#letssplitthis

The #letssplitthis tag challenge aims to draw awareness to the often neglected issue of mens mental health around the world- namely the high case numbers of depression and suicide. In Australia, there's 9 suicides a day, or roughly every 2.6 hours, and 65,000 attempts a year. 75% of these are blokes. The stats are even worse for folk living in rural areas, and for Indigenous and LGBTI communities.
Getting outside, physical activity, splitting some wood, going for a hike, whatever, and having a yarn can all help. "A problem shared is a problem halved".
For links to more vids in this series from all around the world, check out Indiana Doug and Wooly's World on YT, and for more info and help you can check out the Lifeline website, or freecall 13 11 14.
Cheers for watching, and stay safe.
www.lifeline.org.au/
Indiana Doug : / indianadoug
Wooly's World : / diarmuidfarmer

[@KevinsDisobedience]

The smile at the end says it all. Get outside!

[@kurts64]

It does wonders!😁

[@940joey2]

I was thinking the same thing myself Kevin !! well said 👍

[@123colinfrost]

Great work Kurt, spotlighting the number of suicides in Australia, particularly the number of male suicides. As a society we are more than happy to demonise men for all that is wrong with the world but who is talking about the number of male suicides, especially those men who take their own lives as a result of unfair and even outrageous family court decisions where they are denied access to their children and /or they can't sustain child support payments leaving them depressed and desperate? Who's talking about that? Bloody no-one that's who!!

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching this one mate, and your thoughts are spot on. Doing a bit of research for this vid was an eye-opener and to be honest I wish I'd said more. There's some other vids in the #LetsSplitThis playlist linked in the description (and through Indiana Doug's YT channel) that go into some more detail. Im gunna revisit this topic for sure when I can👍👍💪

[@IndianaDoug]

Just when you think these #LetsSplitThis videos can’t get any better, wow! -your editing was really good. -aussi hardwood ain’t no joke. -loved the Tassie Thanks for doing this Kurt👍🏻 #LetsSplitThis

[@kurts64]

Thank you for doing this Doug. It's been great seeing the vids from all over, and the effect it's had on folks. I've been on a bit of a downer myself since moving off the farm, plus the wet season, missing work etc, so this was actually a good wake up call for me too. 👍👍

[@IndianaDoug]

@@kurts64 our thoughts are challenging at best, glad you find ways to cope man. Rainy weather is one of my biggest triggers to depression.

[@greenfaring2501]

Like your message. Spot on buddy. Thanks. And you axe like a boss 🙂

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate!😄

[@Aaron_A_Lynch]

Thanks brother...that's some tough stuff🤙🏻🪓😎

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching mate! I've still gotta do the bigger end yet😆👍

[@KevinsDisobedience]

That was cool that you made an axe for this challenge. Those rounds did not want to split? Species? Stringy like elm. Also, well said, brother, not a word wasted. Only one choice that’s final.

[@kurts64]

Cheers man. Kinda built the axe spur of the moment when I first saw Doug's vid (been a lot of rainy days here!), thought maybe could do a giveaway to help, but I cracked the eye a bit either on the hang or on this crazy timber. This was Blackbutt, a gum. Semi dry, been down about 3 yrs, I took the crown limbs a while ago with the intention of slabbing the trunk but never got around to it. Still got the part of the main trunk to go...

[@urbanlumberjack]

Good physical work can usually kick me out of a funk. Fresh air does wonders

[@kurts64]

Absolutely! It's not natural for people to be sitting around too much

[@IndianaDoug]

Kevin beat me by 12 minutes! 😵‍💫

[@KevinsDisobedience]

If I get notified of a Kurt vid and I’m in the house, I’m on it!

[@kurts64]

🤣🤣cheers!

[@shapeshifter7753]

Fantastic video! It’s high risk times here in the great white north. Mental illness is most aggressive in the last couple cold months of winter. Just before we start seeing green and hearing the sounds of spring. So thank you for sharing the beautiful scenery with everyone 🤩 friends if your struggling please reach out. Or just remember spring is just around the corner and with it new life💪

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching and the comment mate, glad you liked the scenery shots. Never been in serious snow let alone the winters you northern guys get, it looks beautiful but I can imagine it can wear one down a bit. Thanks again man!👍

[@Brian2bears]

Excellent choice of words Mr. Kurt. Exemplary work with the axe, camera and editing..the handle-crafting looks machined, very nice all around. Thank you very much sir...

[@kurts64]

Thanks Brian I appreciate that mate! Cheers for watching!👍

[@ScrewdriverTUNING]

Some narley wood you got there fella. Great work. Super video. Kindness and love one at a time .!!!!

[@kurts64]

Thanks a lot mate!👍👍

[@michaelgbo]

Plumb Tassie and what was the other?

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching mate! The new build axe is an Aussie made Plumb/Hytest, the "old girl" is a US made Plumb. I believe the Aussie company "Plumb Aust. Pty Ltd" was a toolmaker in Sydney in early 1900s, that for a brief period made the axes that later became Hytest. This head has both stamps, was apparently made around 1949. Cheers for watching!👍

[@willcarmack1242]

Bless you Brother for your words and concern.... How true it is...Much Respect to you...also amazing power/speed.... like I said sounds like a rifle... high caliber!!!... Godspeed Brother..... From St Petersburg Florida ...

[@kurts64]

Thank you mate, were all in this together hey. Gotta be a better way of doing things💪👍🪓

[@ervintaylor6508]

Great content Kurt, keep your spirits up.one choice make it count. lifting you up from here

[@kurts64]

Thank you Ervin, and cheers for checkin out the vid. Much appreciated 👍

[@WoolysWorld]

Fantastic buddy

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching mate, and for getting this thing started!👍👍

[@Finom1]

God Bless and Protect you for that heart felt message, my soul received it!!! We all must watch this healing video over and over again!!! It will wash away what is not supposed to be in our subconscious minds and replace those thoughts with New Healing Thoughts:) We are then developing new habits, new hobbits lead to a new life for us all and the people around us:) Healing habits of taking the time to love yourself, to let nature heal and repair you, to be around our united in love community for repairing, healing and saving of souls:)

[@shapeshifter7753]

Wow Finom! So much goodness in that heartfelt comment.

[@breadbaconcheese]

legit i was just splitting some wood outside for like 10mins cos i wanted to use the axe, come back and saw this. hell yeah brother! love that #letssplitthis stamp on the handle!

[@IndianaDoug]

Tag it #letssplitthis if you make a video, and you should👍🏻

[@kurts64]

Haha that's awesome, good on ya mate! Cheers for watching man😁👍

[@placeholder7044]

Hi Kurt, I am a new subscriber! I just came over from Indiana Doug's channel to give you my support and encouragement!!! Kurt, you have an amazing talent for video production and delivering a life saving and changing message!!! Kurt, you have exceeded all my expectations and have opened the universe up for me to see now through your eyes, Bless you for expanding my mind and impowering me!!! Continue to plant seeds in all our minds and especially in the young people around the world, we all needed you!!! We are with you, your not alone!!! There are some amazing minds here, fire them up and watch your SPRITFIRE grow in them!!! Bless you Kurt!!!

[@kurts64]

Place Holder thank you mate that means a lot. Cheers for the sub and the kind comment!😁👍

[@Joey-L]

Thanks for making this video and contributing to the cause. I wish more people understood how much exercise / hard work and the outdoors can strengthen your mood for the better. I was about to comment that I was glad it finally stopped raining for you down there.......then.....

[@kurts64]

G'day Joey, thanks a lot man. Your spot on, watching the vid back during editing I was kind of amazed how much better I felt from just getting out. Yep it's still raining now😆

[@aussieaxedude154]

Awesome video man loved the old tassie. Splitting wood is super therapeutic always feel good after doing it. Great choice of words mate keep them coming.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate! It's been a while since I got out and belted a woodpile, definitely good for the soul😄

[@jamesgroves5294]

Amazing splitting skills! That is a great axe. Thank you for your words and for being a part of this wonderful challenge! God Bless🙏🏿🇺🇸🪓

[@kurts64]

Cheers James! Thanks for checkin out the vid and the kind words. Same to you mate👍

[@bundufundi]

Great video as always Kurt, that wood looked hard as rock, bet it burns well!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, its pretty heavy stuff, definitely makes some good firewood!

[@brettbrown9814]

Good effort Kurt! Great video, super cause, and perfect words. Loved the etching on the axe handle. Dryer weather for you soon I hope. Cheers mate.

[@kurts64]

Thanks as always mate! Yep, hopefully some blue skies soon...maybe😆👍

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

Thank God for hydraulics.. I bet you get a laugh at us here in the USA complaning about splitting pine... Nice job splitting all that down..😁👍

[@kurts64]

Haha I wouldn't laugh but do get a bit jealous sometimes😁 nah tbh I reckon splitting down some of those knotty conifers would be a nightmare. Sometimes I find gum that just "ping's" apart, some can jam up even a hydro splitter. Keeps it interesting! Thanks for watching mate👍

[@MidCoastAdventures]

Great video Kurt! Terrific photography, editing and to top it off, a terrific cause and speech about a very real, scary and sadly too common illness. Well done mate 😎👍

[@kurts64]

Cheers mate, and thanks for checking it out. I was amazed when I read the stats on the lifeline website. Like you mentioned in your latest vid, with everything that's goin, fires floods covid etc on they kinda hit home a bit hey. Hopefully sunny days round the corner!👍👍

[@Finom1]

Kurt S, I am so Blessed to have met you in this life:) This is an amazing healing video, Bless you for sharing your life and wisdom with all the loving communities here:)

[@kurts64]

Finom1 thank you mate!👍👍

[@Finom1]

We must share the knowledge of being very carful because of the fact of "what you put into your mind can grow there". Therefor only put nurturing, positive, encouraging thoughts of gratitude, love and kindness:) A great healing power is released when this new habit is formed and internalized deeply woven into your personality to protect you and encourage everyone around you:) A force will be emanating from your soul, surrounding you with a shield of golden love:) This will heal and be a living example of The Power Of Love that is available to all of us if we just develop new habits!!!:)

[@kurts64]

Wise words mate, much appreciated!

[@IndianaDoug]

I’m still amazed everytime I watch this mate. You did such a great job Kurt!

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, appreciate that!👍

[@IndianaDoug]

@@kurts64 how can I get ahold of you Kurt? You on any other Social Media?

[@kurts64]

@@IndianaDoug g'day, no worries, I'm on FB facebook.com/bushie.kurt or you can email [e-mail] cheers man have a good one! 👍

[@MDR-hn2yz]

Awesome video Kurt. Nice axe work splitting that up. Do you burn wood for heat or is that camp firewood? Your close up of those ants reminds me of being a 20 year old Marine in Darwin, Australia. Like a lot of younger idiots, my buddies and I had a few to many beers. VB I think they called it. And we thought it was a good idea to climb a tree outside the barracks. Some Aussie soldiers told us to stay out of the tree but didn’t say why. I got up about 10 feet and found out why: ants! I must have got stung about 50 times and fell out! I had a few more beers for the pain and was a little red the next morning. The boys all got a good laugh about it too. I spent a month in Australia and had a great time. Good people.

[@kurts64]

Thanks mate, we moved off the farm in November and no woodstove in the new place, so I'll donate this and any other timber I do to my kids scout group. They do a firewood raffle every year to raise money so this will help. Your story cracked me up! Used to get smashed by ants as kids climbing trees, and their dirt nests on the ground made a good bravery test on a BMX bike... Apparently I'm older and wiser now but I still get smashed by ants from time to time😆

[@MatthewAmsbaugh]

Love that axe! Nice work sir. That looked like a pain to split.

[@kurts64]

Thanks Matt! I probably ground it a bit more chopper than splitter, but yeah some super sticky timber. Still got the butt end of the log to go, might take a few heavies out there when I get the chance

[@chimmy4244]

Nice job Kurt and you backed it up with some awesome words! Love the custom handle lets you know why you're doing this.

[@kurts64]

Cheers Chimmy! Appreciated mate!👍

[@baococvlogsignupnow1064]

HELLO FRIENDS SHARE VERY GOOD AND INTERESTING VIDEOS. .?

[@Codi_Clapper]

Such awesome footage! Every film you put together is a work of art. I really appreciate the time you put into these. That wood is insane!! Nobody seems to have wood as dense as what you’ve been cutting. It was probably nice to get the saw out for awhile lol. Kudos. Nice work, good to see you doing this.

[@kurts64]

G'day Codi, thanks for checking it out mate! Was definitely nice to bust out the saw for once. I'm actually standing on a log in the bush right now, one notch in, thinking maybe I'll get out the saw!

[@Southernlandbushcraft]

Great work on the splitting and the splitting challenge. Very important to bring awearness to it. Thanks for sharing and hope your not getting to wet up there

[@kurts64]

Thanks a lot mate, cheers for checkin out the vid and saying g'day! We're ok here for the time being but a couple hours north are in a pretty bad way. Glad to hear from you mate, lookin forward to the next vid!👍👍

[@tractorman4461]

I've heard of others talk about the hardwoods over there...That IS some tough stuff for sure. You can tell the density by the sharpness of the crack of the axe. Those stringy fibres just don't want to turn loose, similar to American Elm. Creative editing and a very good message advancing the awareness of suicide. Besides that, you have a WICKED swing with that axe buddy !!

[@kurts64]

G'day mate, thanks for checkin out the vid! I've thought the same about elm and your American maples as well, pretty similar. Sometimes there's gum that kind of just snaps apart, but most is like this (or worse!😆). Thanks mate!

[@tractorman4461]

@@kurts64 That's interesting. We have some sycamore that will spit your axe or maul right back at you if you try to split it green....then laugh at you for trying it. Sycamore and elm grown near a water source just about swells the kerf closed behind your chainsaw too !! We have osage orange which is a really hard hardwood. The old timers claimed fence posts would last a hundred years buried in the ground.

[@kurts64]

@@tractorman4461 it's funny you mentioned those particular species. As an Aussie I'd kind of been led to believe that northern hemisphere is all soft pine trees. I guess that's what we imagine what up there looks like - pine trees and snow. But over the last year or so it's been fascinating to learn just how different it is. Kevin from Kevin's Disobedience and Matt the Vintage Axe Hoarder often chop hardwoods and from what I've seen, elm, sycamore, osage, plus black and honey locust definitely seem like a "fun" 🥵 timber to work with! I've worked out that we get a bit of black locust down here growing as an invasive species, so I'm keeping my eye out for that! Cheers mate!

[@940joey2]

WOW !!! Great job Kurt !!! I would expect nothing less from you, the video was AWESOME !!!!! And making an axe just for the challenge way cool man !!! I gotta give it to you man this has to absolutely be my favorite let’s split this challenge video. That’s seemed like some dense stringy wood man, you’re right about it getting your heart pumping 👍 cheers man great job again !!

[@kurts64]

G'day mate, thanks for checkin it out! There's some pics of the build on my FB if you wanna have a look. Was awesome to get out bush for a bit!👍👍

[@940joey2]

@@kurts64 heck yeah man I’ll definitely check out the axe pics !! Yeah man nothing like getting out side with the axe wish I had more time been really busy so I try to get out at least once a week if I can!!

[@peterfletcher8411]

Been watching your videos recently of an evening after work with a cold one or two. This one struck a chord with me. Life is not easy at times and I can speak for myself in saying that I have been in a 'dark place' at various points in my life. Your advice is good...get out there, keep active etc...I made a bit of agreement with myself today to try and maintain a more positive outlook on a daily basis. After a particulary bad day recently I pulled out the 3 1/2 lb Plumb,(recently restored from a rusty lump of metal), and split some Blue Gum. It blew the steam right off my day and my mind. Became a bit of a medatative process as I listened to the 'chinking sounds' of the split wood bein thrown onto the pile. Fortunately I still have both my feet. I credit you, in part at least, for the inspiration to do this. The power and beauty of the imagery you create in the bush, and your distinctly Aussie narrative can have more power than you may believe. Keep up the good work and congrats on the video. Ps...I dont know why you dont have a shitload more subscribers. All the best.

[@kurts64]

That's great to hear mate! This topic hits close to home for me too. Life can certainly throw some challenges occasionally, and trying to keep things on an even keel can wear thin. Hammering through some blue gum with a Plumb is definitely a legit tactic- blue gum ain't for the faint hearted! Sometimes just getting out in the bush, paddock, yard, wherever, and just taking a minute solo can do wonders. I appreciate you taking the time to comment on this one mate, hope things are all good!👍👍🇦🇺🪓

[@peterfletcher8411]

@@kurts64 Take care yourself Champion.👍

[@stevenjohnblundell2768]

Great job 👏 What wood is that ? It sounds really hard.. Lovely axe .

[@kurts64]

Thanks for watching mate! This was Blackbutt, Eucalyptus pilularis. Super hard timber but makes great firewood and lumber. Cheers!👍👍

[@ethicalaxe]

I have yet to split anything that sounds like that. Brutal stuff. Not sure if it's as high pitched in person. Less of a pop and more of a snap. Sounds like you're butchering a pig that's primary made of bones haha.

[@kurts64]

Haha nah that's what it sounds like! Crazy dense stuff, sounds a bit like clanging metal or glass when two blocks hit on the end grain. Thanks for watching mate!👍

[@KevinsDisobedience]

First

[@kurts64]

Legend!

[@Kiltedwoodsmith]

is this Challenge still going, and can I use the hash tag on Facebook?. I have PTSD

[@kurts64]

Gday mate, yep it's still going, and cheers for watching! Feel free to use the hash tag, and check out the vids by the other folks who participated. The Indiana Doug channel has a playlist and I believe the Wolly's World channel as well. Sucks about PTSD man I hope your doin alright 👍👍🪓 Great YT name too btw 😀

[@Kiltedwoodsmith]

@@kurts64 Thank you Brother. some Days are Better then others But I will Not QUIT

[@kurts64]

@@Kiltedwoodsmith good on ya mate💪👍👍