Splitting Wood with a Double Bit Ax

[@Tadders]

Right on buddy, double bit axes are great for splitting. It's all about the profile of the axe head.

[@scottroberts5511]

Looks more fun this way.

[@seff2318]

People who’ve done the most say the least. Keep doin you brother.

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Appreciate ya, Seth!

[@GWPerry]

That was some punky wood

[@SurvivalSherpa]

About 2/3's of the dead tree was solid. The top third was punky and split like butter. I mentioned that in the description so as not to try and appear like I'm superman or something. Thanks for watching, sir.

[@hootnannyhomestead8338]

I say, you do you Sherpa.

[@SurvivalSherpa]

It gets the job done. Thank you!

[@shovelhead8]

Nice splitting wood, when it is done by a master. We burned a lot of dead elm, so you cut it a foot long and worked hard to get it split. Awesome job, Todd

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Elm is a tough one. Clear grain wood like red oak splits way easier. I break out the maul when I have to split the tough stuff. Many thanks, my friend!

[@stevenstovall9668]

Looks like a great technique. I'll have to give it a shot. In the words of a great teacher "Keep doing the stuff of self reliance". 😀😀

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Thanks, Steven! Appreciate ya!

[@terrysavage825]

Nice work Sherpa. I was able to do that with a single bit and ash that had been down about 6 months. My son that I was mad at something...

[@terrysavage825]

“Thought” I was mad at something...

[@SurvivalSherpa]

I bet hat seasoned ash was a challenge. I find it surprisingly calming swinging an ax in a wood pile. May look like we're mad.

[@TheScoundrel70]

The way I see it, just ask some simple questions: 1) Is it outright dangerous or significantly more so than the other method? 2) Does it produce a comparable amount of productivity (or better)? 3) Does it do more damage to you, the work environment, the materials, or the tools? 4) Are the results of lesser quality, or produces more waste? If yes is the answer to any, well, there's grounds to call it wrong. If the answer is no to all, well what you have is not called "wrong", it's called "different", and that is NOT the same thing.

[@axemanmike4390]

Sean Lewis BRILLIANTLY SAID!

[@SurvivalSherpa]

No to all of the above, Sean. Thanks! I'll keep swinging.

[@justinkeckhaver8199]

I grew up piss poor in northern Arkansas, and that's how I learned to split wood. My little ass couldn't swing a maul, so I figured out how to bust wood with a double bitted axe.

[@tailzzgermzz6943]

I'm 38 and don't think I could do as fast u. Straight grain wood,still good job. I'm in so cal and all I get my hands is eucalyptus, hate splitting that shit. But burns giod

[@aaronhughes4583]

More than one way to skin a cat. You just have to have a plan. It got the job done and you weren't at risk of hurting yourself. Good job Sir!

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Thanks, Aaron! Appreciate you.

[@axemanmike4390]

Nice vid Todd!! I'm going to give it a "swing"!!

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Thanks, bud! Let me know what you think.

[@DaringDaver]

Makes quite a bit of sense to me while saving undue wear and tear on your back. Great video! I would be interested to learn your approach for sharpening axes in one of your future videos.

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Thank you, sir. At my age, the less I bend over the better. Here's a link to a video on sharpening. It's called the Rooster Method, by Craig Roost of Axe Junkie fame. He has a more in depth video on his technique. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWSXkp2qndx7gNU

[@BushCraftBums]

Awesome axe work brother! So effective in skilled hands. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed day

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Many thanks, my friend!

[@TreeofLibertyDigest]

Looks legit to me.. you cant argue with results.

[@chrishagerty5467]

my old man always got soo angry with me for splitting wood this way even thou time after time at the end of the day my split pile was bigger than his. it drove him nuts that i didnt do it his way and instead did it like this

[@SurvivalSherpa]

It's fast and effective as long as you keep your feet behind the line of contact with the ax and wood. Good to hear someone else finds this technique useful. Thanks, Chris!

[@tonyfelts1512]

you are the AX MAN!.....work it Bro!

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Thanks, bud!

[@thedreadpiratewesley2301]

Haha , that's a pretty badass technique dude , almost like a golf swing

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Thanks, David. I call it the Tiger technique after Tiger Woods, lol.

[@TreeofLibertyDigest]

Theres only one wrong way to use an axe.. and thats the way that breaks the handle

[@SurvivalSherpa]

I've busted a lot over the years, lol.

[@RobstarLight]

What is that short bit off great guitar starting 27 seconds in I love it. Great technique chopping too!

[@SkillCult]

I get quite a few naysayers on my ground splitting vids. I was actually just preparing some notes to address the usual questions (usually just rhetorical questions to disguise criticism) and criticisms. One is surprisingly that it must be harder on your back. Whaaa? Than picking up and moving every round to a splitting block? hmmm... Then there is, "it's dangerous" or "looks really dangerous". Not if some simple guidelines are followed. "It's dangerous for your axe". Not very, and so what? Use a beater, get over it. It's not a violin, it's a tool. It's inefficient. Sometimes it is, depends on the wood and operator skill and understanding. My game is still improving, but every time I invest in myself and this technique instead of doing the same old thing everyone seems to know is best, I get better at it and better with my axe in general. And any extra blows or other seeming extra work have to be weighed against all the wood handling required by splitting on a block. Also, it's possible to produce wicked splitting power when splitting at ground level because the arc of the swing is so long. Splitting on a block, even a short one reduces that a bit I think. One thing they all probably have in common is they haven't done it and even if they did, how many can handle an axe as well and you and I can and have put in enough time to start to get better at it. And you and I have done what everyone else does already and are now doing this. Ground splitting with an axe has it's ups and downs, but at times it is incredibly efficient and it doesn't have to be used for every gnarled evil crotchety log. If it's not the right method for the job, don't use it. But to say it's never right for any job, I'm not sure what to say to that. It's also really fun :)

[@walterbuller9171]

A double bit axe is the most dangerous and most inefficient hand-held splitter there is. I have seen people severely cut the back of their heads with the opposite end blade on the downswing. A steel-handled "Monster Maul" is the safest and most efficient hand-held splitter of them all. One swing is all it takes, and the bit never gets stuck in the wood, like you were fighting with on this video. I am 70 years old, been splitting 5-6 cords of firewood/winter since I was a teenager. Tried them all. Get yourself a steel-handled Monster Maul.

[@davidcoats1037]

Sure looks right to me Todd. No shortage of internet “experts” out there. 😂

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Appreciate you, my friend! Keyboards have made a new bred of x-perts.

[@YankeeWoodcraft]

When "a lot of people" start coming to your house and start splitting logs for you, that's when you can start to give a care about what "a lot of people" say brother. 😉

[@SurvivalSherpa]

I hear ya, bud! I'm too old and too ornery to listen anyway.

[@bentnickel7487]

Instead of bending over and re-positioning the work, you're circling the wood like a boxer. I don't see anything wrong with that.

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Never thought of the boxing analogy. I like it. I just hate to touch the wood with my hands until it's time to load and stack.

[@yopage]

It depends on the wood you are splitting. Don't expect those results on Hickery, LOL.

[@SurvivalSherpa]

Or any knotty wood. But straight grained hickory splits fine.