looked like a good idea for certain surfaces. Used a sharpened pickaxe for hollowing and debarking, which is where an adze is usually used. Probably would have been easier/safer with an adze handle.

For splitting wood.

[edibobb]

This might be good for splitting wood, but there are a lot more uses for an axe. This axe wouldn't work well for most other uses.

Re:For splitting wood.

[Anonymous Coward]

What about for chickens?

Re:For splitting wood.

[turning in circles]

Good point. How about splitting Orcs?

Re:For splitting wood.

[I'm New Around Here]

I don't think chickens would be able to use this one too well. They don't have the wrist strength for it.

Re:For splitting wood.

[iroll]

Good point! Also, a standard axe might be good for other uses, but less effective at splitting wood.

Re:For splitting wood.

[bobbied]

This might be good for splitting wood....

I don't think it is all that good. I'm worried that this splitter will be rough on the user's wrists and forearms. This splitter might be OK, but I think your standard axe would be just as fast for a lot less money. I used to be pretty fast with a simple double bit axe way back in high school, but we where doing it for money (selling stove/fireplace wood). Usually only took one swing, and I spent most of my time setting up pieces to split. I don't think this new design would have changed that.

Re:For splitting wood.

[geekoid]

IT's awesome. You cut the neck and it causes the head to spin really fast until it hits the ground.
HOWEVER, it is only practical for level 5 or above.

Re:For splitting wood.

[Em Adespoton]

I don't think chickens would be able to use this one too well. They don't have the wrist strength for it.

They've got the pecs for it though :D

Re:For splitting wood.

[Sir Holo]

This might be good for splitting wood, but there are a lot more uses for an axe. This axe wouldn't work well for most other uses.

Well, you never do know.

Axe-murdering, for example, might benefit from this innovation. I am not sure about the mechanics of axe-murdering, but I do imagine that this could be applied beneficially to the purpose with some modification of technique.

Of course, axe-murderers are probably not likely to "refine" their technique before employing it, but you never know.

Re:For splitting wood.

[evilviper]

This might be good for splitting wood, but there are a lot more uses for an axe. This axe wouldn't work well for most other uses.

An ax is terrible at splitting wood. A maul / wedge is a very specific tool, that isn't good at any other job a normal ax can do.

Saying this weird ax does better at wood splitting than a normal chopping ax, without comparing it to a wedge/maul, is stupid and pointless.

Balanced Equipment

[wisnoskij]

There is a reason we like balanced knives, axes, etc.

Unbalanced axes are dangerous, hard to use, and hard on the person using them.

There is no way this is actually anything but a defective axe.

Re:Balanced Equipment

[Tablizer]

Another thing that struck me* is that metal and metal working was relatively expensive in the olden days. Deflective wing-like doo-dads may improve safety, but perhaps at the cost of more metal and/or metal-working effort. Remember, they didn't value individual lives as much back then: life was brutal and short and they accepted that. (Besides, if you put an eye out, you always had a second career as a pirate :-)

* No pun intended

Re:Balanced Equipment

[Anonymous Coward]

OOOOooooor you just don't know what you are talking about.

Re:Balanced Equipment

[Anonymous Coward]

(Besides, if you put an eye out, you always had a second career as a pirate :-)

Pirates did not wear eye patches because they were missing an eye.

Re:Balanced Equipment

[RazorSharp]

Although I won't be trying this thing out because it's not worth the cost, I can see the advantages it offers. I think your haste to jump to a negative conclusion is a poor attitude, especially on a place like /. where geeks mull over novel ideas such as this.

Personally, I have my reservations about this idea -- it seems like it would be ideal for easy to split wood but the tough stuff not so much. Basically, because of the weight limitation the automatic rotation doesn't seem like it will matter so much. It still has the same limitation of a regular axe - weight. A maul/wedge combo still seems like it would be better.

I'd still like to try it myself to put it to the test. Perhaps if they go into mass production and show up at Lowes for ~$50 I'd pick one up. If it's the miracle axe the video portrays it'd save me a helluva a lot of time and energy. I have my doubts, but I have even greater doubts about your description of a "defective axe."

Fiskars the leading manufaturer of Axes would disa

[Anonymous Coward]

Fiskars refers to them as Axes.

http://www2.fiskars.com/Gardening-and-Yard-Care/Products/Axes-and-Striking-Tools

The real invention: Tire to hold pieces

[mspohr]

The splitting maul is interesting but it may take some getting used to and many not catch on...
However, from the video I see that he uses an old tire to hold the round and this keeps the pieces from flying all over the place. This is actually a great idea!

Re:The real invention: Tire to hold pieces

[I'm New Around Here]

Now if only I could be a used tire to be 3D printed, I would have the perfect setup.

.
What? There are easier ways to get used tires?

Re:The real invention: Tire to hold pieces

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree... saw the tire and wish I had had a tire when I was growing up and was splitting wood!

Re:The real invention: Tire to hold pieces

[Anonymous Coward]

Quick! Patent it before someone else does

Re:The real invention: Tire to hold pieces

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "...I could be a used tire to be 3D printed..."

Garble words using garble finding traction garble dictionary rotation.

What. The. Hell?

Re:The real invention: Tire to hold pieces

[Reziac]

Yeah, that was the part that impressed me too. And it would be easy to drop in smaller tires to size it down for smaller rounds. Where was this when I was splitting wood all the time??

I still have the axe. :)

You want re-inventing?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's neat, but re-inventing means something totally different.

Ever used one of those spiral log splitters you replace a car wheel with? Now that is completely different. And ridiculously fast, too.

GAS

[NotQuiteReal]

I heat with natural gas (if at all). I don't even know if burning wood is legal anymore in California...

Re:GAS

[whoever57]

I heat with natural gas (if at all). I don't even know if burning wood is legal anymore in California...

I *think* (IANAL) that it is legal as long as it isn't a "spare the air" day and even on those days, it is still legal to burn wood if that is your sole means of heating.

Axe-maul FTW

[Anonymous Coward]

The wood FLIES apart.

Dictionary definition

[CauseBy]

Not to be pedantic, but my nearest dictionary (the Dictonary application on my Mac) defines "ax" as

1. a tool typically used for chopping wood

Moreover, in my opinion (whatever it's good for) the difference between those two tools is that a splitting maul is a big, wide-angled wedge. Truly the wide wedge makes it easier to split wood, but an axe can also split wood, and in any case this tool is to skinny to meet my personal expectations of a maul. Finally, maul is defined as

1. a tool with a heavy head and a handle, used for tasks such as ramming, crushing, and driving wedges

Therefore, I see your pedantry and raise you two dictionary definitions.

Ron Popeil

[Princeofcups]

Like the Pocket Fisherman et al, I'm sure this will have a few fanatical buyers who become very proficient in using it, but for most the more common item is probably better.

Yes

[CauseBy]

Yep. And there it is, the diversification of the market: the same reason we have both dustbrooms and pushbrooms; the reason we have both cement mixers and racecars.

More savings from work flow.

[Anonymous Coward]

Splitting the wood at the pile has proven to be a work drain
on our farm. Much better to split the wood right where it
is cut! THen you load it once, and unload it onto the stack - once.

If you haul your logs to your pile, and then split, you have to
handle each piece of wood one more time (at least).

So if your in the bush, you likely haven't got that tire thing
to contain the log, which would be "rotationally" spun
of your chopping block every time.

Don't see much of a win for me here. .. and I WAS just out yesterday chopping away in the bush!

How is this new?

[mark-t]

As soon as I saw the picture of it, I recognized it as being the same as one that I saw someone using at a campsite I was at in the 1990's. I don't recall the exact year, but I remember the guy saying that it chopped wood a lot easier when I asked about it (I didn't even recognize it as an axe until he used it, where every single blow split his target in only one swing).

Not Reinvented, Hyperspecialized

[Anonymous Coward]

Axes are used for other things. He's made a great woodsplitting axe, which is great for people willing to spend a fortune on axes that only do one thing that axes are used for. Alternatively you could chop a hole, and use an actually wedge, which you hit with the opposite side of the axe. It takes just as little energy, and leaves the axe far cheaper and more versatile.

This is why no one has reinvented the wheel.

Re:Not Reinvented, Hyperspecialized

[PPH]

"Here's Johnny!"

I found a solution to this problem years ago

[wcrowe]

When I was a kid in the 70's, fireplaces were all the rage. When my father finished out the basement he had a Franklin fireplace installed. Of course this meant that one of my chores was splitting wood. And the wood we had was oak, which usually cannot be split with an axe, and requires wedges and a sledgehammer to split. Most of the time I didn't mind the work, but chores are chores and not a lot of fun.

I decided there had to be a better solution to the wood-splitting problem, and when I became an adult and bought my own house I came up with a fantastic solution: I bought a house without a wood fireplace. I haven't split wood in 27 years. Problem solved.

Of course, if some of you Grizzly Adams wannabes like this sort of thing, knock yourselves out. To each his own. :-)

Re:I found a solution to this problem years ago

[Em Adespoton]

Grizzly Adams wouldn't use such a thing; he'd just carry a double-bladed axe -- the multi-purpose tool for all situations including defending against a pack of wolves or a mountain lion.

Little known fact.

[funwithBSD]

Floki invented this, and Ragnar would have ruled the world if he had not laughed his ass off when he saw it.

Nope

[Charliemopps]

I split wood for exercise. (also I have a fireplace) That's not an Axe, it's a maul. Using an axe to split would would be awful.

Secondly, the woods frozen. So he's cheating. With a maul from home depot I could do the same. When frozen, wood basically shatters because the water inside it is frozen. People that actually want to chop would fast always do it in the winter. Those of us that don't care about efficiency (I mean, really... how much wood do you need?) just do it whenever.

Re:Nope

[Whorhay]

Wood was also probably traditionally chopped in the winter time because during the warmer months there was too much other work that had to be accomplished right away.

As Mr.Burns would say...

[Anonymous Coward]

Axe-cellent.

New Axe Design

[Anonymous Coward]

Anyone who has split a cord of wood knows that the trick is not in the axe but in carefully chosing the log that you're going to split. Logs without knots split easily. Those with knots give any axe problems.

Overpriced gimmick

[umrguy76]

This maul (not an axe) actually looks more prone to glancing off and causing an injury, just look at the head bounce and twist on impact. I've split countless cords of wood a $40 13lb steel maul that is still working just fine after 25 years. This is a gimmick IMHO.

price?

[belmolis]

I wonder why it is so insanely expensive (US$250). That won't help it catch on.

Re:price?

[Cruciform]

Good tools are expensive.
Someone that makes an income selling firewood can really boost their output with one of these.

Wrist Pain

[Anonymous Coward]

Good point. It looks like this will tear up your wrists.

Easy answer

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you the same person than from 7 years ago? You don't have the same cells.

Materials tech

[PPalmgren]

This wouldn't have been possible 200 years ago. We didn't have the kind of metals that would stand up to the long term punishment with that kind of constant torque long term.

Enjoyed reading the article the first time

[Cruciform]

The Geek.com article seems so close to the Boing Boing article I read last week I'd be surprised if he didn't just shift a couple of words around.

Old News

[Plumpaquatsch]

This axe received the InnoFinland honorary award in 2005. http://www.vipukirves.fi/english/description.htm

Business is ... axes? or split firewood?

[Rudisaurus]

I watched a few promotional videos for the Vipukirven on YouTube. People lined up at trade shows to try out this new axe, and the promo guys were kept busy heaping the resulting split firewood onto a huge pile. It occurred to me that touring a "new axe" around to trade shows and getting passers-by to split enormous piles of wood for you for free is a great business model for a firewood vendor ...

Of course, if you can sell the occasional axe (for US$200+), so much the better!

Re:Business is ... axes? or split firewood?

[jittles]

I watched a few promotional videos for the Vipukirven on YouTube. People lined up at trade shows to try out this new axe, and the promo guys were kept busy heaping the resulting split firewood onto a huge pile. It occurred to me that touring a "new axe" around to trade shows and getting passers-by to split enormous piles of wood for you for free is a great business model for a firewood vendor ... Of course, if you can sell the occasional axe (for US$200+), so much the better!

Probably cheaper to hire a couple of migrant workers than it is to pay the cost of attending a tradeshow.

More axe than maul

[Taxman415a]

You can call this thing whatever you want, but at 1.9kg (4lb) and a narrow angle cutting wedge, it's closer to an axe than a maul. A maul is heavier, often 8 to 16 lbs and has a much steeper sloped wedge to split with both kinetic energy and wedging action. An axe of course has a narrower sloped cutting edge to bite in more. This also has nothing to do with a froe which is use with a mallet and a lever action without kinetic energy to control a split. And you can definitely split wood with an axe. You just have to rotate the axe at the point of impact in a similar way to what this tool is supposedly designed to do automatically. The technique for splitting wood with an axe was probably the inspiration for this tool.

Yes, but can you cut down a tree with...

[Anonymous Coward]

a HERRING!

Re:Yes, but can you cut down a tree with...

[gmhowell]

a HERRING!

179 responses, and this is the best Monty Python reference we can get? Not a single mention of skipping and jumping or pressing wildflowers.

Slashdot is truly dying.

Re:Yes, but can you cut down a tree with...

[Anonymous Coward]

It's dying since 1 line fart posting trolls like you infested it.

Genius

[Sir Holo]

The inventor used Newtonian physics (300+ years old) to improve on an iron-age (2000-3000 years old) device. And he did it well.

That takes some real balls. I hope he's patented the hell out of it.

depends on if you have money

[Anonymous Coward]

if you don't have money (i.e. can't pay a fine) nobody will bother you for anything.

if you have money, you will get tickets for "rolling stops", tinted windows too dark, no front license plate, not having your parking brake on (on a flat surface with an automatic), etc. etc.

If you don't look like citizen, running a flower stand on the side of the road, dropping your empty boxes... no problem on your illegal, untaxed, unlicensed business, littering status... you can't pay, the state doesn't care. Here, have an EIB card.

This is not a new technology.

[cyn1c77]

Anyone who knows how to properly split wood is already doing what this funny looking axe does with their wrists.

1. Buy a basic splitting axe. This is the one with the wide ramped head.
2. Learn to twist the axe head during impact to split the wood more effectively.
3. Look like a man.

I mean, come on, if you want the modern version of the axe to make it easier to split wood, buy a Sawzall.

Axes

[Anonymous Coward]

That was "movie wood". Think of the scene in the Star Trek movie where Kirk is splitting wood with the greatest of ease. Try this axe with, say, Hedge or some other wood that has a curvy and stringy grain, and it's not going to work any better than a regular axe. Splitters were invented to counter the fact that most all wood is harder to split than movie wood.

Also: My dad makes a hobby of locating and restoring very old tools, axes being among them. The difference between an old axe made of good steel vs. modern ones is amazing. The new ones are crap.

@ $215,

[Anonymous Coward]

it would be very safe for me

It's a splitting axe, not a general purpose axe.

[RockDoctor]

Splitting axes have their uses - i.e. splitting. All very well and good if splitting logs is what you need to do. Most of the axe work I have had to do has been much more varied - felling trees that are wind-blown and hung up, snedding, maintenance of rides, coppicing - involving much more varied work. In particular, this axe is "handed", probably right-handed, so it would be hard to use left-handed or for striking left-to-right.

It's probably very good for splitting. But I've only ever done a couple of weeks of regular splitting, and a standard felling axe was perfectly good for that, and could do other jobs too. I'll stick with a standard axe, or for close and varied work, a billhook.