Splitting Choice Axe Handle Blanks From An Oak Log & Shaping Wooden Wedges

Splitting an oak log into billets, staves or "rails" for axe handles, bowstaves, and other projects. Traditional and Green woodworking often starts with splitting wood for further processing rather than sawing it. It is possible to split most logs with one axe and disposable wooden wedges.
Link for the Council tool boy's axe, the red one in this video: amzn.to/2WMy6ta. The black headed axe that I use the most in this video is the forest service version of the council tool boy's axe, available only from Omaha Knife. There is another new model out now and 4 versions on the market in total. The red one is the cheapest and when you get a good one they are good axes but there are occasional quality control issues with the tempering resulting in soft edges. I think they are all pretty similar in the long run.
The Traditional Bowyer's Bible: amzn.to/2GhFDut
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Standard gear I recommend. I either use or have used all of it.
Council Tool Boys Axe: amzn.to/3z0muqI
Bahco Farmer's File: amzn.to/3Hbdhij
King two sided sharpening stone: amzn.to/32EX1XC
Silky f180 saw: amzn.to/3yZzM71
ARS 10 foot long reach pruner: amzn.to/3esETmM
Victorinox grafting/floral knife: amzn.to/3Jki1E9
Wiebe 12” fleshing tool: amzn.to/3sB0qSl
Atlas Elbow Gloves: amzn.to/3FwB5g6
BOOKS:
The Axe Book, by Dudley Cook: amzn.to/32kx7sN
Bushcraft, by Mors Kochanski: amzn.to/32q2rpT
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Splitting logs with wedges is generally easy, but a few things to know will help quite a bit. First assess the grain by looking at the bark. The bark lines will usually reveal the general run of the grain beneath and will show some buried knots as well. Wood can sometimes be split contrary to the grain to an extent, but generally the grain is followed. One problem though is that they split will not always follow the grain when you want it to. It is safest to split wood into equal parts, so splitting a 1/4 of a lot into 8ths is easier than splitting it three ways into 12ths. Some types of wood split much more easily and reliably along the grain than others. For logs prone to grain runout in splitting, you can still sometimes split smaller staves off of larger pieces by approaching the split gradually and moving the wedges frequently.

[@Woodswalker1965]

I always learn something valuable from you. I may not always put it to practice but its stored in the ol memory bank. Cheers! Wade

[@mikemorgan5015]

Great video! Using that military armored vehicle interior paint.... classy...

[@manuelwebe]

That was prety impresive actually. Skills count sometimes ;) Thanks for sharing.

[@williammoore4380]

We used to split a lot of logs. Fence posts, tomato and tobacco sticks, short tool handles- all from locust, hickory and oak. Long tool handles from maple- hoes and rakes. Dogwood wedges are awesome, about the only good use for Dogwood. Used them for felling and splitting wedges. I used thicker "chocks" to position log and keep it from moving. Since we did so much of this, we made really good mallets and wedges. I used linseed oil to keep my wedges in good shape. I found a cheap axe with very thick eye walls, after thinning the cheeks, this became my "wedge on a stick". and was great for starting a split in a large log.

[@attilakovacs5803]

I absolutely love your videos, Steve! They contain high quality information, and they are presented in a very intelligent, yet friendly way. I particularly appreciate your soul and sensitivity as a person, and your respect for old friends and traditions. I'm an amateur luthier and a guitarist, getting ready to make my first instrument from western red cedarwood that I want to split and season myself. Thanks for your contribution to my project and greetings from Hungary!

[@jsboyle3459]

Really enjoyed this video👍

[@theguywitheyebrows]

it looks like fun, im jealous. good work, great lessons, nice to watch it happen.

[@joeh9699]

Awesome lesson, I'm now realizing how much there is to learn about the right way to use wood along with learning the proper way to use an ax. Thank you for the video!

[@XaLoiVlog]

My grandfather left me an American-made ax. and I'm keeping it as a very valuable keepsake. ash wood is an optimal choice for the ax handle. This video gives me many experiences. Thanks the author

[@RRaucina]

With a log splitter in the vertical position, And a wedge on ram setup, its easy to get a split started by feeding in the ends of the log

[@SurvivalSherpa]

When splitting rails for the chopping platform in the cordwood challenge, I had to thin my wooden gluts due to bouncing out of the split. I ended up with two sets. One very acute compared to the other set. Some wood tends to run out more than others I've found. I plan using rails of pine for my cabin rafters. This will take less trees and give me a somewhat dimensional rafter.

[@ironpirate8]

Why are wedges so incredibly satisfying to use, or watch someone use? Splitting wood, or making a wedged tenon, are some things that just make me happy. I occasionally fit a brand of aluminium gutter, and my favourite part is that it uses a wedge clip to pull the downpipe brackets together really tight. I suppose the pleasure of using a sharp tool is the same thing.

[@triumphmanful]

Happy to see you not using your knife to "batton" like some of these wanna bees ! All these new fangled abused words (battoning, survival, tactical, EDC, bushcrapt, and others) really frost my punkins ! Made a shave horse by splitting an oak log like yours. Turned out nice too. No glue or metal either. Just a few splinters in the seat area that I had to deal with . Thanks. Old school wisdom is the best !

[@jaspercarrot7013]

It always a good thing when people show the skills they have learned in the past. You sir have learned a lot in the past and you are not shy about teaching other people. Thank you

[@mariobasic477]

Awesome job my friend! Keep going

[@johnmeola1189]

Yes Sir great tutorial on wood repurpose, particularly in light of how much a new handle costs. Is oak an ok wood to use for handles? Apparently you got the metric down to a science

[@QuantumMechanic_88]

This video tutorial is required viewing for those who believe they are expert with an axe. You have two attributes which many do not. You can "read" the wood and you have intuition. Respect sent to you and to your friend Joe who is on the other side.

[@JoeBob79569]

Sometimes I stop midway through a video, just to click the like button in case I forget.

[@TheRedhawke]

Really enjoyed the video, brought back memories from long ago. My dad and I use to walk the woods hunting Black Gum trees that were rotten in the center to cut down and split to make livestock feed troughs. We used an old axe to get most of the rot out and then an adze to clean the trough up nice and slick. Great memory from long ago, thank you.

[@sonsofliberty1062]

Thanks Steven,