Fiskar’s X27 Splitting Axe
A great remedy to a “Splitting Headache”
Renewable Heat Source…
I split a LOT of wood. I’ve heated my home with wood harvested via sustainable forestry techniques for years. I won’t cut down a healthy tree unless it poses a hazard, and I prefer to cut trees that fall naturally on my property. The only problem is that these trees don’t always fall in convenient areas. A 12” long, 24” diameter piece of white oak weighs over 200 lbs. I’m not saying that I can’t carry that across a stream, and up and down hills to get it to the tractor, but I am saying that I really don’t want to. I have to lighten that load – I have to split that round where it fell.
A Splitting Headache
Traditionally, a splitting maul uses a simple formula to get the job done, Force = Mass X Acceleration. The majority of the force came from the mass of the maul – usually 8-12 lbs. The blades are traditionally wide and dull, and they take a lot of work to swing. A 24” round would take between 3 -6 good solid whacks to split. Each half now weighs about 100lbs, a much easier carry. Repeat that process for the 60+ rounds you’ll get from a 65’ tree and that’s one heck of a workout – THEN you have to carry the 120 – 100lb pieces out of the forest… OUCH. Ounces make pounds, and pounds make pain – the easier I can make the splitting, the easier my work load. The FIskars X27 Super Splitting Axe makes it easier. This axe will split a 24” diameter 1’ piece of white oak in 1 or two swings – My neighbor thought it was a magic trick…
What Sorcery is this???
Axes have remained the same for literally hundreds of years, and I’ve got quite a few of them. The Fiskars X27 Super Splitting Axe is something very different. Traditional splitting mauls are big, heavy and dull. The X27 is a small head, light axe, and it’s very sharp. The radical geometry of the head is something quite different from other splitters. There was some serious engineering put into the design of this thing. What a maul does with mass, the X27 does with head speed, sharpness and shape. The sharp blade and fast head speeds provide penetration into the round. The steep wedge shape of the head violently forces these rounds apart. It’s simply a better design and I go through more wood faster and with less effort than with a traditional splitting maul.
My Final Axe to Grind
The FIskars X27 is not a cheap splitting axe. In a world of $20 8lb fiberglass handle mauls, this axe retails for nearly $100. I was able to find one on sale for $49 – still 2.5 times the cost of a cheap maul. I split 12 – 16 cords / year – often 3-4 cords by hand. This axe saves me literal hours of work – and therefore hours of pain / recuperation time.
At six pounds, it’s light enough that I’ll take it into the woods with me when I’m cutting up trees – just in case. I keep it mounted on the hauling tractor – just in case. I’ve even felled trees with it in a pinch.
The X27 Splitting Axe has a lifetime warranty, but from what I’ve read, the handle is indestructible (I may have even run over it with the tractor a few times). This is modern engineering put on an ancient task, and it really shows. My mauls sit idle on the wall – the Fiskars X27 has replaced them. After 2 years of sitting on the tractor, it developed minor surface rust. After a few splits, that rust was worn away. I’ve never had to sharpen this axe – that alone is a statement. I could not suggest the X27 Splitting Axe enough. This is a total game changer in the science of splitting wood.
About the Author / David Tung lginstruction@gmail.com
Dave has been a firearms instructor / competitive shooter in New England for the past 2 decades. He volunteers training people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community in self defense and defensive firearms skills. He is an NRA Training Counselor and a MA LEOSA instructor. You can contact him at lginstruction@gmail.com
