# Kindling splitter



## NZ CRACKER (Nov 21, 2013)

xman23 said:


> As usually this year I split a big box of scrap 2X material for fire starting kindling. I do it with a hatchet. It's fast, holding the wood with a leather glove and swinging away, the chunks fly. The issue is it's hard to get it a small as I would like. This year I went back over the chunks and split them in the 1 1/2 direction.
> 
> Do you guys know of a kindling maker machine, or a device to use on the splitter.


 

Hi Everyone,
I just found this website/forum and was having a look when I came across this post and just had to share something with you all.
My 14 year old daughter has invented and patented this product below that splits kindling, which is so safe and easy to use that nearly anyone can use it from the young and fit through to the elderly and disabled.  It is called the ‘Kindling Cracker’, you can see all about it on her website.
Her journey over the last year has been truly amazing from winning New Zealand’s young inventor of the year right through to getting her invention onto the market with no financial assistance from anyone, she is a true inspiration.  You can also see her journey on facebook, just search for kindling cracker.
We are currently selling these in New Zealand and Australia and very soon to America via her website.
These are a great accessory for any wood fire/oven, chip heater.
Regards Claire


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## TreePointer (Nov 21, 2013)

Interesting.  My initial thought based just on the pictures is that I like it.  Good on you and your daughter!


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## Applesister (Nov 21, 2013)

Now thats a cool looking gadget.


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## Auzzie Gumtree (Nov 22, 2013)

Thats looks cool - just tried to find a video of it in action but couldn't? plenty of info though well done.


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## caferacer (Nov 22, 2013)

I should ask this for Santa for my kid ( and for me)


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

Auzzie Gumtree said:


> Thats looks cool - just tried to find a video of it in action but couldn't? plenty of info though well done.


 
Thank you Auzzie Gumtree, Ayla got her dad to help her with a video (LOL) they were just having some fun testing the strength of the blade but there is a small clip of how to use in in normal conditions at the end of it, there is also a 3D video of the new model, on this link  

It's selling like mad and the feedback is just starting to come in (seen here) http://www.kindlingcracker.com/happy-customers.html
PS: we are making a professional video (product in use) over the next few weeks.


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

Applesister said:


> Now thats a cool looking gadget.


 
Thank you Applesister, they work really well too.


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

TreePointer said:


> Interesting.  My initial thought based just on the pictures is that I like it.  Good on you and your daughter!


 Thank you TreePointer, this is a good place to see some more info https://www.facebook.com/KindlingCracker


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

caferacer said:


> I should ask this for Santa for my kid ( and for me)


 
Great X-mas presents, we had 4 and 5 year olds (under adult supervision) making kindling the other day; as seen on our facebook page when we were fundraising.


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## PA. Woodsman (Nov 22, 2013)

That is really cool and very very impressive-she's brilliant!!


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

PA. Woodsman said:


> That is really cool and very very impressive-she's brilliant!!


Thank you Woodsman, we are very proud of her, it has become a full time business for the whole family.


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## tahoostas (Nov 22, 2013)

So great!!  When are they coming to canada??!


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 22, 2013)

Welcome to the forum NZ Cracker. 

Congratulations to your daughter for completing this project. She has a great future in store for her. I might add that you also have a very beautiful daughter. You should be very proud.


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

Hi Tahoostas, we should be able to ship them to your door in a week or so, it’s best to buy your own hammer locally, you can also use another piece of wood/stone as a hammer, we are currently negotiating prices with shipping companies like UPS, it looks like the best way to ship them is in numbers (4 at a time) so if you have family and friends close by that are interested in one it’s the way to go.

We will put some pricing up on our website soon for shipping (1, 2 and 4 units at a time) UPS has said by the time they pick them up and drop them off to your door it will only 2 to 3 days!


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 22, 2013)

Backwoods Savage said:


> Welcome to the forum NZ Cracker.
> 
> Congratulations to your daughter for completing this project. She has a great future in store for her. I might add that you also have a very beautiful daughter. You should be very proud.



Hi Backwoods Savage, it looks like a great forum, thank you for your kind words.


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## NZ CRACKER (Nov 30, 2013)

tahoostas said:


> So great!!  When are they coming to canada??!


Hi there, we can send them most of places now http://www.kindlingcracker.com/buy-now.html


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## NateB (Dec 4, 2013)

Any chance you need a distributor in the US?


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 4, 2013)

NateB said:


> Any chance you need a distributor in the US?


Hi NateB,
We are currently in talks with some major US/worldwide distributors.  We are looking at licencing the product to them at present, but we will always have New Zealand made units for sale on Ayla's website like they are now. I will keep you in mind if the current companies miss this opportunity.


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## mass_burner (Dec 4, 2013)

Hate to be a nay-sayer, but at $190 per unit, I'd would pass. (I feel like I'm on Shark Tank). Anyone who splits their own wood has value on the mind in the first place. I can go into my garage and come up with something that would serve this purpose in a couple of hours, maybe a trip to HD for parts. A small/medium size tire comes to mind, pack with splits and split into smaller splits.


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## Jags (Dec 4, 2013)

Very interesting tool and nice design. It is always fun to see the little guy (girl) ramp up a product like this.


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 4, 2013)

Jags said:


> Very interesting tool and nice design. It is always fun to see the little guy (girl) ramp up a product like this.


Thank you Jags, she has done very well at 14 years of age and her story a huge inspiration all around the world to the young and old, just as well we patented her idea aye, Ayla has many large corporate companies now wanting to make her product under licence and supply the likes of home depot etc.  The Kindling Cracker's made for the big box stores will be a lot cheaper than her ones on her website because they will not be handmade, but mass manufactured in China, Ayla's dream is to have them made in the country where they are sold to create employment for their own people and to reduce the global footprint (less freight)

Made in USA to create employment for USA and made in Europe to do the same for their people and so on is what Ayla would like to see happen.


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## Jags (Dec 4, 2013)

NZ CRACKER said:


> Made in USA to create employment for USA and made in Europe to do the same for their people and so on is what Ayla would like to see happen.


 And a noble objective it is.


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 4, 2013)

mass_burner said:


> Hate to be a nay-sayer, but at $190 per unit, I'd would pass. (I feel like I'm on Shark Tank). Anyone who splits their own wood has value on the mind in the first place. I can go into my garage and come up with something that would serve this purpose in a couple of hours, maybe a trip to HD for parts. A small/medium size tire comes to mind, pack with splits and split into smaller splits.


Hi Mass-burner, you should take a look at Ayla's Facebook page and have a look at her journey https://www.facebook.com/KindlingCracker  (the seven sharp video link is very cool) see below comments to Jag also.


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## mass_burner (Dec 5, 2013)

Jags is right, interesting tool good design. And I'm sure your daughter is a fine girl. But I still wouldn't put down $190 for something I can improvise rather quickly. Also, I can imagine the wife's reaction to spending $200 for a tool to make kindling when most of us here have numerous axes already. Now that's your real selling job.


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 5, 2013)

mass_burner said:


> Jags is right, interesting tool good design. And I'm sure your daughter is a fine girl. But I still wouldn't put down $190 for something I can improvise rather quickly. Also, I can imagine the wife's reaction to spending $200 for a tool to make kindling when most of us here have numerous axes already. Now that's your real selling job.




Hi Mass burner, I hear what you are saying, the reason they are this price is;


A,  These are shipped from New Zealand to your door (shipping is included)

B,   These are Handmade in New Zealand by New Zealanders and are a fantastic quality.


If you were to buy a mass manufactured axe from a big box store it will cost you very little.

If you purchased a handmade axe from a blacksmith, they sell for $800 plus over here and you would go on a waiting list.


Our Kindling Crackers will be mass manufactured and sent out to the big box stores in your country probably next year and will be cheaper, but they will not be the same quality as the New Zealand 'handmade' units (you get what you pay for) we are selling ‘volumes’ of Handmade units to USA and around the world so no problem with selling a quality New Zealand made product, 80% of people don't know how to use a welder or a grinder so everyone isn't going to whip one up like you say, you will be able to buy a cheaper one when they are in the stores (if you are driven by price) you might not which is also fine, but this product has been designed to split kindling and it has had a lot of research go into the design, it looks way cool and would look good anywhere, you could not achieve this look in your shed and you would spend weeks tinkering in your shed to get the same function and it would never ever look as good, then you have to ask yourself what’s my time worth?


Even though these will be available at HD... etc... in the future; we will always sell quality made units from New Zealand which employs around 150 people in the foundries in New Zealand


Kindling Cracker’s take away the sharp object flying past your/teen’s/mums/wife’s/dad’s hand and it’s real easy to use and if everyone had one it would stop people losing their fingers with axes, you would be amazed of how many do each year, I know one thing is for certain...our family won’t be losing a finger cutting kindling with an axe....my 12 year old has been cutting kindling all week.


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## Makers Mark (Dec 25, 2013)

Great !!


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 25, 2013)

New video


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## Michael Golden (Dec 25, 2013)

I did this same thing last weekend with a $20 fiskars. If you can make millions with it, more power to you!


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 25, 2013)

Michael Golden said:


> I did this same thing last weekend with a $20 fiskars. If you can make millions with it, more power to you!



My daughter Ayla (14 years old) is sitting next to me, she is the one that invented this idea and I just asked her what she thought of someone making her idea in their back shed for themselves after all the hard work she has put in, she said "I hope they put a tough safety ring on it so no one can fall onto the blade and seriously hurt themselves, there could be children running around playing and you wouldn't want a home-made one without a safety ring lying around’’


This product is selling very well and you have also proven that the people that can’t afford to buy one are 'trying' to make one of my daughters ideas in their back shed, I think that says it all......... Ayla’s product is a great idea, very well made and a very safe and functional product.  


Merry Christmas to you and your family today (we had Christmas yesterday), I hope you and your family have a safe and happy holiday.


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## pyroholic (Dec 26, 2013)

Pretty neat.  Any research done on a 4 or 6 way wedge and a bigger hammer?


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## ironpony (Dec 26, 2013)

my Mom used to tell me, If you do not have something nice to say, well we all know the rest. Therefore I am usually a quiet man.

very nice job Ayla, sometimes the simpilest ideas are the best ones.

to all the people saying they can build one,  Well not really you are COPYING something someone (Ayla)  has developed already. Very easy to do.

Come up with an idea and bring it thru to patent, been there done that, it is very hard to do.

Congratulations again Ayla.


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 26, 2013)

pyroholic said:


> Pretty neat.  Any research done on a 4 or 6 way wedge and a bigger hammer?



Yes we have tried that but the older generation, people with disabilities and young children (Ayla 14) struggle to lift a bigger hammer and if they hit a knot it can jam very easy with a 4 way blade and when it does they don’t have the strength to whack it through, you can see what I'm talking about when you read some of the feedback here (people using them);  http://www.kindlingcracker.com/happy-customers.html 

The KISS theory was used when designing this product 'Multiple blades' can be used and it is included in Ayla’s 38 page Patent along with many other designs you are thinking of, most are to complicated and over worked.
We found it best to keep it a simple design and make it easy to use......there are other reasons for this;

1. so all walks of life can use it.

2. it is a simple and cost effective product to make on a production line.

3. minimal assembly and no moving parts to fail one day.

Remember Ayla wants to make these in the country they are sold in eventually, one of the hopes with the licensee is to make them in America for the American people, we think we have the right people for the job now and will see early in the New Year if they can for your next winter, they won’t be the cheapest thing on the shelf.....to many people look at price before quality now a days, the units we make in New Zealand at present are built to last and it’s the sort of product you would hand down to your children when you have gone.


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 26, 2013)

ironpony said:


> my Mom used to tell me, If you do not have something nice to say, well we all know the rest. Therefore I am usually a quiet man.
> 
> very nice job Ayla, sometimes the simpilest ideas are the best ones.
> 
> ...



Thank you for your nice words Sir,

I have learnt a lot about manufacturing since I started my project, my Dad and some very nice engineering companies have been guiding me through it all,  I have also learnt a lot about humans since I've been doing my product too.  Kind regards Ayla


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## coaly (Dec 26, 2013)

*+ 1  *


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## toddnic (Dec 26, 2013)

What a wonderful invention!  Ayla should be very proud of her work at such a young age.  Looking forward to mass production that will bring the overall price down.  Does she need a business / manufacturing manager ?


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 26, 2013)

coaly said:


> *+ 1  *
> 
> View attachment 121754



The rest of the facebook post is a laugh too https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...816.1073741829.466784033414970&type=1&theater have a look what Dad did to Mums car below it LOL https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...816.1073741829.466784033414970&type=1&theater

Regards Ayla


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 26, 2013)

toddnic said:


> What a wonderful invention!  Ayla should be very proud of her work at such a young age.  Looking forward to mass production that will bring the overall price down.  Does she need a business / manufacturing manager ?



Freight is a big expense from New Zealand, but it is a good fast service via UPS, we are looking at sending over 40ft containers and shipping them out form Texas in two to three months (selling them via Ayla's website) which will bring the price down,  However if you look at the drop down bar on the website, you will see that if you buy 4 at a time they get a lot cheaper, you just need to get some friends and family to order one with you (note the 4 units will go to one address) and it takes about 4/5 days.....my husband has just said that you might want to check the duty charges out first and buy 3 at a time in America because he thinks 4 units might attract some duty (I don't know how much the duty would be myself)


We have a man on the ground in Texas that is helping us out with the distribution of the containers for the Internet sales and we are in discussions with some very large manufacture/distributors in USA at present, but thank you for your offer.


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## mellow (Dec 27, 2013)

Must be something in the water in New Zealand here lately,  tons of new inventions coming out of there.

Congrats and I hope this helps pave the way for new inventions from her.  I personally could use an automated kindling cracker.


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## NZ CRACKER (Dec 27, 2013)

mellow said:


> Must be something in the water in New Zealand here lately,  tons of new inventions coming out of there.
> 
> Congrats and I hope this helps pave the way for new inventions from her.  I personally could use an automated kindling cracker.



Us Kiwi's are known to be quite inventive. 
They have just put a write up of Ayla in the local paper here in New Zealand, Ayla has just added it to her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KindlingCracker

Ayla looked into making a little automated kindling cutter that could be left by the fire or back door when she first started her science project for school, but she soon realised that they would be too expensive to make, freight and for customers to buy, most of all an automated one would not be a safe piece of equipment to have around children in the family home.


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## H20AK (Feb 2, 2014)

I bought a Kindling Cracker in December.  Yes, I could have saved myself some bucks by fastening an upside down axe to a cutting block.  But why split kindling outside in the cold when I can sit in my living room and split wood with the Kindling Cracker while watching TV?  The cracker works great.  It is easy, AND SAFE, to get your kindling split very thin.  It is sort of addicting.  You keep splitting thinner and thinner, because you can!  No fear of slashing open a finger.


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## billb3 (Jun 18, 2015)

I think this is a great tool if you have kids that want to help out and you'd rather not have them swinging an axe.
There are some grown-ups that probably shouldn't be swinging an axe too . 
I know swinging an axe bothers my back but splitting with wedges and a maul doesn't so here's one more fine application.
Probably nicer to use indoors on a rainy day . Garage, small shed etc. where there is limited room to swing an axe but still tap a hammer.


I kinda like the rustic earlier prototype myself but that was probably a bit too rustic to be found in a Nordstrum or Skymall catalogue.


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