Moved into our new home couple of weeks ago. We haven’t even given the fire a thought until it was rather chilly this evening. I found myself splitting logs with an old kitchen knife and a hammer!

I need an axe but what kind?

Gransfors FTW. End of thread.

I have a splitting axe (gert big heavy job) and a wee hatchet. Both Husqvarna, both cheap from some internet legwork, and both seemingly really good quality / lasting well (until a mate borrowed hatchet and it came back with lumps out of the edge where he had cut down onto rock…)

Not Draper. The handles appear to be made of the pith from inside bamboo stalks.

Or there’s the Roselli axes, which are rather nice.
http://www.moonrakerknives.co.uk/roselli.html
http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalog/Axes-by-Gransfors-Bruks.html
Gransfors axes are properly hand-forged, and have a quality hickory handle. I was watching a bloke hand forging axe-heads last weekend, serious no-messing stuff. Once they’ve been sharpened and heat-treated, his axe heads go for more than a complete Gransfors axe; they’re damned good value, and can be kept hair-shaving sharp.
Buy quality, buy once.

Depends on what you want.

If you just want something purely functional, get a Husqvarna, or check on Amazon for other deals, plenty out there.

If, however, you want an artisan made axe, Gransfors (mentioned above) is a good place to start. There are other makers of equally as nice or even nicer axes out there too.

Here’s one bespoke maker out of Latvia that my inner nerd has been drooling over…

Neeman Tools – Latvia

two of mine:

A gransfors bruks scandanavian forest axe for splitting coppice poplar up to about 8″ and a cheap ugly maul with plastic handle for smashing open anything more reluctant. The gransfors cost me about £55 and it’s a thing of beauty to work with.

CountZero them there Gransfors are nice.

How about size advice. What will I need?

Fiskars X27

Got one of these a few months ago and it is really very good.

Few posts whilst I was typing. Stoner has it with a maul and the smaller forest axe.

How do you keep an edge on an axe?

Either the Forest axe or Outdoor axe, unless you’re going for serious tree-felling, I can’t see you needing anything very much bigger.
A splitting wedge might come in handy, as well.
Others might have different suggestions, though. 😀

Gransfors do a circular sharpening stone for touching the edge up, or you can use proper waterstones, which are a bit pricey.
http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalog/Axe-Sharpening.html

also check out hultafors bruks

this onecost a fraction of the price of the equivalent from gransfors. Not quite so nicely finished but very good quality. Other sizes avaliable.
Couple with a cheap maul for splitting.
The gransfors sharpening puck is thirty odd quid, lansky about a tenner.

I have a pile of whetstones that belonged to my grandfather and my father and now me. The maul gets very little attention but the gransfors gets a good work over back to a razor finish after each day’s use. I also have a stamped steel billhook but since it’s not forged it’s a git to keep sharp. Im on the look out for an antique one.

Stoner, you should have been at Treefest at Westonbirt last weekend; there were a couple of stalls there specialising in old tools, there looked like quite a few bill hooks of one sort or another there.
I’ve just found a leaflet for one of them:
http://www.antiquetools.co.uk/toolbox.php?category=Axes,%20chisels%20etc

I’ll find one eventually. Need to do some junk store rummaging.
I did manage to find a nice old pitchfork for £4 today at a local car boot sale after Rugby training. Been looking for one for ages.

US Forest Service An Axe to Grind in pdf

Or the video
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Xz3rs-eaN3E[/video]

If you are just splitting logs, you’ll be better off with a log splitting maul, not an axe.

Bugger designer stuff. Any old maul will last centuries. Handles break eventually. Ditto axes. Expensive is nice but I bet you any farmer or old time wood splitter uses what ever is about, probably from their granddad. Ex army stuff is fine.

Maul’s are pain for wood that is easy to split. They send the blocks off into the distance and you can’t reach them without moving. Axe best for this.
Chainsaw for anything awkward.

Budget?

Got one of those 8lb log splitters from screwfix, does the job ok for me.

If you are just splitting logs, you’ll be better off with a log splitting maul, not an axe.

as matt says, that’s not entirely true. It depends on what you’re splitting both in size and species. Two-handed lifting of an 8lb maul for splitting 6″ poplar or willow is a waste of effort. As is throwing a 2.5lb cutting axe at wet 50yr old, 2′ diameter, poplar trunk or 6″ seasoned oak bough.

Aldi are doing axes this Thursday:

https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-5th-september/

I’m going to get one of the larger ones; no idea if it will be any good, but Aldi stuff tends to be alright.