Splitting kindling

[Billhook]

In a huge case of synchronicity I have just received a present from some friends from Denmark who have just come to stay.  Each time we visit each other we men try to find an unusual present.  Generally some old tool from the past that’s use has been lost in time.

last thing I took to him was a battery terminal cleaner, this time he brought this!

Now I had never heard of these devices until I saw the one posted above

I need to sharpen the blade and fix it on the wall and report back!

[Guest Gimlet]

Always strikes me that the handle is the wrong angle on those things. If it swept upwards rather than straight or slightly downwards it would offer better leverage and a more natural position. 

Let us know how it works though. Cheap enough solution.

[Rough Hewn]

Possibly...
Mount a four way log wedge pointing upwards in a big log.
Put hazel on top, little bash with a mallet.
No hatchet wounds.
[emoji106]

[Billhook]

13 hours ago, Gimlet said:

Always strikes me that the handle is the wrong angle on those things. If it swept upwards rather than straight or slightly downwards it would offer better leverage and a more natural position. 

Let us know how it works though. Cheap enough solution.

 

You are right Gimlet

 I sharpened it today and was quite pleased to find the blade of good quality and sharp enough to shave with.

Mounted it vertically and securely on a vertical beam similar to the video.

Now I am not small and quite strong but I really struggled to split even a small round of ash.  My wife certainly could not work it.  I shall be sticking to my Quicksplitter and will hang the device in my "Bygone Tools" museum!

[Guest Gimlet]

You can still buy new ones but they're about £130. The design doesn't look to have changed and I bet the blade steel quality isn't as good as yours. 

[scbk]

You wouldn't want to do this commercially, but its ok for filling a barrow for home

 

 

 

 

 

[Billhook]

12 hours ago, scbk said:

You wouldn't want to do this commercially, but its ok for filling a barrow for home

 

 

 

 

 

Owwwwwhhhh  my finger!

[benedmonds]

Another non-commercial system, but it is ok for filling a barrow at a time and your less likely to lose fingers, especially if you use a lump hammer.

[Billhook]

I feel that I have not been fair to this old Danish tool

My Danish friend who brought it over said that it was mainly used in towns and flats for making kindling out of smaller pieces of wood.  In those days it was all wood stoves for heat.

 

We set about it again using smaller lumps and we could see that it would be very effective in certain situations.  Less noise than chopping and safer.

So sorry Mr Stikkan

” Med Stikkan kloveren behover du like hugge fingrene af med oksen , nar du skal klove dit trae til optaending.”

Or so it says on the label!

[Guest Gimlet]

Probably alright for pallet wood. The hazel sticks can be quite tough though, especially the knotty ones.