Or conversely, maybe those giving a clean bill of health to a particular axe just have no clue what they’re talking about and why the axe is awful. People often ask, on what angle should i sharpen my splitting maul? Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. It’s obvious that a splitting maul shouldn’t be as sharp as something like an axe, because after all, it is used for splitting wood not chopping a tree down. That is not always the cause, as some wood is naturally more hard to split, hence making the splitting maul bounce off even if it’s not blunt, but most of the time it really depends on whether the edge has some sharpness to it, or is absolutely blunt. how to tell if your axe is ground properly. Should You Split Firewood Green Or Seasoned? The edge of the sharpened axe should feel at least as sharp as the folded side of a piece of paper that has been folded over once. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Use Coupon Code "PRECISION10" at checkout. You might also want to get a file card to brush off any material that get’s built up on the file as the time goes on, to make it perform at its best. A pair of light cotton gloves will protect your hands and fingers from nicks and cuts, which can be nasty if you make your axe very sharp. This figure may be less than 20 °. Generally speaking, you should aim for a 45 degree angle, but if you have doubt, just run your finger along the maul’s edge, and it should give you an idea on what angle to sharpen it. If so, apply the grinder to the … The next most important way to ensure quality in your axe is to choose the right axe for the job you’re going to do. Also, Bernie Weisgerber, author of the US Forest Service Axe Manual "An Axe to Grind" says, "A correctly honed edge is sharp with no wire edge. As with any edge tool, an axe should be as sharp as possible. This is enough to perform minor tasks on wood processing (e.g., logs or cut small trees). There should be no nicks or gouges on the cutting surface. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I suggest buying a longer one, such as the suggested 12 inch (31 cm), because it will be easier to use, and after all, you will be able to use it on more than just sharpening a maul. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Problem is, it’s actually quite controversial. I would recommend to hit up the maul with a file every time you are about to go split some wood. In either case, finding the right balance could be tricky, but with experience should become easier. While Supplies Last! This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. These files come in many types and sizes, with handle or without. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Or even a perceived notion of perfection. The convexity of the grind is proportional to the hardness of the wood to be cut. You can see in the Ox 620 H and others that the head is wider than the Iltis making it better for splitting, and thinner than the splitting axes making it a good match for the work the Iltis does. Forging of course is also one of the keys to a strong and reliable tool. While red hot, the Ochsenkopf axe head is shaped on a forging press (probably similar to this in many respects) until a red hot blade is created, then extra material is trimmed off. Every wood handled tool needs some additional handle care, and for a maul it’s not an exception – every season coat it with a nice layer of boiled linseed oil, to prevent from drying and cracking which can lead to premature breaking. For starters, despite a very small amount of online chatter about Ochsenkopf casting their axe heads, they actually do forge them. Not to mention that there are very few negative things online about Ochsenkopf, which is surprising on the internet in this day. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Iltis features a thinner blade, which is springy and made of special steel to prevent breaking. I love firewood – i burn it, stack it and process it. As you can see, if one were to try to use the splitting axe to fell a tree or prune limbs, you would have less success, likewise with using the Iltis to split. Take your maul, rest it on a stool, chair, table, or put it in a vice, if you have one to keep it in place. There’s no need to go overboard with thick gloves – in fact that may well make the process more cumbersome and time-consuming. It also comes with a handle, so you won’t have to attach a separate one. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. All you really need is a bastard’s file (link to Amazon). So as you encounter online axe experts and become one yourself, make sure you do good research to ensure the information you find is good. To perform a more precise job, experts advise, the angle should be of 15 or 20 °. In other words, what was learned may not be correct and so what has become one person’s measure of quality may not actually be the right way to identify how good an axe is. To help those who know nothing about axes separate the wheat from the chaff in online forums, and to hopefully help all of us identify whether an axe we’ve bought is good or not, we’ll be looking at what “normal” is for a given axe head, because it’s important to use the right axe for the job and of course, proper care of your axe, once you’ve found it acceptable, is also important. Splitting axes are made with a much wider striking face – akin to a hammer – making the job of splitting much easier. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. For felling trees, lopping off tree limbs, debarking and general tree care, the Ox 10 H and others in the Iltis series by Ochsenkopf have the ideal shape. A general rule is to sharpen the axe blade at an angle of 25 ° to 30 °. Make a purchase of over $150 of Klein Tools products to receive one FREE Klein Tools Wall Clock. Subscribe to receive news regarding special offers, free giveaways, and once-in-a-lifetime deals. Then, maybe try a few things on your own so you can set people straight in online forums, and when you get your axe you’ll be able to tell if it’s good right away! When you sharpen your axe, you should wear gloves of some sort. Actually, if the edge on your maul is blunt, it will often times bounce off the wood you are trying to split. Unlike most edge tools, an axe should have a convex grind, as the mechanics of its action depend on splitting as well as cutting. You simply don’t need those tools to achieve a basic edge on your tool, and even then, power tools like those can ruin the maul’s edge, making it brittle and useless.
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