That was nice cutting. My Work axe is far and away the best I own. I was so pleased with the way it blew through a really knotty section in a thick log. Also, that was some nice chopping. Well done!
Thanks man! And yeah. I keep reaching for the work axe now days for both training cutting, especially in wood that has a fair amount of knots. The thing is a veritable beast haha I've touched up the edge a little after swinging it pretty regularly, but it is really holding its edge over time too! Happy chopping with the work axe, hope it treats you well!
Thank you! I've been working on it! I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn haha And yes, they make incredible axes, the work axe and Chinas are solid buys. I have an M tooth 6' saw coming eventually and I'm quite excited about it!
@thomasschafer7268 True, and those are great axes. But they are small in the bit for my purposes of timbersports training. It is also a beast of a woods axe, albeit heavy for extended work lol and Kurt I think my wife would be in agreement with you, especially when it comes to axes haha
I am training for timbersports, yes. And that could be a relatively broad question overall, but I will try to answer. Axes: I started with an old Michigan head I restored. Worked up to a 5lbs dayton and a big jersey style head then with a modified 6 lbs council tool FE-6. Cost there was free to around $90 for the new CT. Race axes and training axes from various sources cost about $90-$100/head for the tuatahi China's. The work axe and racers are $300-$500+ dollars/axe. Other sources are similar in price if you get into race specific axes. Saws: you can find old crosscuts for Relatively cheap and get them restored for a slightly steep learning curve if you do it yourself. I personally like this, but I've adopted the saw filing hobby for myself. Finding race specific saws and keeping them ready can be expensive. $800-$3000 depending on source/type of saw and new vs. Used. But training you can use an old bucking saw if it's cutting well. Springboards: couple hundred bucks. But I'm making my own. Getting the jigger shoes made was the most expensive part. Chainsaws: no cost currently. Not training that heavily. But whatever larger CC chainsaw you can find and tune. Something equivalent to the stock saw Stihl 660 or 661. That cost will range widely. Stands: depends if you buy them or make them yourself. Can be hundreds of dollars or free like the stump stand I have for standing block. All in all I've spent a little time accumulating some used stuff and you can find stuff online. You can start training for cheaper and get used things and modify/make others. Or go with the new stuff if you have the budget. Starting with the axes is easier and moving into the sawing stuff later. Equipment becomes specialized and gets expensive the further you get into it, judt like anything, but you don't have to buy it right away. Finding a professional competitor or a college team near you would be a solid bet if you're interested and will be best for learning technique and safety.. I just started realistically, and it's really fun so far... hope this helps, and don't let the initial cost scare you off from the sport if you're interested.
Yeah im interested, and I find this very helpful, so thank you, I definitely want to start training now, and maybe even compete in a competition. Thanks for the info!
No worries! Good luck training, let me know how things are going! Or post some training videos! If you can get on the axe cordwood challenge page on Facebook. It's more about just how to get better using an axe. But it teaches fundamental axe skills and there are a lot of folks you can learn from.
I use 6 inch timber screws and use an impact drill to take them in/out. Just secure through the bottom of the log and into the stump stand. Works quite well with about 6-8 of them, depending on the size of the log.
I used some wood to make the log level. Then surrounded it with 8 metal fence posts and tightened it up with a large rachet strap. Then I just use timber screws to secure the chopping log to the log stand.
@FatboyAussie It's great as a tough edged trainer/heavy woods axe. It's relatively heavy at 3 kg, so I like that for training purposes. It is a little smaller at 7.25" x 7" than my 7.5"x7.5" racers or 8x8. It's about the same size as their China axe heads but a bit heavier and the edge can go thinner overall. The steel holds up much better than the China's. I have it at a 20 degree bevel with a bit of a rolled edge currently and touch it up occasionally, mainly if I encounter grit and get a small chip or glinting at the edge. But I chop wood in the winter here in Minnesota too, and can get into less than ideal blocks with knotty or twisted wood and it does fine with that. Idk how the Tuatahi training axes would compare to it, but so far it's definitely held to their claim it'll cut well in frozen wood and knots. It doesn't penetrate like my thinner ground axes, so I get a lot of repetitions, and it is pretty free in ash, oak, maple, and birches. Does fine in aspen, pines, cottonwood, basswood, poplars. It isn't very sticky in them either. But I mainly run it in our hardwoods here and save the soft stuff for my thinner ground axes. Hope this helps.
Tuatahi Axes and saws is the company out of New Zealand. Engineered for Axemen (EFA) is another good company that offers some training axes. Tuatahi also offers "china" axes that are pretty affordable options, but you have to grind them yourself. Tuatahi and EFA offer timbersports training axes in addition to their work axe lines. There are a few other companies around the world but those 2 brands are the only ones I own currently and can speak to personally.
@@Jzelenko27 Is a training axe just a heavier head to get a progressive overload? I never understood what was the purpose of one. Tuatahi doesn't explain it either.
@LabiaLicker yeah there is a component of progressive overload with heavier axes, most of my trainers are a bit heavier than my racing axes. But the big thing is they're a bit cheaper and the edges are typically set up to be thicker. The grind is the primary thing, it's thicker and stronger, so you don't risk damaging the edge as much in some training wood that may be less than ideal.
That was nice cutting. My Work axe is far and away the best I own. I was so pleased with the way it blew through a really knotty section in a thick log. Also, that was some nice chopping. Well done!
Thanks man! And yeah. I keep reaching for the work axe now days for both training cutting, especially in wood that has a fair amount of knots. The thing is a veritable beast haha I've touched up the edge a little after swinging it pretty regularly, but it is really holding its edge over time too! Happy chopping with the work axe, hope it treats you well!
🤙
That's some decent chopping there! Tuatahi make incredible axes for sure.
Thank you! I've been working on it! I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn haha And yes, they make incredible axes, the work axe and Chinas are solid buys. I have an M tooth 6' saw coming eventually and I'm quite excited about it!
@@Jzelenko27 Nice, that sounds cool.
Concentrate on placement of blows .accuracy,take your time.
Accuracy is key. Focused a lot on that since this video and it helped a lot.
Awesome sauce
Thank you!
Good stuff👍
Thank you!
280€ for a axe. Normal Person use a fiskars x25 or x27 for 60-70€. 😅😅😅😅
@@thomasschafer7268 haha yeah but we're not normal🤣🤣🪓
@thomasschafer7268
True, and those are great axes. But they are small in the bit for my purposes of timbersports training. It is also a beast of a woods axe, albeit heavy for extended work lol and Kurt I think my wife would be in agreement with you, especially when it comes to axes haha
"Slow is fast."
You're correct, I've learned quite a bit since that day. But slowing down to get it right was definitely needed.
Are you training for timbersports?
And if so what are you getting for training and how much does it cost?
I am training for timbersports, yes. And that could be a relatively broad question overall, but I will try to answer.
Axes: I started with an old Michigan head I restored. Worked up to a 5lbs dayton and a big jersey style head then with a modified 6 lbs council tool FE-6. Cost there was free to around $90 for the new CT. Race axes and training axes from various sources cost about $90-$100/head for the tuatahi China's. The work axe and racers are $300-$500+ dollars/axe. Other sources are similar in price if you get into race specific axes.
Saws: you can find old crosscuts for Relatively cheap and get them restored for a slightly steep learning curve if you do it yourself. I personally like this, but I've adopted the saw filing hobby for myself. Finding race specific saws and keeping them ready can be expensive. $800-$3000 depending on source/type of saw and new vs. Used. But training you can use an old bucking saw if it's cutting well.
Springboards: couple hundred bucks. But I'm making my own. Getting the jigger shoes made was the most expensive part.
Chainsaws: no cost currently. Not training that heavily. But whatever larger CC chainsaw you can find and tune. Something equivalent to the stock saw Stihl 660 or 661. That cost will range widely.
Stands: depends if you buy them or make them yourself. Can be hundreds of dollars or free like the stump stand I have for standing block.
All in all I've spent a little time accumulating some used stuff and you can find stuff online. You can start training for cheaper and get used things and modify/make others. Or go with the new stuff if you have the budget. Starting with the axes is easier and moving into the sawing stuff later. Equipment becomes specialized and gets expensive the further you get into it, judt like anything, but you don't have to buy it right away. Finding a professional competitor or a college team near you would be a solid bet if you're interested and will be best for learning technique and safety.. I just started realistically, and it's really fun so far... hope this helps, and don't let the initial cost scare you off from the sport if you're interested.
Yeah im interested, and I find this very helpful, so thank you, I definitely want to start training now, and maybe even compete in a competition.
Thanks for the info!
No worries! Good luck training, let me know how things are going! Or post some training videos! If you can get on the axe cordwood challenge page on Facebook. It's more about just how to get better using an axe. But it teaches fundamental axe skills and there are a lot of folks you can learn from.
I might check that out thanks
Would have got that done twice as fast with my kabar.
Kabar is great, idk if it's that great of a chopper though
How can you fix the log on the cutting board ?
I use 6 inch timber screws and use an impact drill to take them in/out. Just secure through the bottom of the log and into the stump stand. Works quite well with about 6-8 of them, depending on the size of the log.
@@Jzelenko27 Thank you very much !
@@anhtieuphubungbu.9253 no worries
How to fix a log like yours?
I used some wood to make the log level. Then surrounded it with 8 metal fence posts and tightened it up with a large rachet strap. Then I just use timber screws to secure the chopping log to the log stand.
superglue
How do you find that axe for training?
@FatboyAussie
It's great as a tough edged trainer/heavy woods axe. It's relatively heavy at 3 kg, so I like that for training purposes. It is a little smaller at 7.25" x 7" than my 7.5"x7.5" racers or 8x8. It's about the same size as their China axe heads but a bit heavier and the edge can go thinner overall. The steel holds up much better than the China's. I have it at a 20 degree bevel with a bit of a rolled edge currently and touch it up occasionally, mainly if I encounter grit and get a small chip or glinting at the edge. But I chop wood in the winter here in Minnesota too, and can get into less than ideal blocks with knotty or twisted wood and it does fine with that. Idk how the Tuatahi training axes would compare to it, but so far it's definitely held to their claim it'll cut well in frozen wood and knots. It doesn't penetrate like my thinner ground axes, so I get a lot of repetitions, and it is pretty free in ash, oak, maple, and birches. Does fine in aspen, pines, cottonwood, basswood, poplars. It isn't very sticky in them either. But I mainly run it in our hardwoods here and save the soft stuff for my thinner ground axes. Hope this helps.
@@Jzelenko27 appreciate the reply. Sounds pretty much what I’m after. Thank you
No worries, hope it works for you!
Where can I buy such an ax ready for training
Tuatahi Axes and saws is the company out of New Zealand. Engineered for Axemen (EFA) is another good company that offers some training axes. Tuatahi also offers "china" axes that are pretty affordable options, but you have to grind them yourself. Tuatahi and EFA offer timbersports training axes in addition to their work axe lines. There are a few other companies around the world but those 2 brands are the only ones I own currently and can speak to personally.
@@Jzelenko27 Is a training axe just a heavier head to get a progressive overload? I never understood what was the purpose of one. Tuatahi doesn't explain it either.
@LabiaLicker yeah there is a component of progressive overload with heavier axes, most of my trainers are a bit heavier than my racing axes. But the big thing is they're a bit cheaper and the edges are typically set up to be thicker. The grind is the primary thing, it's thicker and stronger, so you don't risk damaging the edge as much in some training wood that may be less than ideal.