I have a few axes which are fine for the usual ash which I cut, a 36“ 3.5 lbs felling axe which does most of my splitting; ash being easy to split. For splitting back up in the case of broken handles there is a 32“ felling axe 4lbs. Recently I also got a 29“ German style thin bladed axe 1250 gms. beautiful for limbing and breaking up small branches. The recent storms brought down a lot of trees which I’m getting through. One big spruce of many branches which is very knotty will certainly require a maul. Most of it broke off barring the main trunk of 28 inches circumference. Felling that with a 14inch bar was fun. It obeyed my calculations.
A maul is not a refined tool so I wasn’t prepared to spend a lot of money just to process one tree. How cheap did I go? Very. From Screwfix a splitting set for 37.45 euro comprising a maul/wedge/hatchet with hickory handles. The wedge is a diamond type coming to a point which is easy to insert in a crack.
Hickory handle on the maul was a bit thick but here goes. Third strike I broke it inside the head. Oh! Still plenty of handle so I refitted it and when I cleaned out the wedges (wood and ring type) I noticed that the eye of the maul was not the normal one associated with striking tools. There was a step in the interior half way up of 1.5 mm. allowing for a flare when the wedge is hammered home. As the handle broke at that point I thought that perhaps the too sudden transition had caused the break. Out came my file and I smoothed out the interior of the eye to a more gradual flare. Cheap tools are really a kit but I enjoy getting them to function like much more expensive ones. Rehandled the maul worked until the it broke inside the head again in a different place. Hmm! I have the receipt, yes, no I’ll go on. Bad hickory, excessively kiln dried wood can be brittle, my theory. I keep a few billets of riven ash about for handles so I set to making a new one. More filing on the eye. There you are, what you see, 32 inch handle with a pommel. Head 4.85 lbs. which is comfortable to swing and it performs beautifully on the spruce. The baby hatchet once sharpened helped to rough out the handle. On an obdurate round the wedge persuaded with the sledge works. All good. (using safety glasses)
