What have done towards your prep?

[Lightspeed]

With my new found love of wood, I've been in the market for a new axe for several weeks now. A splitting axe to be precise, one with raised shoulders of steel just above the blade. These things are for splitting up large logs.

Until now I've been using my trusty Sandvik felling axe for this task. And while it gives me a good workout, it turns out that it is not really fit for purpose as its too thin and digs in too far without performing the splitting action I require.

Anyway, I was in the local hardware store this evening collecting some more firewood briquettes for the stockpile. I was attracted to the axe display area ( of course) and was having a good look at the Fiskars composite handles very orange X25 and X28 models, but couldn't make my mind up. What I really wanted was one with a hickory handle so that I could replace it if ever it became damaged. As luck would have it I found one. An unknown brand, probably Chinese, with a 3 1/2 lb splitting head on a 3ft6 hickory handle....the price? £11.00 I thought there was a mistake. The handle alone was probably worth more than that. So I purchased it before the mistake was noticed.

Its home safe and sound now, and even in the dark, I couldn't resist a few swings. It seems to do what its supposed to, and certainly a whole lot more efficiently than my old Sandvik. It lacks a good cutting edge, so I'll sharpen it tomorrow and will play some more to see what its capable of. Deep down I know that one of the aforementioned Fiskars will be nagging away at me until I have one of my own. But hopefully the £11.00 wonder will keep the desire under control for a while:-)


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Update: This is the axe I purchased http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HELKO-SPLITTIN..._24wt_1141

e-bay price £57! Looks like I got a bargain.