They are an indispensable tool for any camping or outdoor excursion. Familiarization with the different styles (splitting, hand axe, splitting maul, etc.) and safe handling procedures will ensure you will get probably the most out of your new tool. First, make sure you have selected the right tool for the job. The hand axe, as the name implies, is made for single-handed use and is most suitable for cutting small firewood or thinning branches. Hand axes might have either wood or metal hafts (or handles). Viking axe for sale  An excellent rule of thumb is always to count on a hand axe for anything up to 3″ in diameter. Larger than that, and it’s time to upgrade to a bow saw or two handed instrument.

To create down live trees, a felling axe is required. Felling axes are made with various head weights and haft lengths – be sure to choose a size that is comfortable enough to wield safely. A medium-size felling axe generally includes a 3.5-4.5 pound head and 30-35 inch haft, with larger axes sporting heads up to 6 pounds. In any event, whether you are working with hand axes or felling axes, keep carefully the blade masked when not being used and never leave your axe outside overnight or in wet weather. An excellent felling axe is just a very valuable tool which will last a lifetime if properly cared for. Make sure you keep carefully the axe head well oiled to avoid rust, and sharpen the axe with a carborundum stone when necessary.

If you plan to utilize your axe primarily to split seasoned wood, consider purchasing a Scandinavian-style splitting axe. These splitting axes have a wedge-shaped head which can be perfect for wood splitting but poorly fitted to felling work. Scandinavian splitting axes frequently have shorter handle lengths than other two handed axes, and commonly count on a 3 pound head, although other sizes are usually available. Larger splitting axes might be known as splitting mauls. These kind of tools normally have much heavier heads, and have a straight handle, instead of the curved handle. Turnaround hooks are frequently shaped on the end of a mauls splitting head to be able to help with flipping logs over during the splitting process.