Fiskars Ax Pros and Cons

My last post on this subject, “New Fangled” Axes for the Homestead, got too long. Now, here’s some observations on the company’s High Performance Splitter, our most recent acquisition.

The company claims that this ax’s design allows for faster, harder strikes, leading to fewer swings to chop a round. The sharp blade flares quickly into a wide wedge shape, and that’s exactly how it addresses the round. It hits like a battering ram, and blasts through the wood impressively. I’ve moved away from using splitting mauls over the last few years. With this ax, I may never need one again!

I will need to gain some experience with this tool before I function well with it, however. At 36″, it’s longer than most axes I’ve used. The balance seems a little off to me, because of that length, and the lightness of the composite handle.

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“New-Fangled” Axes for the Homestead

In the last few days, I’ve made a gear change on the homestead. I’m turning away from my traditional, wooden handled axes and embracing the newer, synthetic handled, “new-fangled” ax.

Several years ago, I asked Michelle to pick up a new child’s ax in town (see A Child’s Ax Can Do a Man’s Job). She came home with a Fiskars X15 (paid link), the closest thing to a “Boy’s” ax available in town at the time. It’s part of Fiskars Extreme or High Performance Ax line.

I was intrigued, but a little disappointed; I’m a traditionalist, with a deep love for the wood-hafted axes I grew up using. Still, new-fangled though it may be, the sleek little synthetic handled ax looked pretty nice.

Fiskar X15

The Fiskar X15, hanging from its hard shell scabbard (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).

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