# Nordic (hand) splitter...



## savageactor7 (Aug 21, 2008)

...all you hand splitters should check this out.

 If a poster has one that reports back that it splits Elm, then I'm getting one for my winter dead tree removals. Looks to me like it's splitting birch trees in the vid...and they're an easy take. But I like the concept of this Nordic splitter...easier on the back that's for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_olacH1hlWg


----------



## jbroich (Aug 21, 2008)

I'd love to hear from someone with experience with that thing.
http://www.logmatic.com/eng/index_eng.php


----------



## JBinKC (Aug 21, 2008)

It looks like a good tool to have if you have a copious amount  of straight aspen pieces to split (like in the demo) but I have my doubts that it would be any more efficient with something moderately difficult.


----------



## Hansson (Aug 21, 2008)

I have tried it.It`s sucks !

Ave anyone tried this one?
http://www.vipukirves.fi/etusivu.htm


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Aug 21, 2008)

There are like a hunnert different doohickeys like this.  Ones with moving pieces that hinge out to split, twist in the split, etc. etc.  The wood they all show them splitting doesn't require anything more than a maul.
LOL- thanks for making splitting easy wood... just as easy guys


----------



## Sledge&Wedge (Aug 21, 2008)

Northerntool sells something akin to the initial post as well, I'd imagine harder wood and anything larger than a 10" round laughs at it.




			
				Hansson said:
			
		

> I have tried it.It`s sucks !
> 
> Ave anyone tried this one?
> http://www.vipukirves.fi/etusivu.htm



I have not tried the axe but have three thoughts on it:
1- At 190 euro or 280 US dollars, they're out of their mind!
2- Even knowing that the design is meant to induce a twisting force upon impact, that blade is Very narrow, which spells getting stuck if striking anywhere near the middle of a bigger round. I guess it's easily argued you never really need to strike near the middle, but popping a small to medium size round in half is plain fun and at a 10th of the cost, a plain 6 or 8lb maul does an amazing job. 
3- What about stringy, tough wood? once you create a crack there is no way you're plowing that thing through to finish a tough split.

It's interesting, but even if it were reasonably priced I think it would end up being the gimmick that collected dust behind my all purpose, plain jane mauls.


----------



## myzamboni (Aug 21, 2008)

Hansson said:
			
		

> I have tried it.It`s sucks !
> 
> Ave anyone tried this one?
> http://www.vipukirves.fi/etusivu.htm



It's a Leveraxe:  Knock yourself out:  http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=46925&highlight=leveraxe


----------



## savageactor7 (Aug 21, 2008)

So its another gimmick maul then? Well that's that.


----------



## woodconvert (Aug 21, 2008)

myzamboni said:
			
		

> Hansson said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looks ideal for making kindling or for smaller straight grained splits...but for $280????.


----------



## Hogwildz (Aug 22, 2008)

That guy was on here about a year or so ago trying to sell those things.
I believe he sent one over, last I heard Corie was checking it out.
I think the verdict was ok for soft, straight wood, not so good for hard woods.


----------



## woodconvert (Aug 22, 2008)

By the looks of the tool and from the comments on the Arboristsite it looks very well made...but I gotta wonder if over there (Finland or Sweden) all they have is straight grained soft wood???.


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Aug 22, 2008)

I get the impression that it's a lot of birch and aspen, along with firs etc. in Scandinavian countries.


----------



## smokinj (Aug 22, 2008)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> There are like a hunnert different doohickeys like this.  Ones with moving pieces that hinge out to split, twist in the split, etc. etc.  The wood they all show them splitting doesn't require anything more than a maul.
> LOL- thanks for making splitting easy wood... just as easy guys


what do you use to split wood with? I would like to have one good hand splitter.


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Aug 22, 2008)

I have a hydraulic splitter now, but split almost half of my wood with an 8# maul and wedges.  File sharpen the maul and wedges.  Other folks here will tell you it doesn't matter- they are welcome to use dull tools- I see a major difference


----------



## smokinj (Aug 22, 2008)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> I have a hydraulic splitter now, but split almost half of my wood with an 8# maul and wedges.  File sharpen the maul and wedges.  Other folks here will tell you it doesn't matter- they are welcome to use dull tools- I see a major difference


Thats what my dad keeps telling me too guess i was hoping an ax would work as good


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Aug 22, 2008)

I have a shaving-sharp axe that I can split straight red oak with for kindling, but for splitting full rounds etc- you really need a maul.  The mass of the maul carries it through the piece, and the wedge shape pushes the wood apart in a way that a thin, light axe head won't.


----------



## smokinj (Aug 22, 2008)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> I have a shaving-sharp axe that I can split straight red oak with for kindling, but for splitting full rounds etc- you really need a maul.  The mass of the maul carries it through the piece, and the wedge shape pushes the wood apart in a way that a thin, light axe head won't.


Thats that what i will get next


----------



## Ron Lloyd (Aug 22, 2008)

This is the one that I like to use.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=147592-302-1190700&lpage=none 

It works great on black locust and in their words it has the “Splitting force of a maul with the cutting blade of an axe”. At only 4 pounds you can swing it all day yet it is very effective even on hard wood. The speed that you can wield it seems to more than make up for the light weight. I have used heavy mauls. This one beats them hands down.

Ron


----------



## smokinj (Aug 22, 2008)

locust loco said:
			
		

> This is the one that I like to use.
> 
> http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=147592-302-1190700&lpage=none
> 
> ...


i have seen that one and it would kill two birds for me. frist doing elm with the splitter i need an ax 2nd i have about a cord of soft maple thats on top of a step hill and cant get the splitter up there rolling them is no help.I just about bought that on tuesday,but wasnt sure if it would work.


----------



## Sledge&Wedge (Aug 22, 2008)

smokinj said:
			
		

> locust loco said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



After seeing a lot of hype for the fiskars axes and these new single flared section type mauls I went and got the one pictured. They look cooler than a regular maul but do not work any better, if anything a bit worse. 4lbs is pretty light, if it came in 6 or 8 lbs I'd probably be loving it, but I can already tell it's going to be niche splitter for me, doing small things that it's nice to have something very light and sharper around. If you want one all purpose splitter then I think a regular 6/8lb maul is by far your best choice. As for the fiskars axe, the largest one I saw at sears couldnt have been wider than inch, that settled that quickly, it was more an all purpose, nice to have camping axe, not a true splitting tool.


----------



## Sledge&Wedge (Aug 22, 2008)

double post


----------



## bill*67 (Aug 22, 2008)

WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT THINK ABOUT IS AFTER USING THE NORDIC HAND SPLITTER, YOUR KNUCKLES AND WRISTS WILL BE QUITE SORE AND YOU WONT WANT TO PICK THAT THING UP FOR A WEEK.


----------



## Adios Pantalones (Aug 22, 2008)

wildbillx8 said:
			
		

> WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT THINK ABOUT IS AFTER USING THE NORDIC HAND SPLITTER, YOUR KNUCKLES AND WRISTS WILL BE QUITE SORE AND YOU WONT WANT TO PICK THAT THING UP FOR A WEEK.



Hey- just like an 8# maul- LOL


----------



## smokinj (Aug 22, 2008)

Adios Pantalones said:
			
		

> wildbillx8 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


lol think there all work


----------



## FINLAND (Aug 23, 2008)

Sledge&Wedge; said:
			
		

> Northerntool sells something akin to the initial post as well, I'd imagine harder wood and anything larger than a 10" round laughs at it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It is regrettable that there are such people who have strong opinnions about things of which they do not understand anything.
The person above writes as he would be professional though he has NOT used the LEVERAXE.
Here are my answers to those arguments.
1-Does it make the tool bad if it is expensive? For instance,do you consider ferrari as bad car?
2-The LEVERAXE NEVER sticks into the wood. It penetrates to the wood only 5 millimeters on an optimum strike. It spreads the wood up to 8 centimetres. The friction is almost nonexistent.  The axeblade remains ON the block. It does NOT go throw the block. It will NOT hurt yourself.
The harder the wood is the better the leverage funktions. During this nearly 3 years marketing there has NOT happened any accidents, not a single one.
3-We have some stringly, tough wood here in Finland,too. I do NOT see any problems in splittign them. I have used all kind of conventional axes during my 60 years career among the firewood and I must say that the LEVERAXE is definitely the best axe what I have ever had.
I will strongly ask you to visit my websites and study this new tool. This is the very fist axe that funktions with leverage. It has built in safety features in purpose that one cannot hurt him(her)self during the splitting. If you do not understand how this axe operates then please, do NOT speculate.
All the best from Finland.
Regards the inventor.
www.vipukirves.fi and www.vipukirves.net


----------



## Sledge&Wedge (Aug 23, 2008)

Those were my "thoughts" (as stated), I was under the impression that was what forums were for, the sharing of thoughts, whether they be like others or different. I know after reading the thread that was linked here, from the arboristsite.com forum, that none of my thoughts have changed, only strengthened.
As per price alone dictating whether a tool or product, is good... certainly it does not, but the idea this tool is the ferrari of axe's is a bit comical, a birch handle and a single cast head? To continue your car analogy, you do not have a ferrari, you have a new Honda civic priced like a ferrari. 
Best Regards


----------



## FINLAND (Aug 24, 2008)

Sledge&Wedge; said:
			
		

> Those were my "thoughts" (as stated), I was under the impression that was what forums were for, the sharing of thoughts, whether they be like others or different. I know after reading the thread that was linked here, from the arboristsite.com forum, that none of my thoughts have changed, only strengthened.
> As per price alone dictating whether a tool or product, is good... certainly it does not, but the idea this tool is the ferrari of axe's is a bit comical, a birch handle and a single cast head? To continue your car analogy, you do not have a ferrari, you have a new Honda civic priced like a ferrari.
> Best Regards



Thank you very much for the compliment. I really did not mean the comparison that way. I'll give an other example: Do you consider a diamond 

as a bad jewellery because it is expensive? Please, do not say, that the LEVERAXE is the diamond of the axes.

I hope the exchange rate of USD to become stronger, maybe then the LEVERAXE will be better, as well.

All the best from Finland.

Regards the inventor  www.vipukirves.fi www.vipukirves.net


----------



## FINLAND (Jul 12, 2010)

Hi
Here are some slow-motion videos about the Leveraxe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZf0Hi9XIkM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBsNxfB9ZCM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9_9wmjK3j8

More to see.

http://www.vipukirves.fi/english/index.htm


----------



## Sisu (Jul 13, 2010)

FINLAND said:
			
		

> Sledge&Wedge; said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Terve Finland,

There are a lot of opinions here and that is because this is a forum for the exchange of ideas and information.  No one here is trying to insult you or your product.  Many of the posters here are seasoned metsämiehet (forestmen) and are extremely knowledgeable.  

I must admit that you do have an uphill battle to break into the North American market with your axe.  Most people here would be reluctant to buy the axe, due to the cost and without knowing how effective it would be to split the wood in their area.  

I am sure you have a lot of stringy tough pieces of wood, but there are a lot more variety species of trees in the US and Canada vs Finland.  Some species are very difficult to split, even with a hydraulic splitter.  Especially if there are knots in the wood, etc.  If the Vipukirves makes splitting a little easier on these tree species, most people will buy a cheaper axe.  If it makes splitting *significantly* easier, more people (but not all) will buy the Vipukirves.

If you have a North American distributor, I would suggest they do trials on all North American firewood species, especially the difficult ones.  If your axe is as good as you say, word of mouth will help sell it.  But the people here will need to see how effective it is with the wood in their forests.  

A good example of word of mouth selling is the success of the Fiskars splitting maul.  I have never seen it advertised, yet the rave reviews in forums like this are selling the product.

I wish you the best of luck with your business.

Kippis!


----------



## xcdustin (Jun 29, 2013)

I'm 26 years old, and I've been splitting large quantities (greater than 15 cord/year) entirely by hand for about 4 years now.

I've got two broken Home Depot log splitters (fiberglass handle) sitting in my shed. They cost about $30 each, but they each only made it through about 10 cords before the head flew off.

I've got a Chopper 1 Axe that sits unused in my shed. The design is too complex and heavy. That axe was about $95 after shipping, and the head is starting to slip from the hickory handle.

I bought a Fiskars Super Splitter after reading reviews on the Home Depot website. It's $55 with composite materials, 36" long, very light. Closer to a knife than an axe. I've split 40 cords with it. It's bulletproof. I've even hammered the soft metal head on occasion (big no-no) and it has held up to it. I'm 5'8" and the axe is supposed to be too long for me, but I can get it going very fast, and it's extremely accurate.

I won't be trying any clever designs anymore. I've got an axe that works and holds up, and two sledges with 3 metal wedges. No axe is worth $200.

Source: I've split around 60 cords in the past four years. About 50% oak and the other half a bunch more: sweetgum, pecan, ash, hickory, pine, etc... The Fiskars super splitter has been the most reliable, and I can swing it all day long. I've literally gone out and split for 8-9 hours with a 30 minute lunch break. Maybe some of you supermen out there can swing 8 pound mauls for 9 hours, but I've gotten a huge amount of work done with this axe.


----------



## fossil (Jun 29, 2013)

The bulk of this discussion took place in 2008, with a couple of stray posts tacked on in 2010.  Pretty stale zombie thread.  Shuttin' 'er down now.  Rick


----------

