I was just about to say the nearly exact same thing. I was comfortable splitting kindling before the first time I saw this, and today was at least the third time, maybe fourth or fifth over the last few years I've watched it from start to finish. It just never hurts to get a refresher course, a good reminder, of all the all-too-easy ways to get REALLY hurt FAST doing anything axe/hatchet related. Someone mentioned watching this is way faster than a 6 hour E-room visit and they were right, but then how long is the wounded finger or thumb a handicap when you get back to work? I've had cuts that would have been easily enough avoided had I slowed down just a hair, or paid just a bit more attention - things I should have known better than to let happen at all - that because of being broke and too lazy/ignorant/proud whatever, didn't get stitched up, I was still dealing with 6 or even more months later. Certain cuts just don't heal if you can't quit using that hand, so these 18 minutes spent watching this again while I laced up my boots and got ready to head out for the day took no extra time out of my day but will be fresh and shiny in my memory for another long time. It's been a long time now since I've had a bad cut, but that was just something dumb I should have known not to do. Next time I get a bad one, and it's just a high and likely risk that's always there when we do things like this as often as some of us do, it'll probably be because I did something too quickly and wasn't thinking as clearly as I should have been. It happens to the best of us, but videos like these can sure help make a person think about what they're doing just a little more to keep those risks down, no matter how experienced they think they are. Thank you sir, and be safe!
An 18 minute video is much shorter than I 6 hour emergency room visit fir stitches. Thanks for sharing. I am brand new to the axe/ hatchet world and do appreciate it.
You certainly take the thought processes of handling an axe to a high level. I've never really considered all I know about swinging mauls, axes and hatchets in terms other than grabbing one and putting it to work accomplishing the task at hand. I grew up in the early 50's where situational necessity put me in the position to swing some of these tools by the time I was 7 or 8. I know, it sounds like a load of bunk...but its God's honest truth. We lived just about as close to Mother Earth as you could...but we ate well and kept warm in the winter. All we knew was what had to be done and who had to do it. We were totally unaware of 'brand name' of any product and we used mauls, double bit and pole axes that would probably be considered clubs by today's standards. I don't know if its frowned upon to suggest my own video, but if you'd like please feel free to spend a minute eyeballing a couple of them. I've commented a time or two on your videos and feel you are a 'back to nature' kind of guy that may be receptive to the way a poor boy like me learned his way up and down an axe handle. ua-cam.com/video/jX2KOiVObEE/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/S9bqXCHByhk/v-deo.html And please, if this is rude to suggest my videos on your channel let me know and delete my comment immediately sir. And I thank you for passing your knowledge along to others.
You bonus thing at the end is the logic I have used over the past 2 years after I’ve gotten into carving. I realized that it curls off and requires less accuracy so I don’t miss the little gap. It’s probably saved a couple fingers and made me more productive
Hi and thanks for sharing, appreciated. Lots of things happen when splitting wood. And when someone splitting is skilled and in the zone, the hand is quicker than the eye and to the inexperienced it can look more dangerous than it is. A skilled kindling axe user, when warmed up and in their grove can be very focused and aware of exactly what will work best for each bit of wood as it presents itself and acting accordingly. In the last couple of months I've split 70 kindling bags, didn't hit a finger once. Years ago I occasionally glanced a finger but I never got cut. Back then I set up with a waist high splitting block, wore gloves and tried to never allow a situation where the axe can meet a finger backed by a solid surface. So I aim to never put a finger or thumb on top of a piece to be split, but to hold gently on the side as a core method, but lots and lots of other knowledgeable skills and techniques are useful for varying wood and situations. Today I have a wood splitting bench with a semi circle end into which a splitting block fits. Kindling usually splits onto the bench top so bending is mostly eliminated. I've found it worth while to have a high splitting block for doing kindling. I used to position a wheelbarrow to catch most splits. This worked well for moving them to where they were to be stored or for then putting into bags. With my current set up it's often from complete round to bagged kindling at the wood splitting bench. When I have learned some more I would like to move to processing kindling mechanically. Thanks again for sharing Cheers sincerely d
I am quite confident, addicted to and consider myself to be a little over semi proficient with sharp edged tools. Every SkillCult video that I watch I learn at least one new thing. Cheers for the awesome content Steven! Really appreciate your work brother 🤙
I HAAATEEE the word "outro" !!! There's no such thing. Yes, I know what it is supposed to be. It is supposed to be the opposite of an "intro" or the little do-dad some people put at the end of their videos. But "intro" is a lazy abbreviation for "Introduction." I submit there is no such thing as an "Outroduction." You see? The text editor flagged it because it is a non-existent word. Call it what it is. A signature, or sign-off, or farewell, or summary. There are actual real words you can use instead of inventing an idiotic "opposite" to "intro." Just one of my pet peeves. Lazy, stupid, made-up buzzwords.
WoW! Great video! Just what I was looking for; and for the very same reason you made the video. I'm an older lady, that just got myself a vintage BSA hatchet, and I'm only interested in making kindling for camp fires.....not cutting off a finger. Thanks for doing this, for those of us who are newbs, and don't know what the hell we're doing. Can't wait to try this on my next camping trip.
Good, I hope it really helps. I actually have scripted out a more comprehensive and better video on this that is a little more from the perspective of multiple levels of use. Stay safe.
Several things I do for my kindling that has worked well for me: i wear a glove on the holding hand to avoid skin removal in case of a miss and since the holding fingers are pointing down my hand just gets brushed safely aside , I hold the wood approximately 1/3 way down with thumb and index finger only pointing down, I use a very light tomahawk and do not keep a razor sharp edge on it. I cut my kindling rounds 8 to 10” Long (half length of my firewood logs), then bust them into wedges with my axe that I later use to make into kindling. Which makes the splitting process easy with the light tomahawk or hatchet. Typically I use cedar for my kindling as it is readily available in my area and since I recently dropped a whole cedar tree, I think I have a lifetime supply of wood for kindling squirreled away.
As always, GREAT advice from someone who knows their stuff. I swung a 2lb roofing hatchet 10,000 times a day (no typo). People don't get how dangerous such close quarter work can be. 90% of the time, 2 things cause accidents; 1) being absent-minded at what you're doing and 2) overconfidence. Both fall under the carelessness banner. Life is simple...pay attention to what you're doing when working with an axe. I can't count the times I've hurt myself not because I wasn't skilled when I did it, but because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.
I have a giant beechwood tree in my yard, that always has tons of branches, I just fill up boxes and buckets with it, then I use a pruner to cut up larger sticks, and store them for the following winter. As for safety, always keep your hand “behind the tool” I teach my young cub scouts this important rule. Thanks again Steven
Timely video for us. I was going over some of this with my 8 yr old this weekend. 1st lesson was, No, I will not hold that piece up for you while you swing the hatchet.
Thank you for the very informative videos. Your views on inexpensive axes vs expensive are spot on. I spent more than 15 years building houses, and in the beginning I went through a half dozen inexpensive hammers before I knew what worked for me. Top quality tools make the job easier but only if you know how to use them. Nobody needs a $150 titanium calif style framing hammer if all they do is build bird houses. I appreciate your opinions based on experience rather than following the latest fad. Your reviews are also helpful to me because I also live in northern Calif and cut the same species of trees and brush. Thanks again.
I have always done the stick and tap method as that was what i was taught by my father. He was insanely fast at splitting kindling. How he had all his fingers i could never work out.
Efficient Natural Work Flow vs. Legalistic Hard and Fast Rules. In any craftsman’s work, it seems that seeking a balance between these two extremes allows him to be responsible and effective. I’ve heard it said that “experts make hard things look easy” and without fail whenever I’ve seen that the expert has found a reasonable balance through their experiences in the craft. Great content! Thank you for your time and perspective!
I get a surprising number of comments advocating for remaining a newb forever. It's bizarre. or arguing against knowing too much about using or tuning axes. Of course it's not put in those terms, but that's basically what it is. Rules and dogma are problematic, because they encourage removal of intellect and personal judgement and involvement. In the case of axes, they also often limit functionality a great deal. I'm planning to make a more epic treatment of this subject and use a more levels based approach from safest to requiring the most skill and experience. In that I'll talk about the whole phenomenon of rules and what is and isn't safe for whom. thanks for the thoughtful comment :)
I've been watching some of your videos and I must say you are an excellent teacher. Really thorough and detailed without being boring. You should have more subscribers. I bet the dreads turn a lot of people off. That's OK because most people are morons.
Thanks. I always worry I'm making videos too long, but I have stuff to say and some things bear repeating. If they are engaging, it's probably because this stuff really matters to me.
Another good video Steven. The few close calls I've had both carving and splitting kindling have been when I was choked up on a longer handle and the butt will catch on a fold or a pocket on my pants or jacket and throw it off its trajectory. It's happened enough times that I've learned to be mindful of it, but no cuts to date. Also, not doing detailed but risky, tasks like this when you're tired at the end of a long day is a good idea. Get done what you need to build your fire, but fill your bin when you're fresh. I've also learned to hold stakes between my middle and ring finger, palm up and hand sloped down, whenever I'm hammering them in. That has saved quite a few bruised hands and may be safer splitting kindling too.
I regret not putting the end of the handle hitting clothes and stuff in there. It does bear constant vigilance. I think I know what you mean by the side hand thing.
I often use a nata (Japanese limbing/chopping tool, like the one you introduced at the end) for splitting kindling. A hatchet would be second choice. I really liked the tip you gave at 10:20. I damaged a few kerfs this way. I've never thought of doing it like that. I'll definitely do it like that in the future.
Some things are a bit hazardous, but good eyesight, strong muscles, and quick thinking make them doable. The problem comes when you make these actions into habits. And the habit makes you do the same moves, when you're: tired, or old, or sleepy, or sick, or wet, or icy, or muddy, or working in poor light, or... It's better for most of us to ingraine habits that are also safe during the less optimal situations.
Yeah habits are just as easy to break as make. Bad habits can get you into trouble. Its like indicating in your car. If you make it a habit to always indicate it becomes a good habit. Far too easy to make that a bad habit. Bad habits hurt!
very thorough as always, not much of a fan of dummy rules myself either. though they do have their place and teaching a beginner can show you why. Until someone builds up muscle memory and understanding they are good to follow but unfortunately it means you get a lot of beginners repeating them like they are gospel. as you shown understanding the tools and technique as well as the stuff that can go wrong will keep you keep you far safer and make you more productive. unfortunately you cant sum all that up in a single sentence. something i am not a big fan of is splitting kindling with a long handled axe, it counterbalances and steels power, and also its easy to catch the handle on clothing or something behind you and redirect the axe onto your hand. the best tool is a extra heavy hatchet or miners axe with a wide blade that is not too sharp
I don't mind guidelines and starter rules, but part of the dummy rule phenomenon is overstating everything like it's for 6 year olds. Then people take those as dogmas. If someone is thinking of always keeping the handle horizontal, they are missing out on a bunch of possiblity. Thinking in terms of direction of cut, now we are thinking in terms of the consequence of our actions and also more about the important reference points, which are actually our body parts and not the ground or stump. It's engagement v.s. close minded adherence. To take someone and say "for now, keep your axe handle parallell to the ground and that will go a long way toward preventing injury until you have more experience" is entirely different than saying "always keep the axe handle parallel to the ground". In the real world that doesn't even work anyway. This was filmed a few weeks ago. I meant to reshoot it and mention a number of things I didn't here, including the issue of interference of long handles with clothes and branches, but I finally gave up getting it re-shot and published this. I find that if I'm really conscious the interference is not an issue, but it is really important to be aware of it constantly and I wish I could have mentioned it. Also, good point on sharpness. We're not shaving :)
totally agree, This dummy rule thing also has the irritating side effect of creating people who criticize and chastise more experienced and knowledgeable people and their techniques because they broke a dummy rule and they cant understand the technique and control they have just witnessed. There seems to be a trend of creating razor edges on absolutely everything i don't understand, for your felling and carving axes knock yourself out, but for splitting its a waste of time because past removing any flat spots it wont increase performance and it will make any accidents far worse. Looks impressive on video slicing sheets of paper and tomatoes though. On most of my tools i just remove the flat spots with a chainsaw file and call it a day, and they seem to work just fine.
I enjoy your videos. You're natural in your presentation, unscripted, it's kind of like you figure it out as you go while sticking to the topic. Just the right amount of dancing chicken too. I hope you keep doing these videos.
I often have a set of talking points or notes jotted down. I also often end up re-shooting stuff, but I actually do often figure out what I want to say as as I go too. I also use making vids as a stimulus to understand stuff better. If I can't explain it, then I probably don't totally understand it, or at least haven't got to the level where I have sorted it out enough to articulate it.
Hi Steven, This is a great video. I have seen many people doing dangerous stuff because it's just a small piece of wood. What could go wrong? Or those macho men wanting to display their great strength. Like those time when I was showing those young muscular dudes how to split a log by using leverage and the weight of the tool to do the work. But no, they had to use their great young muscular force to get it done with their power. Then little old DaveyJO would step in with his spindly arms and split the log without sweating. The same applies to splitting kindling as you've shown. This is why I now have a fiberglass handle on my splitting mall. After the young studs broke a number of wooden handles, even after pointing out what not to do, I went to synthetics. At least those that others use here. We have a sweat lodge and people want to help a handles break. Anymore I split before the event. Besides, how fingers and arteries didn't become severed over the years is a miracle. So I found it best to leave cutting tools out of the picture. Once I allowed my chain saw to be used by a friend who assured me he had plenty experience. Well, I had to buy a new chain since the old one didn't cut stones well and my friend never used my chain saw again,,,,the experienced one. I am self taught with a few pointers from my mentor and grandfather. I learned about leverage early on and woodworking tools aren't much different than axes in a sence. I cut myself with hand tools learning. Fortunately stitch less ones but in very annoying spots, sore. And I will say that chopping bark has improved my skill big time, which you correctly stated more than once. I gave up hickory bark for tanning. The bark is like chopping hard tough wood and takes forever. Hickory works but the chestnut oak (rock oak) works best. Sassafras works well enough with a nice color but doesn't have the potency of oak. Taking your advice in experimenting with small pieces was a super important teacher and I learned tons. Rounding off a hide gives you lots of material to do this and lots easier to skud. An entire hide after tanning looks cool but I tanned it to make stuff. That image we have of whole hides comes from book covers, movies and stretched hides on a rack, they just look cool. And the small pieces can be tanned in a bucket and used for small projects later. So much to learn and Skillcult has been a major teacher. You are clear in your instruction and answers to questions. A Tanning Library plus! That's Skillcult. And if you don't know about the site called Acoustic Life Tuesday on you tube, check it out if you have time. A show from Montana for guitar geeks. Lots of info about guitars and all things related, new artists and lots of fun. Many Thanks as always Steven! Greatly Appreciated! Tons of rain here in Pa. but the daffodils are blooming. I woke at 5 this morning, got some wet wood for the stove, made some JO and found this video. What a great start to a wet morning. And I can sincerely say that the Chicken Solo as an exit was truly Magical! Good Health and Peace Bro! DaveyJO
Spliting maul is the only place I use a fiberglass handle. I like to be able to worry about splitting wood and not saving the handle. It makes for a lot more possibility. Hickory bark can be used to stitch up baskets and such I know. None of that out here! Rounding out is a good idea if hides are going to get cut up anyway. Speaking of hide roundings, can you use some hide glue? Might send some.Spring has come here and the small daffs have been blooming since early Feb. I probably have 50 to 70 varieties here and seedlings starting to bloom from crosses made 5 or 6 years ago.
Skillcult. Some hide glue would be great Steven. I watched your glue making series a few times and the leather making ones many times. In fact I have some piece of raw hide sealed up in a plastic bag to make some glue. I did a few tiny batches, enough for the job. I always u SE hide glue if restoring period antiques but since 2008 I've hardly done anything. Wealthy customers took the big dirt nap and after the crash it became a luxury. So I make smaller things, sculptures, flutes, rattles and other stuff. But really, I never did this for big bucks, although I could have charged far more than I did. But my 9-5, 9-2 5-8 or whatever I set myself. Didn't have to commute and did what I wanted to. So if a buddy stopped and said he found a good old dump, off we'd go to dig old bottles, or play music, or spend time with elders, or felt like working on the lathe or whatever. I got by okay and have had a hell of a good time. So when someone said, "you don't have a real job", I couldn't convince that person that I had worked twice the hours they did on something. And I basically enjoyed the many hours. During a second divorce and after, aside from a huge lawyer fee, many things were going on,,,,,well she cleaned me out. But hey, I had too much shit anyway. And there was a secret bank account. But that's all in the past. Okay, very wordy but it's all okay now. One needs to forgive and forget to move on. Just lessons living. So what the hell does this have to do with hide glue? I fell asleep and need some JO.
Hello, lighter ax heads r way to go. What is the wisdom of removing ax head metal (same idea as u did to ur hatchet) from 4 & 5 lb ax heads to increase there function. Trying for 2 to 3 lb.
Greetings from Guatemala. Thank you for posting this video. I am new to using an axe and splitting wood, and I am very concerned about safety. I do not worry about splitting kindling. I have been doing that safely with a sledge hammer and wedge. But I do worry about splitting somewhat bigger pieces. My current idea is to bundle up those bigger pieces using either the tire or bungee cord method, and then putting a "fence" - either a simple wire fence or maybe some sort of bamboo fence maybe kept together with attached bungee cords. The fence would be high enough to keep the axe from hitting me, but not so high as to interfere with my axe swing. Why have I not seen any YT videos of someone doing this. Is it because it is an idea that will not work, or is it because no one has thought of this idea? I really want to practice developing a good powerful axe swing, without worrying about hurting myself.
I don't think you need to go to such drastic measures. It might be useful for getting used to using an axe, but there are other ways to prevent injury.
I'll take note of that. They are good for brush work, like cleaning up after cutting down trees, slashing small stuff (think jungle and machettes), using like a fro and splitting bamboo. Those reasons are probably why they are more popular in tropical areas and where bamboo grows. Hatchets have more chopping authority because the weight is out at the end. Better for splitting like in this vid, chopping a lot and much less hand shock than any big knife I've ever used. That's the short version. Some large knives are probably more proficient at some household type tasks too and maybe a bit of whittling. I think the pro/con thing comes down to where you. are and what you are doing with it. In general though, there seems to be a traditional preference for knives in the jungle and hatchets in more temperate areas. The Nata is almost something in between. Quite heavy and usually short. Japan is mostly not that tropical, but they have a lot of bamboo. Some traditional foresters there use Nata and some use Hatchets.
Its definitely slow but in my situation I'm typically just coming in from work and sitting down in the living room taking my time starting a fire is somehow therapeutic. Plus I get to use my bigass knife.
It all goes back to the concept of knowing your limitations and be responsible for your actions, how strange is that? Lol Well done and said Sir. So are you loving that Husky axe now that all the mods are complete? Wade
I've hardly used it. I did a little bit with it when I first re-hafted it and it's a big improvement for sure. But I already knew that. Still planning to file it a bit and change some things up.
I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to mention it while shooting. I wanted to re-shoot this vid and include a mention of that and some other stuff, but wasn't able to pull it off. I probably should not have even sat like that. it's fine for me, but I don't want to encourage people to do it. Just trying to make sure I fit in the camera frame lol. Some guy was camping with his family up here a few years ago and sliced his femoral artery with a knife. He died.
Stephen you are my go to guy on axe questions. I just picked up a Wetterlings EX at a flea market for $49. Wanted to pick your brain on these axes. This one seems to be in excellent condition. But needs handled. Thank you in advance for any info.
as a kid when our old man would let us split kindling we would get a triangle cut bigger piece of stove wood lay the board for kindling against it standing the board on end and hands free after that kept our hands safe may be a way some of you might try
Tack an old lawnmower tire to the block, stand wood pieces to fill it, then whale away at them with your ax until they are the size you want. Works best If the bead and sidewall is cut off the top side.
Looks really slow. That is somewhat similar to a block knife used by wooden shoe makers and other craftsmen, but they don't have the adjustable height.
I have not. I like all the old stanley cast iron ones. As far as low angle or high, I don't have much opinion. Adjustable throat is nice, but not necessary. Only ones I don't really like are the ones with stamped metal parts and just a top screw to lock them in place.
How about holding the piece you want to split with þe olde standby - a wooden stick? Also, you can use that _nata_ with a mallet or club just like a froe.
All just too slow for me. I've been doing this as a lifestyle choice for a long time. I'm not messing about when it comes to getting my fire going fast. The stick is like training wheels. Not a bad idea to start with, but hopefully we'll graduate from that eventually and be able to pick up a piece of wood and hit it with minimal fussing about. Have to get there slowly though.
Perfectly reasonable. Just wanted to point out that it may be a viable method for less experienced users like your mother or older folks or people who are less deft than yourself in general. For kindling, I myself gravitate towards the method where you lay the wood flat on the block and split the far end; works especially well with flat pieces like you had. Actually, with those flat and relatively thin pieces, you can also simply push the _nata_ through them: off hand on the back of the blade and lean on with your body weight.
Just stumbled upon this one as I've watched, and enjoyed, others of yours. However, this video is obviously for beginners, and I felt that you were teaching them to run before they can walk. The weight of the hatchet can be a factor, a big lad like you wouldn't find a heavy one a problem, a small person it really could be. You mocked the dummy run then swung your hatchet in exactly the same way. It wasn't said that you dont need to swing from over the shoulder, a mistake that leads to a lot of newbie injuries by missing the target and hitting a leg...possibly the middle one. But I'd suggest most importantly, yourself and your friend, the one you said is a bit mad, *you've been using your same tools regularly for years*, you could almost use them blindfolded with virtually no danger of injuring yourselves. So to go back to the start, I felt that you were encouraging people to speed up rather than getting used to, and being comfortable with, their hatchet. ps, I really do like your other videos 😄
Sounds like you should make a kindling splitting video :) This was off the cuff with just some sketchy notes, so it's not perfect. I showed a very safe method, side splitting, which is hard to go wrong with. I just think that people should not adhere to the methods most suited to newbs forever as so many recommend. The average person would probably think that the methods used by the bush people I know are unsafe, yet to me, we are the standard of what is possible and practical if you don't have time to waste staying a newb forever. I think it's worth investing in accuracy and coordination rather than not. I don't like dummy rules because they make people dumb and unengaged. I didn't say that you should unfollow their recommendations at all times, I said that they are not completely reliable and I favor thinking of direction of cut and the potential consequences of everything involved. One makes people think about what is going on and how it works and how to stay safe and whether or not they are safe. The other simply hands over all of that for blind faith in some expert touting the most dumbed down version possible. For a couple years now I have had a video planned that is a full treatment of kindling that will be more organized and offer methods in a more graduated way regarding safety/skill/effectiveness. The one thing I'd really would do different here for sure is emphasizing the safety and efficacy of splitting from the side, but recommending swinging at it over setting the hatchet on the wood first. Swinging at it is faster and it invests in skill and efficiency. That method doesn't work great everywhere though, so it's not a one stop shop.
ok, i wouldn't and don't use axes for splitting kindling, being a uk origin woodsman in france i use a billhook, they are designed for hedgelaying and splitting wood right up to 8' lengths with a cleaving brake, nothing is perfect and i have a good scar on my left index finger to prove it! ( I do have a range of axes and sideaxes ) but billhook is the goto for kindling (5 billhooks)
I've had my eye out for one for a long time. They are very rare here in the states. I saw one in a shop once, but the shop was closed. Now I can find one on ebay, but haven't got one yet. I'm bilhook curious though.
TIP : hold the wood in one hand , position the blade where you want it , then take your hand away and pick up a mallet and tap the back of the blade, might take a few extra seconds but is how i have always done it . or just use twigs to begin with , derp
I have a scar on my knuckle from learning this lesson the hard way! The wood split to the side because of a small knot, the axe followed and cut my knuckle to the bone.
Damn I thought you where close to having a split weenus a few times there lol. Great video, I used to tap a few times while choking the handle near the large ax head to split kindling then follow throu with the dummy cut.
They might be for some. 30 years into burning wood and a no-paper firelighting policy for at least the last 15 years and anything other than what I do now is too slow or unnecessary. splitting from the side is very safe, so there is always that.
Yes. A glove on the holding hand that’s reinforced across the side of the thumb and forefinger is the best answer. Everything else is an accident waiting to happen.
I'm very careful and respectful of the axe personally. I usually always split on my knees and try to keep my left hand as far as possible from the cutting edge. I'm never really in a hurry when camping so it's just a mindset of taking it slow and steady for me.
Yeah, one happened to me when I was feeling stressed and angry after a particularly annoying work day and thought I was being completely save. Was splitting exactly as you show here like I've done thousands of times :D Didn't take my left hand away fast enough and almost lost function of my thumb.
for this use I really don't care much. I think way too much is made of what axe to use for splitting, especially kindling. There are considerations, but we should be able to split efficiently with almost anything we pick up within reasonable parameters. skill is by far the more important factor. Anything from a boys axe down. What I really don't like though is a single beveled hatchet. Those suck for splitting anything.
Awesome man I really like the boys axe there a good size for me thanks for the advise I just want one I can mantain for years to be able to pass it down to my son I dont really like to spend a lot of money I wanna buy one quality ax
Vintage is a good way to go. There are millions upon millions of good axe heads out there. One axe won'td do everything well, but some can do most things adequately.
I mean, people "freaking out", due to their perception of potential risk to some other humans person, are actually just pretentious. It's not about keeping us safe, those people just are appalled that you'd dare do something they find dangerous....... It's my body... or your body.. it's not the business of others how risky my actions are to my own body If you use your brain, you will be safe - however, all things in life carry some level of risk. YOU decide what risks are acceptable for your life, and I will decide which I find acceptable for my life. Most of you who complain are just sissies, imo. A huge part of all this external safety (external of the human mind) is just major corporations covering their own asses in the case of a lawsuit due to injury. Don't be an idiot and don't be nosy. I like your content and I agree with most of what you say - dummy rules are for dumb folks..... That's why its called a dummy rule
Pretty entertaining "safety video". It seemed like the general theme was "here's a bunch of safety rules but if you're not an idiot or total newb, then don't worry about it. I don't" I mean, I probably do all the same things. But ...well let's just say I don't see this video being shown to scouts or girl guides. Lol
@@SkillCult Ya man axes scare the hell out of me. I like using handsaws for more control. If I had your skill level I might use them more. I gotta practice more.
Given equal piles of wood and the other person using the stick hold method, I'm pretty sure I'd win by a long stretch. Given that I can't recall every cutting myself splitting kindling, I'm not sure why I would adopt a method requiring the least skill and that I would think of as best suited to beginners. If I do a second video on this, I'm planning to cover that method, but just for beginners. For more advanced users, I recommend cultivating other methods that are faster and plenty safe if you do them with good skill and awareness. I would think of the stick hold method more as something I would teach a beginner while they get used to handling the tool and build coordination and confidence.
So, you think my videos are great, but two comments on my entire channel and out of all that value and effort and useful shit, both are more or less negative. No wonder I'm grumpy.
i have a golden rule, i never use the axe (or chainsaw) if i have even a tiny amount of beer. Its tempting to have a beer midway through kindling especially on a warm day when you want to get the wood stack ready for winter. If i do then i put the sharp stuff away.
well said I've done all the wrong and now do all the way you have explained i started out many years ago trial n error , glad to know your giving a great explanation of how not to cut yourself and lots of practice will make yourself more efficient ..
I've had some accidents in the woods, both with chainsaw (loss of great toe) and ax bad cut + nerve damage to thumb while working in pulpwood ind. I'm older, slower and softer now. I always use a sissy stick.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. I have been burning wood for decades but consider myself a novice. That’s why I’ve searched for lessons. Your voice is mellifluous-harmonic tones, clear enunciation, temperate volume, and accessible tempo. You alert your students to errors I have made in swing direction, stance, and handling (many of which horrified me in the aftermath when I recognized the sliver between what happened and the injury that nearly happened) and to solutions I adopted. You have confirmed the propriety of some of my adaptations and added new insights. I have taught rock climbing and I think you will enjoy knowing that your guidance on the importance of imagining the arc of the swing is identical to my lessons on the importance of the direction of pull in evaluating the safety and efficacy of a rope anchoring system.
I've had a no paper rule in the house forever. A lot of people that visit really struggle to start a fire in the woodstove, but by the time they leave, they are always better at it :)
I tend to change my style, chopping flat vs vertical, depending on the wood. For gnarly kindling, which I should probably just burn as fuel, I lay flat and bury the ax into the stump and twist the wood like you demoed. The bit in the stump keeps the pressure off the handle. Straight grained I stand vertically sometimes, but still like laying it on the stump horizontally. I tend to get in a better rhythm horizontally. Maybe because my fingers are out of the way. It's the knuckles of the off hand that usually get busted. The point you made about remaining a novice is true. The dummy rules are good for beginner's safety but aren't always foolproof. Like the blood circle and triangle of death. Or carving toward your body with a knife. Good stuff, man.
Me too, I mix it up a lot depending on the wood and other circumstances. I do use the side hit a lot. Depends a lot on the wood though. The side hit is great for wood that isn't cut with a saw, twisty stuff and for working on top of radiused logs and not saw cut stumps, so that covers a lot right there. It's also very safe. I'm generally using whatever is going to get me there the fastest. It's always an exercise in getting a fire started quick rather than an exercise in extreme caution, accuracy, neatness or looking cool lol.
another great, practical video! well done! not dumbed down to the safety squint extreme :), but practical in a way to get the work done in the safest way! Liked !
This comment will take me a while to type out… mainly because I needed to see this video 5 years ago, when you made it. But unfortunately I never had the time for watching videos back then…. Anyway, way back when you made this video, I was busy not doing what you’re saying is right, and doing all the things you show are wrong. Hence this comment took me an hour to write out. Love your videos bud.
So I am nobody, and my opinion is based only on personal experience. I love axes and knives, I own many of both, and I use them all the time. I heat my house with a wood stove, and I live in the northeast; so I use about two chords of wood a season. I cut my hand pretty severely with a hatchet splitting small kindling a few years ago. I think that an axe, down to a hatchet, is a great tool to split wood; but in my opinion, when it comes to splitting kindling into smaller pieces, the knife is far better in terms of safety. I personally now use an axe to split large wood, then a hatchet to split wood that is about as thick as my arm, then I make my kindling by batoning it with a knife. The knife is a great tool to make small pieces of kindling, and it is nearly impossible to make a mistake. I love tools, knives, axes, and such, and I think that when you are making smaller pieces, and precision is the key, then a knife is the better option. No tool is good at everything, and it's stupid to ask any tool to do all things. If all I had was an axe, then of course, I would do all things with an axe. I happen to own other tools though, and so I use other tools as needed.
you have this subdued comedic flair I really like :D going through your videos trying to find out what camping hatchet to go for. I don't have a lot of cash so I'll probably go buy an old axe head.
I wish I could recommend something, but nothing meets my criteria of form and affordability so far. I think vintage is still the way to go right now. There are lots of nice vintage heads online for less than it would cost to by a decent, but not expensive hatchet.
SkillCult it is slow and maybe after more practice, I will have the confidence to not use it. For me thou, other than a campfire occasionally, any time I pick up an axe or hatchet is for fun, so speed is not necessary.
5:20 thats how I got a scar on my left hand. Split plenty that way, but a shitty mood with a bad temper ensures the shit for brains needed to loose focus. But if they're flat like the ones you're using I'd simply layer them, then knock through them on the side, and then pull them apart. I tried that bonus-tip at the end, but for hewing off long pieces that perhaps could be thatched as a roof. Kinda worked on some species, but not at all if there's knots. Still made it easy to joggle, bit harder than when making properly notched recession cuts, but since there's less pre-cutting, it might still be as viable (S.t.a.t.E.) Also, very charming host at the ending :)
Many things you recommend are a no, no, no for me. The main point with using axes (and other sharp blades for that matter) is always, always minimizing the risk; not to feed your ego about the skills you think (or even you actually know) that you have or master. Accidents happen in a splint second regardless of skill levels. That is a well known, widely documented fact and is the cornerstone of a science called risk assessment & management. My two cents. Cheers.
Not a big fan of the use of always when it isn't warranted, and just adding an extra always doesn't make it more always lol. It is not always about minimizing risk. If it was if anyone even got in a car, they would drive super slow on back roads only, at night when no one else is around, dressed in some kind of michelin man suit. Risk assessment is a personal matter and a judgement call. If you always, always minimize risk, you would use an axe with full body armor and a face mask. It's a nonsensical idea to always (always) minimize risk, while making a judgement call by risk assessment. If you always (but always) minimize risk, you would have to always go to the greatest extreme, not a lot of choice to make. These are dangerous tools and there is no substitute for putting in the time to build skills and come to understand our limits, so we can make that assessment you mentioned. If you truly always (always) minimize risk, I'll be sitting on a mountain of kindling by the time you put on your suit and split a few pieces. And I've been doing it for decades now without an injury, piles and piles of the stuff. That is not to say that I think I'm immune from injury, that I don't think that is probably why I've not had any.
None of your videos seem too long to me.
I even watch them over again and they are still not too long.
Good lessons that you teach well.
I was just about to say the nearly exact same thing. I was comfortable splitting kindling before the first time I saw this, and today was at least the third time, maybe fourth or fifth over the last few years I've watched it from start to finish. It just never hurts to get a refresher course, a good reminder, of all the all-too-easy ways to get REALLY hurt FAST doing anything axe/hatchet related. Someone mentioned watching this is way faster than a 6 hour E-room visit and they were right, but then how long is the wounded finger or thumb a handicap when you get back to work? I've had cuts that would have been easily enough avoided had I slowed down just a hair, or paid just a bit more attention - things I should have known better than to let happen at all - that because of being broke and too lazy/ignorant/proud whatever, didn't get stitched up, I was still dealing with 6 or even more months later. Certain cuts just don't heal if you can't quit using that hand, so these 18 minutes spent watching this again while I laced up my boots and got ready to head out for the day took no extra time out of my day but will be fresh and shiny in my memory for another long time. It's been a long time now since I've had a bad cut, but that was just something dumb I should have known not to do. Next time I get a bad one, and it's just a high and likely risk that's always there when we do things like this as often as some of us do, it'll probably be because I did something too quickly and wasn't thinking as clearly as I should have been. It happens to the best of us, but videos like these can sure help make a person think about what they're doing just a little more to keep those risks down, no matter how experienced they think they are. Thank you sir, and be safe!
An 18 minute video is much shorter than I 6 hour emergency room visit fir stitches. Thanks for sharing. I am brand new to the axe/ hatchet world and do appreciate it.
You certainly take the thought processes of handling an axe to a high level. I've never really considered all I know about swinging mauls, axes and hatchets in terms other than grabbing one and putting it to work accomplishing the task at hand. I grew up in the early 50's where situational necessity put me in the position to swing some of these tools by the time I was 7 or 8. I know, it sounds like a load of bunk...but its God's honest truth. We lived just about as close to Mother Earth as you could...but we ate well and kept warm in the winter.
All we knew was what had to be done and who had to do it. We were totally unaware of 'brand name' of any product and we used mauls, double bit and pole axes that would probably be considered clubs by today's standards.
I don't know if its frowned upon to suggest my own video, but if you'd like please feel free to spend a minute eyeballing a couple of them. I've commented a time or two on your videos and feel you are a 'back to nature' kind of guy that may be receptive to the way a poor boy like me learned his way up and down an axe handle. ua-cam.com/video/jX2KOiVObEE/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/S9bqXCHByhk/v-deo.html
And please, if this is rude to suggest my videos on your channel let me know and delete my comment immediately sir. And I thank you for passing your knowledge along to others.
I checked out your channel and subscribed. Looking forward to your videos.
I feel like somehow watching somebody else use an Axe or hatchet is a lot scarier than actually using one yourself
@Brycen Titus definitely, been using flixzone} for since december myself =)
@Brycen Titus yup, I've been watching on flixzone} for since november myself :D
You bonus thing at the end is the logic I have used over the past 2 years after I’ve gotten into carving. I realized that it curls off and requires less accuracy so I don’t miss the little gap. It’s probably saved a couple fingers and made me more productive
Hi and thanks for sharing, appreciated.
Lots of things happen when splitting wood.
And when someone splitting is skilled and in the zone, the hand is quicker than the eye and to the inexperienced it can look more dangerous than it is. A skilled kindling axe user, when warmed up and in their grove can be very focused and aware of exactly what will work best for each bit of wood as it presents itself and acting accordingly.
In the last couple of months I've split 70 kindling bags, didn't hit a finger once. Years ago I occasionally glanced a finger but I never got cut. Back then I set up with a waist high splitting block, wore gloves and tried to never allow a situation where the axe can meet a finger backed by a solid surface. So I aim to never put a finger or thumb on top of a piece to be split, but to hold gently on the side as a core method, but lots and lots of other knowledgeable skills and techniques are useful for varying wood and situations.
Today I have a wood splitting bench with a semi circle end into which a splitting block fits. Kindling usually splits onto the bench top so bending is mostly eliminated.
I've found it worth while to have a high splitting block for doing kindling. I used to position a wheelbarrow to catch most splits. This worked well for moving them to where they were to be stored or for then putting into bags. With my current set up it's often from complete round to bagged kindling at the wood splitting bench.
When I have learned some more I would like to move to processing kindling mechanically.
Thanks again for sharing
Cheers
sincerely
d
I am quite confident, addicted to and consider myself to be a little over semi proficient with sharp edged tools. Every SkillCult video that I watch I learn at least one new thing. Cheers for the awesome content Steven! Really appreciate your work brother 🤙
I love the "chicken solo" in the outro. And the rest of the video.... but the chicken really cracked me up
I HAAATEEE the word "outro" !!! There's no such thing. Yes, I know what it is supposed to be. It is supposed to be the opposite of an "intro" or the little do-dad some people put at the end of their videos. But "intro" is a lazy abbreviation for "Introduction." I submit there is no such thing as an "Outroduction." You see? The text editor flagged it because it is a non-existent word.
Call it what it is. A signature, or sign-off, or farewell, or summary. There are actual real words you can use instead of inventing an idiotic "opposite" to "intro." Just one of my pet peeves. Lazy, stupid, made-up buzzwords.
WoW! Great video! Just what I was looking for; and for the very same reason you made the video. I'm an older lady, that just got myself a vintage BSA hatchet, and I'm only interested in making kindling for camp fires.....not cutting off a finger.
Thanks for doing this, for those of us who are newbs, and don't know what the hell we're doing. Can't wait to try this on my next camping trip.
Good, I hope it really helps. I actually have scripted out a more comprehensive and better video on this that is a little more from the perspective of multiple levels of use. Stay safe.
Several things I do for my kindling that has worked well for me: i wear a glove on the holding hand to avoid skin removal in case of a miss and since the holding fingers are pointing down my hand just gets brushed safely aside , I hold the wood approximately 1/3 way down with thumb and index finger only pointing down, I use a very light tomahawk and do not keep a razor sharp edge on it. I cut my kindling rounds 8 to 10” Long (half length of my firewood logs), then bust them into wedges with my axe that I later use to make into kindling. Which makes the splitting process easy with the light tomahawk or hatchet. Typically I use cedar for my kindling as it is readily available in my area and since I recently dropped a whole cedar tree, I think I have a lifetime supply of wood for kindling squirreled away.
good stuff Stan. thanks for sharing.
As always, GREAT advice from someone who knows their stuff.
I swung a 2lb roofing hatchet 10,000 times a day (no typo). People don't get how dangerous such close quarter work can be. 90% of the time, 2 things cause accidents; 1) being absent-minded at what you're doing and 2) overconfidence.
Both fall under the carelessness banner. Life is simple...pay attention to what you're doing when working with an axe. I can't count the times I've hurt myself not because I wasn't skilled when I did it, but because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.
I have a giant beechwood tree in my yard, that always has tons of branches, I just fill up boxes and buckets with it, then I use a pruner to cut up larger sticks, and store them for the following winter. As for safety, always keep your hand “behind the tool” I teach my young cub scouts this important rule. Thanks again Steven
Timely video for us. I was going over some of this with my 8 yr old this weekend. 1st lesson was, No, I will not hold that piece up for you while you swing the hatchet.
Now there's a rule worth following :)
Thank you for the very informative videos. Your views on inexpensive axes vs expensive are spot on. I spent more than 15 years building houses, and in the beginning I went through a half dozen inexpensive hammers before I knew what worked for me. Top quality tools make the job easier but only if you know how to use them. Nobody needs a $150 titanium calif style framing hammer if all they do is build bird houses. I appreciate your opinions based on experience rather than following the latest fad. Your reviews are also helpful to me because I also live in northern Calif and cut the same species of trees and brush. Thanks again.
I have always done the stick and tap method as that was what i was taught by my father. He was insanely fast at splitting kindling. How he had all his fingers i could never work out.
Efficient Natural Work Flow vs. Legalistic Hard and Fast Rules.
In any craftsman’s work, it seems that seeking a balance between these two extremes allows him to be responsible and effective.
I’ve heard it said that “experts make hard things look easy” and without fail whenever I’ve seen that the expert has found a reasonable balance through their experiences in the craft.
Great content! Thank you for your time and perspective!
I get a surprising number of comments advocating for remaining a newb forever. It's bizarre. or arguing against knowing too much about using or tuning axes. Of course it's not put in those terms, but that's basically what it is. Rules and dogma are problematic, because they encourage removal of intellect and personal judgement and involvement. In the case of axes, they also often limit functionality a great deal. I'm planning to make a more epic treatment of this subject and use a more levels based approach from safest to requiring the most skill and experience. In that I'll talk about the whole phenomenon of rules and what is and isn't safe for whom. thanks for the thoughtful comment :)
Good awareness teacher! My scars were from new, unsharpened tools. Inexperience, and rushing. Tired or when a woman calls me! Hoho
I've been watching some of your videos and I must say you are an excellent teacher. Really thorough and detailed without being boring. You should have more subscribers. I bet the dreads turn a lot of people off. That's OK because most people are morons.
Thanks. I always worry I'm making videos too long, but I have stuff to say and some things bear repeating. If they are engaging, it's probably because this stuff really matters to me.
great video - spectacular camera quality too.
It's the lens. I have trouble nailing focus sometimes and it very soft wide open, but the color saturation and rendering are special.
Another good video Steven. The few close calls I've had both carving and splitting kindling have been when I was choked up on a longer handle and the butt will catch on a fold or a pocket on my pants or jacket and throw it off its trajectory. It's happened enough times that I've learned to be mindful of it, but no cuts to date.
Also, not doing detailed but risky, tasks like this when you're tired at the end of a long day is a good idea. Get done what you need to build your fire, but fill your bin when you're fresh.
I've also learned to hold stakes between my middle and ring finger, palm up and hand sloped down, whenever I'm hammering them in. That has saved quite a few bruised hands and may be safer splitting kindling too.
I regret not putting the end of the handle hitting clothes and stuff in there. It does bear constant vigilance. I think I know what you mean by the side hand thing.
I often use a nata (Japanese limbing/chopping tool, like the one you introduced at the end) for splitting kindling. A hatchet would be second choice. I really liked the tip you gave at 10:20. I damaged a few kerfs this way. I've never thought of doing it like that. I'll definitely do it like that in the future.
Some things are a bit hazardous, but good eyesight, strong muscles, and quick thinking make them doable. The problem comes when you make these actions into habits. And the habit makes you do the same moves, when you're: tired, or old, or sleepy, or sick, or wet, or icy, or muddy, or working in poor light, or... It's better for most of us to ingraine habits that are also safe during the less optimal situations.
Yeah habits are just as easy to break as make. Bad habits can get you into trouble. Its like indicating in your car. If you make it a habit to always indicate it becomes a good habit. Far too easy to make that a bad habit. Bad habits hurt!
very thorough as always, not much of a fan of dummy rules myself either. though they do have their place and teaching a beginner can show you why. Until someone builds up muscle memory and understanding they are good to follow but unfortunately it means you get a lot of beginners repeating them like they are gospel. as you shown understanding the tools and technique as well as the stuff that can go wrong will keep you keep you far safer and make you more productive. unfortunately you cant sum all that up in a single sentence. something i am not a big fan of is splitting kindling with a long handled axe, it counterbalances and steels power, and also its easy to catch the handle on clothing or something behind you and redirect the axe onto your hand. the best tool is a extra heavy hatchet or miners axe with a wide blade that is not too sharp
I don't mind guidelines and starter rules, but part of the dummy rule phenomenon is overstating everything like it's for 6 year olds. Then people take those as dogmas. If someone is thinking of always keeping the handle horizontal, they are missing out on a bunch of possiblity. Thinking in terms of direction of cut, now we are thinking in terms of the consequence of our actions and also more about the important reference points, which are actually our body parts and not the ground or stump. It's engagement v.s. close minded adherence. To take someone and say "for now, keep your axe handle parallell to the ground and that will go a long way toward preventing injury until you have more experience" is entirely different than saying "always keep the axe handle parallel to the ground". In the real world that doesn't even work anyway.
This was filmed a few weeks ago. I meant to reshoot it and mention a number of things I didn't here, including the issue of interference of long handles with clothes and branches, but I finally gave up getting it re-shot and published this. I find that if I'm really conscious the interference is not an issue, but it is really important to be aware of it constantly and I wish I could have mentioned it. Also, good point on sharpness. We're not shaving :)
totally agree, This dummy rule thing also has the irritating side effect of creating people who criticize and chastise more experienced and knowledgeable people and their techniques because they broke a dummy rule and they cant understand the technique and control they have just witnessed. There seems to be a trend of creating razor edges on absolutely everything i don't understand, for your felling and carving axes knock yourself out, but for splitting its a waste of time because past removing any flat spots it wont increase performance and it will make any accidents far worse. Looks impressive on video slicing sheets of paper and tomatoes though. On most of my tools i just remove the flat spots with a chainsaw file and call it a day, and they seem to work just fine.
I enjoy your videos. You're natural in your presentation, unscripted, it's kind of like you figure it out as you go while sticking to the topic. Just the right amount of dancing chicken too. I hope you keep doing these videos.
I often have a set of talking points or notes jotted down. I also often end up re-shooting stuff, but I actually do often figure out what I want to say as as I go too. I also use making vids as a stimulus to understand stuff better. If I can't explain it, then I probably don't totally understand it, or at least haven't got to the level where I have sorted it out enough to articulate it.
The peel technique is important because you can use the hatchet to rough out an axe handle.
Hi Steven, This is a great video. I have seen many people doing dangerous stuff because it's just a small piece of wood. What could go wrong? Or those macho men wanting to display their great strength. Like those time when I was showing those young muscular dudes how to split a log by using leverage and the weight of the tool to do the work. But no, they had to use their great young muscular force to get it done with their power. Then little old DaveyJO would step in with his spindly arms and split the log without sweating. The same applies to splitting kindling as you've shown. This is why I now have a fiberglass handle on my splitting mall. After the young studs broke a number of wooden handles, even after pointing out what not to do, I went to synthetics. At least those that others use here. We have a sweat lodge and people want to help a handles break. Anymore I split before the event. Besides, how fingers and arteries didn't become severed over the years is a miracle. So I found it best to leave cutting tools out of the picture. Once I allowed my chain saw to be used by a friend who assured me he had plenty experience. Well, I had to buy a new chain since the old one didn't cut stones well and my friend never used my chain saw again,,,,the experienced one. I am self taught with a few pointers from my mentor and grandfather. I learned about leverage early on and woodworking tools aren't much different than axes in a sence. I cut myself with hand tools learning. Fortunately stitch less ones but in very annoying spots, sore. And I will say that chopping bark has improved my skill big time, which you correctly stated more than once. I gave up hickory bark for tanning. The bark is like chopping hard tough wood and takes forever. Hickory works but the chestnut oak (rock oak) works best. Sassafras works well enough with a nice color but doesn't have the potency of oak. Taking your advice in experimenting with small pieces was a super important teacher and I learned tons. Rounding off a hide gives you lots of material to do this and lots easier to skud. An entire hide after tanning looks cool but I tanned it to make stuff. That image we have of whole hides comes from book covers, movies and stretched hides on a rack, they just look cool. And the small pieces can be tanned in a bucket and used for small projects later. So much to learn and Skillcult has been a major teacher. You are clear in your instruction and answers to questions. A Tanning Library plus! That's Skillcult. And if you don't know about the site called Acoustic Life Tuesday on you tube, check it out if you have time. A show from Montana for guitar geeks. Lots of info about guitars and all things related, new artists and lots of fun. Many Thanks as always Steven! Greatly Appreciated! Tons of rain here in Pa. but the daffodils are blooming. I woke at 5 this morning, got some wet wood for the stove, made some JO and found this video. What a great start to a wet morning. And I can sincerely say that the Chicken Solo as an exit was truly Magical! Good Health and Peace Bro! DaveyJO
Spliting maul is the only place I use a fiberglass handle. I like to be able to worry about splitting wood and not saving the handle. It makes for a lot more possibility. Hickory bark can be used to stitch up baskets and such I know. None of that out here! Rounding out is a good idea if hides are going to get cut up anyway. Speaking of hide roundings, can you use some hide glue? Might send some.Spring has come here and the small daffs have been blooming since early Feb. I probably have 50 to 70 varieties here and seedlings starting to bloom from crosses made 5 or 6 years ago.
Skillcult. Some hide glue would be great Steven. I watched your glue making series a few times and the leather making ones many times. In fact I have some piece of raw hide sealed up in a plastic bag to make some glue. I did a few tiny batches, enough for the job. I always u SE hide glue if restoring period antiques but since 2008 I've hardly done anything. Wealthy customers took the big dirt nap and after the crash it became a luxury. So I make smaller things, sculptures, flutes, rattles and other stuff. But really, I never did this for big bucks, although I could have charged far more than I did. But my 9-5, 9-2 5-8 or whatever I set myself. Didn't have to commute and did what I wanted to. So if a buddy stopped and said he found a good old dump, off we'd go to dig old bottles, or play music, or spend time with elders, or felt like working on the lathe or whatever. I got by okay and have had a hell of a good time. So when someone said, "you don't have a real job", I couldn't convince that person that I had worked twice the hours they did on something. And I basically enjoyed the many hours. During a second divorce and after, aside from a huge lawyer fee, many things were going on,,,,,well she cleaned me out. But hey, I had too much shit anyway. And there was a secret bank account. But that's all in the past. Okay, very wordy but it's all okay now. One needs to forgive and forget to move on. Just lessons living. So what the hell does this have to do with hide glue? I fell asleep and need some JO.
Hello, lighter ax heads r way to go. What is the wisdom of removing ax head metal (same idea as u did to ur hatchet) from 4 & 5 lb ax heads to increase there function. Trying for 2 to 3 lb.
> makes cutting safety video
> starts cutting in the triangle of death
safe enough for me, but probably not the best example lol.
I have a nice scar on my thumb from a hatchet as well!
Mine is visible 35 years later
Thank You!!
The best advice I've heard is to place the wood to be split on the BACK of the block.
i cut the top of my left hand in the soft part between my thumb and forefinger. Had to get a few stitches.
Greetings from Guatemala. Thank you for posting this video. I am new to using an axe and splitting wood, and I am very concerned about safety. I do not worry about splitting kindling. I have been doing that safely with a sledge hammer and wedge. But I do worry about splitting somewhat bigger pieces. My current idea is to bundle up those bigger pieces using either the tire or bungee cord method, and then putting a "fence" - either a simple wire fence or maybe some sort of bamboo fence maybe kept together with attached bungee cords. The fence would be high enough to keep the axe from hitting me, but not so high as to interfere with my axe swing. Why have I not seen any YT videos of someone doing this. Is it because it is an idea that will not work, or is it because no one has thought of this idea? I really want to practice developing a good powerful axe swing, without worrying about hurting myself.
I don't think you need to go to such drastic measures. It might be useful for getting used to using an axe, but there are other ways to prevent injury.
Thanks Steven for the informative video as always. Can you please make a video on your opinion on large knives?That would be awesome :)
I second that motion...
I'll take note of that. They are good for brush work, like cleaning up after cutting down trees, slashing small stuff (think jungle and machettes), using like a fro and splitting bamboo. Those reasons are probably why they are more popular in tropical areas and where bamboo grows. Hatchets have more chopping authority because the weight is out at the end. Better for splitting like in this vid, chopping a lot and much less hand shock than any big knife I've ever used. That's the short version. Some large knives are probably more proficient at some household type tasks too and maybe a bit of whittling. I think the pro/con thing comes down to where you. are and what you are doing with it. In general though, there seems to be a traditional preference for knives in the jungle and hatchets in more temperate areas. The Nata is almost something in between. Quite heavy and usually short. Japan is mostly not that tropical, but they have a lot of bamboo. Some traditional foresters there use Nata and some use Hatchets.
SkillCult thank you for taking the time to write back Steven!God bless
Thank you for a great video full of tips
After many years of this stuff, I find myself now most comfortable just batoning within a large knife. Keeps my hands out of the way.
Definitely safe. I rarely use it unless the knife is too small to have splitting weight. Just because it's slow and i'm impatient.
Its definitely slow but in my situation I'm typically just coming in from work and sitting down in the living room taking my time starting a fire is somehow therapeutic. Plus I get to use my bigass knife.
thankyou good woodman
It all goes back to the concept of knowing your limitations and be responsible for your actions, how strange is that? Lol
Well done and said Sir.
So are you loving that Husky axe now that all the mods are complete? Wade
I've hardly used it. I did a little bit with it when I first re-hafted it and it's a big improvement for sure. But I already knew that. Still planning to file it a bit and change some things up.
It's a good size for one handed use though, for a longer axe anyway.
Thanks for your add on about the “triangle of death” ,as we call it in Scouting. There’s some major blood running down the inside of those thighs.
I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to mention it while shooting. I wanted to re-shoot this vid and include a mention of that and some other stuff, but wasn't able to pull it off. I probably should not have even sat like that. it's fine for me, but I don't want to encourage people to do it. Just trying to make sure I fit in the camera frame lol. Some guy was camping with his family up here a few years ago and sliced his femoral artery with a knife. He died.
Stephen you are my go to guy on axe questions. I just picked up a Wetterlings EX at a flea market for $49. Wanted to pick your brain on these axes. This one seems to be in excellent condition. But needs handled. Thank you in advance for any info.
I recommend putting a handle on it and using it :)
SkillCult good answer! I'm on it
as a kid when our old man would let us split kindling we would get a triangle cut bigger piece of stove wood lay the board for kindling against it standing the board on end and hands free after that kept our hands safe may be a way some of you might try
Im glad i stayed until the tip at the end. A 56 year old yellow belt woodsman here.
I'm 56 too. We rock :)
Good informative video!
Tack an old lawnmower tire to the block, stand wood pieces to fill it, then whale away at them with your ax until they are the size you want. Works best If the bead and sidewall is cut off the top side.
what axe is he using , looks like a hultafors or husqvarna
that's a cheap non name import I bought for 5.00 at a yard sale and modified. It's my daily hatchet.
Ive just build a wood heating stove that works only on kindling( its a rocket stove).
What you think avout those lever presses for making kindling?
Don't know anything about them. I'm pretty low tech and I like splitting wood with axes and hatchets.
@@SkillCult its still a manual method and i think verry interesting and safe.
This ua-cam.com/video/l_J3zyUZwWI/v-deo.html
Looks really slow. That is somewhat similar to a block knife used by wooden shoe makers and other craftsmen, but they don't have the adjustable height.
Yo steven, wood fest is coming up soon and I want to buy a block plane and was wondering when you where going to do a video on them?
I have not. I like all the old stanley cast iron ones. As far as low angle or high, I don't have much opinion. Adjustable throat is nice, but not necessary. Only ones I don't really like are the ones with stamped metal parts and just a top screw to lock them in place.
With a tourniquet attached to the end of the handle would that be called a relimbing axe?
always keep an ice pack and small cooler on hand when splitting kindling..
@@SkillCult
Nice pun! : )
How about holding the piece you want to split with þe olde standby - a wooden stick? Also, you can use that _nata_ with a mallet or club just like a froe.
All just too slow for me. I've been doing this as a lifestyle choice for a long time. I'm not messing about when it comes to getting my fire going fast. The stick is like training wheels. Not a bad idea to start with, but hopefully we'll graduate from that eventually and be able to pick up a piece of wood and hit it with minimal fussing about. Have to get there slowly though.
Perfectly reasonable. Just wanted to point out that it may be a viable method for less experienced users like your mother or older folks or people who are less deft than yourself in general.
For kindling, I myself gravitate towards the method where you lay the wood flat on the block and split the far end; works especially well with flat pieces like you had. Actually, with those flat and relatively thin pieces, you can also simply push the _nata_ through them: off hand on the back of the blade and lean on with your body weight.
Just stumbled upon this one as I've watched, and enjoyed, others of yours.
However, this video is obviously for beginners, and I felt that you were teaching them to run before they can walk.
The weight of the hatchet can be a factor, a big lad like you wouldn't find a heavy one a problem, a small person it really could be.
You mocked the dummy run then swung your hatchet in exactly the same way.
It wasn't said that you dont need to swing from over the shoulder, a mistake that leads to a lot of newbie injuries by missing the target and hitting a leg...possibly the middle one.
But I'd suggest most importantly, yourself and your friend, the one you said is a bit mad,
*you've been using your same tools regularly for years*,
you could almost use them blindfolded with virtually no danger of injuring yourselves.
So to go back to the start, I felt that you were encouraging people to speed up rather than getting used to, and being comfortable with, their hatchet.
ps, I really do like your other videos 😄
Sounds like you should make a kindling splitting video :) This was off the cuff with just some sketchy notes, so it's not perfect. I showed a very safe method, side splitting, which is hard to go wrong with. I just think that people should not adhere to the methods most suited to newbs forever as so many recommend. The average person would probably think that the methods used by the bush people I know are unsafe, yet to me, we are the standard of what is possible and practical if you don't have time to waste staying a newb forever. I think it's worth investing in accuracy and coordination rather than not. I don't like dummy rules because they make people dumb and unengaged. I didn't say that you should unfollow their recommendations at all times, I said that they are not completely reliable and I favor thinking of direction of cut and the potential consequences of everything involved. One makes people think about what is going on and how it works and how to stay safe and whether or not they are safe. The other simply hands over all of that for blind faith in some expert touting the most dumbed down version possible. For a couple years now I have had a video planned that is a full treatment of kindling that will be more organized and offer methods in a more graduated way regarding safety/skill/effectiveness. The one thing I'd really would do different here for sure is emphasizing the safety and efficacy of splitting from the side, but recommending swinging at it over setting the hatchet on the wood first. Swinging at it is faster and it invests in skill and efficiency. That method doesn't work great everywhere though, so it's not a one stop shop.
Are against the method of holding the piece you're splitting with just another bit of wood, because of time consumption?
Yeah, pretty much, I can split way faster without doing that.
ok, i wouldn't and don't use axes for splitting kindling, being a uk origin woodsman in france i use a billhook, they are designed for hedgelaying and splitting wood right up to 8' lengths with a cleaving brake, nothing is perfect and i have a good scar on my left index finger to prove it! ( I do have a range of axes and sideaxes ) but billhook is the goto for kindling (5 billhooks)
I've had my eye out for one for a long time. They are very rare here in the states. I saw one in a shop once, but the shop was closed. Now I can find one on ebay, but haven't got one yet. I'm bilhook curious though.
I usually use a stick to hold the piece that I am cutting
As always, great vid. Thanks and hope your mom's thumb feels better soon.
That was a while ago, it's all healed up.
Cool! How to cut off your fingers! If my new gloves were only thinner!
TIP : hold the wood in one hand , position the blade where you want it , then take your hand away and pick up a mallet and tap the back of the blade, might take a few extra seconds but is how i have always done it . or just use twigs to begin with , derp
I have a scar on my knuckle from learning this lesson the hard way! The wood split to the side because of a small knot, the axe followed and cut my knuckle to the bone.
Ouch.
Damn I thought you where close to having a split weenus a few times there lol. Great video, I used to tap a few times while choking the handle near the large ax head to split kindling then follow throu with the dummy cut.
so far so good. I do that too.
@@SkillCult Honestly, did you say, "my weenus"? 😂
use a pliers to hold the end or a piece of kindling
I will use a piece of kindling to hold the wood I'm working on no fingers in the way, fast, simple and safe 😉
Would cut resistance gloves be helpful?
They might be for some. 30 years into burning wood and a no-paper firelighting policy for at least the last 15 years and anything other than what I do now is too slow or unnecessary. splitting from the side is very safe, so there is always that.
Yes. A glove on the holding hand that’s reinforced across the side of the thumb and forefinger is the best answer. Everything else is an accident waiting to happen.
I'm very careful and respectful of the axe personally. I usually always split on my knees and try to keep my left hand as far as possible from the cutting edge. I'm never really in a hurry when camping so it's just a mindset of taking it slow and steady for me.
I tend to be impatient and always want to push the limits a little bit. No serious accidents yet, knock on wood :)
Yeah, one happened to me when I was feeling stressed and angry after a particularly annoying work day and thought I was being completely save. Was splitting exactly as you show here like I've done thousands of times :D Didn't take my left hand away fast enough and almost lost function of my thumb.
It happens when you least expect (being distracted or something)
That stressed, frustrated, angry phenomenon is across the board. I've certainly done that doing other activities. Judgement just goes out the window.
As the late great Clint Eastwood said: "A man's got to know his limitations."
What's ur primary ax
for this use I really don't care much. I think way too much is made of what axe to use for splitting, especially kindling. There are considerations, but we should be able to split efficiently with almost anything we pick up within reasonable parameters. skill is by far the more important factor. Anything from a boys axe down. What I really don't like though is a single beveled hatchet. Those suck for splitting anything.
Awesome man I really like the boys axe there a good size for me thanks for the advise I just want one I can mantain for years to be able to pass it down to my son I dont really like to spend a lot of money I wanna buy one quality ax
Vintage is a good way to go. There are millions upon millions of good axe heads out there. One axe won'td do everything well, but some can do most things adequately.
Ok cool thanks il look into it
I mean, people "freaking out", due to their perception of potential risk to some other humans person, are actually just pretentious. It's not about keeping us safe, those people just are appalled that you'd dare do something they find dangerous....... It's my body... or your body.. it's not the business of others how risky my actions are to my own body
If you use your brain, you will be safe - however, all things in life carry some level of risk. YOU decide what risks are acceptable for your life, and I will decide which I find acceptable for my life. Most of you who complain are just sissies, imo.
A huge part of all this external safety (external of the human mind) is just major corporations covering their own asses in the case of a lawsuit due to injury. Don't be an idiot and don't be nosy.
I like your content and I agree with most of what you say - dummy rules are for dumb folks..... That's why its called a dummy rule
I use a chicken stick, usually the first piece of kindling i've cut xx
Too slow for me and usually no good reason too, but it is relatively safe. safer even though to split for the end with the stick horizontal.
@@SkillCult LOL i was being facetious xx
@@taffpatch1 Oh, ha ha. I get that comment a lot actually and they are serious. I don't get it, but it is relatively safe.
Pretty entertaining "safety video". It seemed like the general theme was "here's a bunch of safety rules but if you're not an idiot or total newb, then don't worry about it. I don't"
I mean, I probably do all the same things. But ...well let's just say I don't see this video being shown to scouts or girl guides. Lol
No, probably not. Besides, I said weenis.
i was waiting for an ironic jump cut with his thumb wrapped in gauze without acknowledging it. Paul Timberman MadTV style.
That would be funny. I think there's a video concept there.
@@SkillCult Ya man axes scare the hell out of me. I like using handsaws for more control. If I had your skill level I might use them more. I gotta practice more.
Pro tip, hold board upright with another piece of kindling while chopping instead of holding with hand
Given equal piles of wood and the other person using the stick hold method, I'm pretty sure I'd win by a long stretch. Given that I can't recall every cutting myself splitting kindling, I'm not sure why I would adopt a method requiring the least skill and that I would think of as best suited to beginners. If I do a second video on this, I'm planning to cover that method, but just for beginners. For more advanced users, I recommend cultivating other methods that are faster and plenty safe if you do them with good skill and awareness. I would think of the stick hold method more as something I would teach a beginner while they get used to handling the tool and build coordination and confidence.
Some people just like to learn the hard way 👍
Summery be good, how not to cut themselves dont suck
I have always split kindling that way but I ALWAYS wear a glove
kindling thimbles would be great. 2" extensions so you hit the thimble off instead of your finger. invent that
I'm a minimalist. Skills over gadgets.
If you have descent wood and know how to light a proper fire, kindling is rarely, if ever necessary.
I assume you mean split kindling and are not just lighting full sized lots with a match.
' Do as I say, not as I do '
Not quite. More like don't do as I do until you're sure you can pull it off. I'm all about what is possible, not just what is safest for newbs.
I just plain mist it
do not kindle this way! there is no rush, lose a finger or seriously injure yourself.
did you say “weenis”?
Yup
😆
Your videos are great but just try to be a little bit less grumpy.
So, you think my videos are great, but two comments on my entire channel and out of all that value and effort and useful shit, both are more or less negative. No wonder I'm grumpy.
@@SkillCult saying your videos are great, is positive. Don't you think? Mr. grumpy pessimist.
Close your eyes while watching... besides being able to talk to a camera better. This guy sounds like Jamie Hyneman.
Femoral Artery !
Please don't sit and chop.
I do it all the time, as do a lot of carvers, but I wouldn't recommend it for any beginner.
I learned the hard way to never use an axe when tired or in a rush.
I find when training muscle memory fatigue diminishes the return. Once good technique goes, what's the point?
i have a golden rule, i never use the axe (or chainsaw) if i have even a tiny amount of beer. Its tempting to have a beer midway through kindling especially on a warm day when you want to get the wood stack ready for winter. If i do then i put the sharp stuff away.
@@keshatton2334
no longer a problem for me, no beer these last 16 years :
9:00 toward my wenis hahaha
well said I've done all the wrong and now do all the way you have explained i started out many years ago trial n error , glad to know your giving a great explanation of how not to cut yourself and lots of practice will make yourself more efficient ..
I've had some accidents in the woods, both with chainsaw (loss of great toe) and ax bad cut + nerve damage to thumb while working in pulpwood ind. I'm older, slower and softer now. I always use a sissy stick.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. I have been burning wood for decades but consider myself a novice. That’s why I’ve searched for lessons. Your voice is mellifluous-harmonic tones, clear enunciation, temperate volume, and accessible tempo. You alert your students to errors I have made in swing direction, stance, and handling (many of which horrified me in the aftermath when I recognized the sliver between what happened and the injury that nearly happened) and to solutions I adopted. You have confirmed the propriety of some of my adaptations and added new insights. I have taught rock climbing and I think you will enjoy knowing that your guidance on the importance of imagining the arc of the swing is identical to my lessons on the importance of the direction of pull in evaluating the safety and efficacy of a rope anchoring system.
Thanks buddy. I appreciate the feedback.
Thanks. I've decided to use cardboard and newspaper for kindling!
I've had a no paper rule in the house forever. A lot of people that visit really struggle to start a fire in the woodstove, but by the time they leave, they are always better at it :)
SkillCult then what do you use lol
“I’m not a big fan of dummy rules” ahaha I love that I’m going to start saying that all the time (btw great video it was very informative!)
Dude, there's hella dummy rules for everything. Occasionally handy, but usual more of a further dumbing effect. watch those fingers tho!
I tend to change my style, chopping flat vs vertical, depending on the wood. For gnarly kindling, which I should probably just burn as fuel, I lay flat and bury the ax into the stump and twist the wood like you demoed. The bit in the stump keeps the pressure off the handle. Straight grained I stand vertically sometimes, but still like laying it on the stump horizontally. I tend to get in a better rhythm horizontally. Maybe because my fingers are out of the way. It's the knuckles of the off hand that usually get busted.
The point you made about remaining a novice is true. The dummy rules are good for beginner's safety but aren't always foolproof. Like the blood circle and triangle of death. Or carving toward your body with a knife.
Good stuff, man.
Me too, I mix it up a lot depending on the wood and other circumstances. I do use the side hit a lot. Depends a lot on the wood though. The side hit is great for wood that isn't cut with a saw, twisty stuff and for working on top of radiused logs and not saw cut stumps, so that covers a lot right there. It's also very safe. I'm generally using whatever is going to get me there the fastest. It's always an exercise in getting a fire started quick rather than an exercise in extreme caution, accuracy, neatness or looking cool lol.
Forgot about the cool factor :-)
"Wenis." LMAOROTF!!! 🤭😝🤣😝🤣
I have to say, dude, wonderfully helpful video! Thank you.
Thanks :)
i like how you break down minutiae and get all technical about the physics of like the axe carving part at the end.
Use a leather gloves on your non axe hand
Call me what you want but I always use a sissy stick😂. Takes about a second longer and will save you a lot of headache.
That's cool. Not for me though. it's just too slow and I don't think I need it. But I've also invested heavily in using my hands.
SkillCult Yeah for sure, I don’t cut as much wood. Maybe if I had more practice I might get braver lol.
another great, practical video! well done! not dumbed down to the safety squint extreme :), but practical in a way to get the work done in the safest way! Liked !
This comment will take me a while to type out… mainly because I needed to see this video 5 years ago, when you made it. But unfortunately I never had the time for watching videos back then…. Anyway, way back when you made this video, I was busy not doing what you’re saying is right, and doing all the things you show are wrong. Hence this comment took me an hour to write out. Love your videos bud.
So I am nobody, and my opinion is based only on personal experience. I love axes and knives, I own many of both, and I use them all the time. I heat my house with a wood stove, and I live in the northeast; so I use about two chords of wood a season. I cut my hand pretty severely with a hatchet splitting small kindling a few years ago. I think that an axe, down to a hatchet, is a great tool to split wood; but in my opinion, when it comes to splitting kindling into smaller pieces, the knife is far better in terms of safety. I personally now use an axe to split large wood, then a hatchet to split wood that is about as thick as my arm, then I make my kindling by batoning it with a knife. The knife is a great tool to make small pieces of kindling, and it is nearly impossible to make a mistake. I love tools, knives, axes, and such, and I think that when you are making smaller pieces, and precision is the key, then a knife is the better option. No tool is good at everything, and it's stupid to ask any tool to do all things. If all I had was an axe, then of course, I would do all things with an axe. I happen to own other tools though, and so I use other tools as needed.
you have this subdued comedic flair I really like :D going through your videos trying to find out what camping hatchet to go for. I don't have a lot of cash so I'll probably go buy an old axe head.
I wish I could recommend something, but nothing meets my criteria of form and affordability so far. I think vintage is still the way to go right now. There are lots of nice vintage heads online for less than it would cost to by a decent, but not expensive hatchet.
I got 6 stitches in my left index finger that taught me not to be compulsive when splitting lol. Now I use a stick to hold the wood.
The stick is just too slow. Whatever you do though, it's good to have the fear.
SkillCult it is slow and maybe after more practice, I will have the confidence to not use it. For me thou, other than a campfire occasionally, any time I pick up an axe or hatchet is for fun, so speed is not necessary.
5:20 thats how I got a scar on my left hand. Split plenty that way, but a shitty mood with a bad temper ensures the shit for brains needed to loose focus.
But if they're flat like the ones you're using I'd simply layer them, then knock through them on the side, and then pull them apart.
I tried that bonus-tip at the end, but for hewing off long pieces that perhaps could be thatched as a roof. Kinda worked on some species, but not at all if there's knots. Still made it easy to joggle, bit harder than when making properly notched recession cuts, but since there's less pre-cutting, it might still be as viable (S.t.a.t.E.)
Also, very charming host at the ending :)
Many things you recommend are a no, no, no for me. The main point with using axes (and other sharp blades for that matter) is always, always minimizing the risk; not to feed your ego about the skills you think (or even you actually know) that you have or master. Accidents happen in a splint second regardless of skill levels. That is a well known, widely documented fact and is the cornerstone of a science called risk assessment & management. My two cents. Cheers.
Not a big fan of the use of always when it isn't warranted, and just adding an extra always doesn't make it more always lol. It is not always about minimizing risk. If it was if anyone even got in a car, they would drive super slow on back roads only, at night when no one else is around, dressed in some kind of michelin man suit. Risk assessment is a personal matter and a judgement call. If you always, always minimize risk, you would use an axe with full body armor and a face mask. It's a nonsensical idea to always (always) minimize risk, while making a judgement call by risk assessment. If you always (but always) minimize risk, you would have to always go to the greatest extreme, not a lot of choice to make. These are dangerous tools and there is no substitute for putting in the time to build skills and come to understand our limits, so we can make that assessment you mentioned. If you truly always (always) minimize risk, I'll be sitting on a mountain of kindling by the time you put on your suit and split a few pieces. And I've been doing it for decades now without an injury, piles and piles of the stuff. That is not to say that I think I'm immune from injury, that I don't think that is probably why I've not had any.