Which Splits Firewood Best?

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[@sharkinfested]

One weekend when I was a kid I broke two mauls and a sledgehammer splitting firewood. I got in so much trouble but I didn't do it on purpose. My dad and I went to the hardware store and he made me pay for a new maul and then he broke it on the first swing. lol He gave me my money back :)

[@wranglerstar]

+sharkinfested great story

[@remcodenouden5019]

Well your family learned a great lesson that day. Don't buy junk

[@coal501st3]

@@remcodenouden5019 oof

[@javanbybee4822]

Super bad mauls

[@chastblind7606]

I hate wooden handles

[@WILSON.1]

I personally often find it works well to hammer from the other direction, in which the split is perpendicular to me. I've found this to help prevent the wedge from tilting. Also, numerous times when I've missed, hitting in line with the split, the wedge has flown out and almost caused serious bodily damage. It doesn't do that when you're perpendicular to the split, because the wall of wood is blocking it from spinning out that way. For some reason, all that was hard to put into clear words.

[@harrykuheim6107]

Good idea....

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

WILSON! + I believe it was expounded accurately.

[@juniorg54]

This is one of those things that's good advice and I have to wonder why I didn't realize/think of it already

[@lukehager171]

Great idea!

[@gabewhisen3446]

I wish I'd have known that before I could afford a hydraulic splitter

[@jimrichards7014]

My father was a toolsmith. Always use hard on soft, never hard on hard. Unless you want to lose an eye.

[@pivotalpigeon2914]

The back of wedges aren't hardened

[@angryagain68]

He even mentioned @ 5:00 in the video that, wedges are softer and therefore considered "sacrificial ". You wouldn't ever catch me doing it without safety glasses on however!

[@antquinonez]

My wedges look like flattened mushrooms. Maybe when they start splitting into curls, it’s time for them to go.

[@daki222000]

The twist is for reducing the contact area of the wedge in the wood, which gives it less friction going in. cheers.

[@evilassaultweaponeer]

+Flip de boer It also results in a wider cross section on (with one end essentially becoming the hypotenuse of a triangle).

[@stanjellen7835]

+Flip de boer Yes that makes sense. I was originally thinking that the twisting deepened the splitting force by using the leading edge to pry but there's no point in that because there's more leverage at the surface. I see that at depth, the pressure/contact would be more towards the edges instead of spread evenly across each whole side.

[@daki222000]

Stan Jellen Just my thought, only better explained!

[@nicky1079]

It also will help to pry the wood at the bottom of the wood so that it doesn't just split the top of the wood making it easier to pull apart

[@tommied6232]

+Flip de boer the twist also provides more of a wedge with less material used, so less mass to move. hence more of the striking power will be used to drive in the wedge deeper.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Worth noting that (here) we use wedges in twos and fours on huge rounds. Start the crack with one, insert another in the end of the crack and so on. You can split monster rounds that no maul would touch. When the pieces get smaller, flip the maul round and split the the sharp face. Its not maul vs wedge here, its maul and wedges. On the metal shards, when the wedge mushrooms over, you will likely find that small pieces of the mushroomed part will fly off. We just tidy up the edges of the wedges on the bench grinder as needed to remove any mushrooming HTH

[@billwilljulz]

The video is called “Wedge vs. Maul: Which Splits Firewood Best?” But there was no comparison shown with the maul...

[@dmitryshevchenko349]

billwill.julz if you think about it, there would be no comparison really as the wedge comes out only when maul can’t handle the log

[@chadclutter2479]

But well ya that was a nice wedge real nice wedge

[@TinManKustoms]

Hey cody my favorite tool to use when pounding on wedges is an actual sledge hammer.

[@omgitsjoetime]

TinManKustoms nonsense

[@vinlennox7658]

@@omgitsjoetime why not a sledge??

[@prin8724]

@@vinlennox7658 No idea why they said not to and also no idea why they're using a maul in the video. Sledge and wedge is the ideal way to cut firewood by hand. I've done it for years. One of the reasons the combo works so well is the larger head on a sledgehammer means less misses and also more weight digs the wedge in faster.

[@bigbluebuttonman1137]

@@prin8724 I’ve been using a sledge and wedge to cut firewood for the past few weeks. I honestly prefer it to the axe. No idea why you’d need a maul if you’re not gonna be using the sharp end.

[@BrendonHoppy]

A big square faced sledge (less chance of missing the wedge) no need even to swing it or force,,, just keep dropping it on the wedge from about 15 inches let the wieght do the work

[@sghost128]

Man, Alan is really stylin' in that field jacket and work gloves.

[@MyGloriousMess]

+sghost128 Seriously! looks--and sounds--like a Hollywood actor who just happened to stroll onto the Wranglerstar set...

[@highonimmi]

+TheJohn8765 if this dude hasn't worked in radio he should.....nummies. it's ok for me to say that...i'm a gal:)

[@edaker4684]

His laugh is scary.

[@Logjam5]

Yes, he looks to have gotten styled-up for the show.

[@caronmj]

Where did he get those gloves? I want.

[@blackbirdpie217]

I have split literally hundreds and hundreds of rounds using wedges but I don't use a maul for impact I always use a 16lb sledge. Your videos always bring me back to my youth because my family had a cabin in the central Sierra all my life and we always had 6-7 foot round logs to split. I got really good with accuracy and with the axe too. I always wanted to chop a log in half and make it look like a saw cut with the smoothest walls possible. I tried to challenge myself when working. I learned to keep an eye out for mushroomed heads on the wedges and keep the grinder handy to grind off the splitting mushroom shards and I never lost an eye!

[@Gotafish1]

Alan seems to be a very cordial person and its good Cody and his family have a good friend around who doesn't mind being a neighbor on camera :) and he is also their house minder when they are out of town from what I understand. He has a nice demeanor and I think he does well in videos with Cody. Kudos to Alan :)

[@wranglerstar]

+Sunny W Don't forget Alan is also our UBER driver,

[@Gotafish1]

Well, maybe you have introduced him in past videos and its possible I missed that. I just figured out who he was by reading snip-its of the comments today. Sorry :)

[@gabrielemagnabosco8926]

And his voice... Talk about soothing voice...

[@dumper87]

I've always found that driving a wedge is much more tiring than taking multiple swings with an 8lb maul. I have a wedge, but only use it for the most stubborn rounds, that are either super knotty or dense enough that the maul bounces off. Even then, I can usually make the maul work by splitting the log around the outside edges and working my way in.

[@Tailspin80]

Same here, and if it really won’t split after half a dozen hits I give up and use the chainsaw. Normally you can see if a log is going to be impossible to split by the knots etc.

[@fixedgearforlife]

If you spray the wedge with WD40, it sinks in easier and faster. Also, on a big log, use two wedges not just one.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

shoe wax works fantastic or autobody wax on your maul or axe

[@nicholassmerk]

Maul vs. wedge, it's really just the flavor of the day for me. I really dislike the maul I currently have, but it can make splitting easy-to-split wood go quicker. I would definitely reach for wedges if I had to strike the pole more than a few times. Some hardwoods are VERY difficult to split in comparison to that douglas fir.

[@wince_moeron]

Nicholas Smerk i second that . hammering a wedge through a peice of beech ash or maple that size is veeeery difficult

[@SolidAtom]

Please Please Please wear ear protection when doing metal on metal strikes. It's those short and sharp pinging sounds that can cause a lot of damage.

[@fredmja97]

you should always wear safty glasses when hitting weages or you might get stuff in your eyes

[@natenan5598]

He said in the video that they won't chip because the wedge is sifter than the axe so it just dents and mushrooms.

[@kc8bdr]

+Nate Nan Yes he did say that but the safety glasses are still a good idea something else could fly up. and you only get one set of eyes.

[@paulthompson5416]

yes but an accident is just that an accident! As Cody has said that's his grandfathers axe which is obviously old and could chip if they missed and hit the flooring. You only get one set of eyes and they're pretty useful when doing stuff like this so safety first every time. Cody safety first we don't want you losing and eye and having to rename the channel piratestar or wranglerpirate 😂

[@TheMrKrause]

There is no such thing as an accident... There is only carelessness.

[@frankdn109]

+TheMrKrause Yeah, or as my old Dad often said, accidents are caused.

[@guardbrandon5005]

forgive my ignorance, but who is Alan?

[@Arfwid]

+Brandon Scott Cody said in an earlier video that their neighbour sometimes house sit for him and his wife, and on one of those occasions the neighbor got that axe handle for his maul and hung it. And since he is referring to him in that way I would (without knowing) pressume that Alan is that neighbor and friend :) All the best /Arf.

[@drummerglenchin]

Judge not, lest ye be judged...

[@iksnyzrog]

He is also in the tree planting video if I remember correctly.

[@M3iscool]

+Brandon Scott I was thinking the same thing.

[@Arfwid]

neighbor and friend of Cody and the family, a nice guy and a fun addition to the video

[@agod5608]

I love a wedge. I call it hammer and nail. this twisted wedge is my favorite. can't get them here anymore. don't know why.also never use a maul with a wedge. use an 8-10 pound hammer. works much better.

[@Femmpaws]

The twist in the wedge is not new, back in the 80s a company in Portland I think it was made twisted wedges along with other wood cutting/handling tools. I had one of their wedges and it worked very well just like the one you are using. What the twist does is cut down the surface friction by cutting down the contact area with the wood, so there is less drag when striking, so the wedge sinks in deeper with each strike.

[@schmojo33]

+Kriss Femmpaws Interesting point

[@savoryflan]

Yep, you got it. The twist reduces the contact area between the wedge and the wood.

[@61loneviking]

Traditional Woodworker site sells a twisted hand forged and tempered wedge from Mueller.

[@ridesar]

My Wetterlings splitting wedge is twisted and seems to work the same way as this one. I believe you are correct that the twist forces the wood apart by transferring force sideways but I think the twist is also what prevents binding as less surface area is in contact along the edges than would be the case in a straight rectangular profile. Great video!

[@tommied6232]

i once had such a chip fly of a faulty maul and it went into my leg 8 cm deep (about 3 inches). if such a chip happens to impact your chest between your ribs it has enough penetration to puncture ones heart and become fatal. Never use wedges that have such a hard top that chips fly off.

[@wranglerstar]

+Tommie D wow. glad you were ok.

[@michaeldougfir9807]

+Tommie D // If I may, it's not the hardness of the top of the wedge. That steel is (relatively) soft so you CAN hit it with a hardened steel hammer. What it's about is, to keep the mushrooming ground off the head of the wedge. Cody has talked about this sort of thing, both on big tools like these, and down to little punches and chisels. It's all the same. Grind off the expanding part of the tool head when it begins to mushroom. My father had a chip fly off a mushroomed wedge head in 1960. It was still there in his arm when he died in 1995.

[@Tomyp89]

+Tommie D Recently a chip "bit" me in the leg. The sound it made during take off, and the sound i made when it landed, oh boy. It did a belly landing, so just a bruise. Lesson learned, mushrooming no bueno.

[@TheTomBevis]

+Michael Dougfir I have a BB grown into the bone of my big toe, from when my twin brother accidentally shot me in the foot with our older brothers BB gun when we were 6 yo, 48 years ago. I found out about it when I was 36, when I got a nail in a dropped board stuck though the same toe. My unlucky toe, I guess. lol I was working with a guy one time that had a two inch chip break off of a mattoch and stick into his cheek about an inch from his eye. So, wear your safety glasses. Needless to say, I grind my mushrooms off practically religiously.

[@AusMiner]

I have 85 stitches in three layers in my right leg from a metal chip which went in to the bone. They had to open the leg up and scrape the bone to get it all out. Happened when I was standing close to someone hammering in a locating pin while replacing the GET (bucket teeth) on a Komatsu front end loader in Western Australia. From this experience, I would never even consider using a steel wedge as shown in this clip for splitting timber (plus the timber we get around here is much harder than what they are splitting in this clip). I tend to cut the blocks short (particularly if they are larger diameter) and then use what we call a block splitter (a maul in the clips).

[@dhengen]

The twist in the wedge would help - it's the same as when you stick the ax in a log and twist sideways trying to break free. Would be really cool if you could do a close-up slo-motion of the wedge working on a strike when it splits. Think you could do it?

[@ryanb82]

well first off, Maul is a Dathomirian Sith warrior trained in Form 7 lightsaber combat. he utilizes sheer strength and overwhelming speed to defeat his enemies. whereas Wedge is an ace pilot for the Rebellion, specializing with the X-wing starfighter. if I had to pin the 2 together, I'd say Maul would force choke Wedge to death before he could even reach for his blaster. however if Maul and Wedge were in starfighters, Wedge would win every time, despite Maul's skill in the force.

[@MisterMaster698]

How can this be year old on a video with 375,000 views and only have 20 likes

[@A-G-F-]

Lol

[@sgtsnuggles9112]

@@MisterMaster698 probably because half the people who watch wranglerstar have never watched Star Wars

[@fivestring65ify]

Now we know the truth. LMAO.

[@FlySwann]

I have a maul, a splitting axe and several wedges. And for the most part I prefer a Sledge and wedge method.

[@johngallagher2313]

I have wedged a lot of wood over the years. I also have had a steel splinter come off the wedge after a lot of use and they become rolled. I always use safety glasses and from time to time grind the roll over edges off the wedge. However since starting to use a splitting ax four years ago I hardly ever need a wedge.

[@2to253]

Hi, Cody. Twist in the wedge acts as extra leverage, as a way to turn the material aside while splitting and also helps the wedge in NOT getting stuck in the material.

[@ratdog3055]

Neat wedge. I saw one several years ago that looked like a top with coarse threads on it. They called it the "hand grenade" Ever use one of those?

[@thehairyhermitfromscooby-do]

Those twisted wedges are all we use anymore. I think there's 11 or 12 around here, scattered in our different wood stations. If you watch the wedge will ride on that outside rail on it's way through the wood, a wide wedge on a small profile of contact, penetration and wedge thickness is maximized. We have completely given up on the old standard strait tapered wedge. These really pop open the round. They do require more attention to the mushroom though, but I would much rather tend that, opposed to the alternative. Hammers and wedges in the big rounds is the only way to go, splitting tools after the round is open.

[@EditorialStudios]

you should do more videos with your friend

[@wranglerstar]

+EditorialStudios I told Alan he needs to start his own channel,

[@Luziferrum]

+Wranglerstar He should do audiobooks, too. He has a great voice.

[@joshuaanthony3781]

+Wranglerstar Yes, he seems to have an awesome attitude for sure

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

he's a dangerous wood splitter though :-P

[@vickk4495]

Your not kidding bro.

[@js2743]

WS, You should get another wedge of common make and get two pieces of wood maybe saw through a knot so both will be as close to the same as possible and compare the wedges. Hit one then the other see how they compare that way. the twisted wedge seems to have double the spread as you drive it in, its spreading with the down force and then as it twist its pushing out sideways even more.

[@Traderjoe]

Great idea! Then also add a cheapo harbor freight one to show how the difference quality makes.

[@wildcat19671]

+traderjoes yuck, I hope I never see Harbor Freight stuff here. Granted some stuff from there is adequate.... just... no. Please no.

[@pr4runner]

Impressed so far, I do feel that it has an advantage possibly. Would like to see it vs. Harder woods.

[@notirishrider7953]

From what i can see the twist on the wedge is lowering the amount of metal that is in contact with the wood making it penetrate easier as well as spreading the wood more so in theory it should work great and it does.

[@halfbit]

Just making a guess here: I think the benefit of the twist is that the wedge is wider across the head when measured diagonally than is it perpendicularly. So you would get a wider wedge without adding more material.

[@kjdyatta]

Mr. Wranglerstar, I do believe Alan was surmising along the same lines I was. I think the twist reduces the surface area in contact with the wood. Perhaps this reduces the friction and allows more of the energy energy to be utilized in the actual splitting of the log.

[@ktk605]

The bearded friend is Mr Isaiah Edwards. Little House on the Prairie is my all time favorite TV show.

[@grodad7034]

when i bought my first honda, i also got an impact screwdriver. you set it on a stuck screw head and hit it with a hammer. there was a twisted rod inside that transferred the force in the form of TORQUE to the screw. Your wedge does the same thing, transferring the impact and forcing the wedge to twist through the wood. It will force the left side of the stump away from you and the right side towards you. This adds a "shear" action to the simple lateral separation normally at work here. Your last split showed this because you had to move your feet clockwise to follow the stump. Beautiful wedge!! (and yes, i do have too much time on my hands. lol)

[@ArkansasPilgrim]

+grodad Darn! You beat me to it.

[@grodad7034]

lol. got too busy watching for your big storm eh? (mine worked great on my basket case!)

[@michaelcarton3299]

I slightly missed the wedge yesterday and it went flying like it was in a hatchet throwing contest. My 3 year old was outside playing....made my re-think splitting wood outside vs paying 5 bucks at the grocery store!

[@timhestand6628]

Thanks for the video on the wedge. They have a great design.

[@billbright1755]

An Estwing Sure Split wedge works great at this job. Start a small groove with maul to hold wedge upright, use moderate easy to control swings and it splits surprisingly easy. The soft head of wedge won't chip and after hundreds of blows can be ground to contour again. The hard sharp tip with side flutes does the work.

[@Growveguk]

Western Red Cedar is the best wood to split, it smells better than Cherry!

[@alanm.thornton4055]

+Andy Mahoney It's a matter of opinion, but I think Cedar is stunning wood too for certain. TOUGH!

[@alanm.thornton4055]

I don't know. I know WranglerStar is real partial to the firs, but the more I think about it, the cedar is sounding more appealing. Smells amazing: great for chests, cabinets, clothing closets, etc. Smells amazing and burns hotter than blazes in fireplaces and wood stoves. Is super tough and very compact/dense wood. Very interesting coloration. Great as a wood that is used in heavy weathered conditions: won't rot nearly as much as any other wood. More fire resistant..... I could go on and on. Downside: not a real 'big" tree, not as large of board feet ability. Boy some of those Italian Cedar groves though!

[@Growveguk]

+Alan M. Thornton Interesting factoid: Honey Bees love the smell of it also, many many hives are made from Cedar as they are naturally attracted to the scent. It has amazing anti rot abilities enabling it to be used for external applications without treatment.

[@alecwhatshisname5170]

aromatic red cedar is amazing.

[@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney]

False. Nothing on our great continent smells better than wild cherry. I do love all the cedars, though, and particularly western red, which I might add remains aromatic nearly indefinitely (cherry doesn't for long).

[@99003jack]

Thank you for the video. My thoughts are that the twist makes for a wider wedge overall and that is what is doing the splitting. Again God Bless and keep up the good work.

[@LumnahAcres]

is there going to be a wranglwestar wedge?

[@Captkman]

Perfect..... 11 minutes until I have to check out how the food is doing on the stove.

[@MikeSheasheaDtree]

Nice. Looks like the side camera was taking a beating from the concussion. Great video.

[@DavidReynolds-kr6yh]

Enjoyed your video,I know it's a long time ago,but still enjoyed watching it. Don't know if anyone suggested it, but the twist in that wedge probably gives rotational force to the wood helping it force apart

[@omgitsjoetime]

I never knew that about wedges being softer than the maul and I’ve been splitting wood my whole life. Great to know.

[@steveleonard8897]

Isn't the old saying you should never strike two hammer heads together because of flying metal chips. Ever heard that? Tempered maybe?

[@rileyfenley522]

Yep, Mythbusters tested that exact thing, but I don't remember the outcome.

[@DaMoose1015]

Mythbusting exploding hammer heads, resulting in grenade type shrapnel. Busted. The hammer handles, under superhuman force, broke... not the hammer heads.

[@bogdansss]

This reminded me of something I saw in a Romanian lumberjack village once: they would first hit the log with a splitting axe, and follow that up with one or two strikes from a rather large, two handed wooden maul. I assume that hitting steel all day long with another steel implement can really damage your joints. These guys weren't splitting anything harder than oak, however they seemed to go through big logs with ease, with this axe-as-wedge combined with the wooden maul.

[@gnametap5431]

Really like the wedge, I wondered at the beginning if the maul would break, happy to see the wedge mushrooms. Nice Italian wedge. I am impreesed

[@mattmoore1311]

I stand at right angles to the line of the wedge, and have less trouble with the wedge wandering off plumb this way. Have you assessed your varied mauls for driving wedges? Mine aren't tempered on the blunt end for driving wedges, and I have to bring a sledge with me for driving them, so I don't mushroom my mauls.

[@ronburns305]

wow that wedge works great, out here on the Navajo reservation we harvest alot of pinon pine and juniper to heat our homes. i need to save up and some day get one. thanks for the great video.

[@julienpcntt2401]

I must change my wedge to this one, it might improve my rate of efficiency splitting red gum. Thank you Cody for all those very invaluable videos.

[@degustablegerbil]

So when should you toss a wedge out? I've got one that's mushroomed out quite a bit but I don't know if I should toss it and get a new one or go through another year with it

[@kycornbread6990]

I have found that standing 90° of the way you were, that the wedge doesn't move as much, but we burn only hard wood. Oaks red & white, hickory. On some of the wood the log splitters strain.

[@TheBlizzbeast]

I don't have a education in engineering but I can already see a couple of advantages of this design in a wedge, the twist seems to do two things, first it reduces the contact area which contact the wood and also helps to drive the log apart by it trying to turn slightly and therefore giving it more force towards the sides, but that's just my two cents, it would be great to see a side by side comparison with this and a normal wedge. Have a great day and keep up the great work :)

[@dstevenpaisley]

You guys should try some yellow birch!Dam near unsplitable!Have to wait to frost is in it

[@J0Gu7]

If your handle is not parallel to the top of the wedge, it will drive it forward or backwards. It must be a flat strike.

[@eridu77]

Exactly. In another video he stated that your handle needs to be level when you connect, yet he isn't obeying his own rules.

[@scottgrizzle5879]

I like the design, it is easy to get started with the narrow point,then it gets thicker to get the job done.very nice.i would definitely use that wedge,along with brutis

[@Vapor2062002]

Wranglestar, been watching your channel for about a year now. Love the things you show and involving the family in part of your clips. Recently was given the challenge to split wood and only had a fiskars axe. The wood was wet and I knew that from your clips the best way was the wedge and sledge combo. Would love if you ever brought up the subject of the 6 vs 8 vs 10 vs 12 lb sledge. I think the 8 is perfect for function and energy expenditure.. But would love your opinion on the subject.

[@bradkubota6968]

Agree totally on the 8 lb for wedging.

[@islagkage15963]

the reason for a twisted wedge to work well in splitting is simply that you reduce friction compared to a standard wedge, from touching the wood on 2 large surfaces to only touching it on 2 small surfaces which allows the power to be used for driving the wedge instead of over coming friction. like so many other things the wedge is a tool applicable only for certain tasks. the skill comes in part in knowing where. always using it it slow and can be wasteful. but not using it when it can help can be just as bad or worse. i have split my fair share of oak poles with standard wedges (2 to 3 meters long (6 to 10 feet roughly)) and any knots will make it stick in there like no tomorrow. perhaps i should invest in a couple of theese for myself before the next season comes around.

[@erichaverty2479]

Basically what you are doing is driving a big screw into the wood and that is what is helping it pop apart. It's twisting in the wood and doing it in an impacting force. Very effective. Great video!

[@tank2449]

you really shouldnt use the maul to pnd the wedge of the back of the mual isnt perfectly square and it is rounded instead of flat, really should be using a sledgehammer

[@LWYOffGridHomestead]

definitely not my choice of a way to split wood. but do love that new wedge. my grandfather is 77 and that method makes his whole body hurt. beautiful video. really great quality.

[@shellmaker10]

Check out the principle behind the design of the Ashby broadhead used in traditional archery. It is known for splitting the massive shoulder bone in large animals like Cape Buffalo. It twists as it enters the bone and does much more damage than a head with equal weight that does not twist and is shot from the same bow.

[@sgbradley]

Being up in BC I caved and bought a log splitter for the Douglas Fir logs but still enjoy a mauler for the Alder and Yellow cedar. Too old for a wedge now too, I'm lucky I only need 7 cords for heat this year instead of 20 last year.

[@master2748]

I got two of those twisting wedges and they are a dream to use when you split oak

[@lakes2land780]

Love those gloves Alan is wearing! Any ideas where to find a pair that are reliable and don’t fall apart after a weeks wearing? I’ve had no luck finding any.

[@pipboy3000PS3]

When you get around to needing to break them out again, would you be able to do a more in depth video on splitting wedges and their use? Maybe a bit of a size comparison as well as what the different designs are going to be better suited for? Or which wedges are good to have on hand if you DO end up needing them. Not many videos on the topic. Thanks.

[@fernandocabette6050]

So that is the guy Cody always praises! Nice finally getting to know him (for me at least, maybe i just missed him on other videos).

[@trainmaster52]

Hey wranglerstar, just food for thought. 5 years ago I broke and dislocated my right shoulder in a bad snowmobile accident in northern MN. With that said I have had to change the way I split wood. both at home and in the field. In the field I use my chain saw and cut big rounds down to manageable sizes. I cut only half way so not to hit the ground. then I use a splitting maul or slug hammer and wedges. This way splits wood very nice for me and the concussion shock back thru the handle isn't as bad either. I've split like this for many years without a problem. If I split straight splitting maul only it's a night of pain meds and muscle rub. Just a tid bit for you.

[@danielmorse6597]

lol, I remember the show you guys mentioned. The wedge is great to use for those difficult jobs. I use or lose one every season or three. Last year we had a fir log that I lost a wedge in. Its like it ate it up. We burned it and refound it, lol.

[@user-pf2hv8qw1s]

Tape the striking of the wedge in extreme slow motion to know if the twist does anything.

[@lonewarrior1999]

Love the video Cody, that definately looks like a very handy wedge to have around. How is the remodal going if you don't mind me asking. Keep up with the great content. Also is there any progress on getting your kwn website set up :)

[@knifesharpeningnorway]

you two are perfect together on video and damn thats a nice wedge. and impressed by your accuracy cody

[@MrPhoenixpro]

Cody, I have seen that pattern called a besh wedge, it is supposed to reduce friction on the blade.

[@semco72057]

When I was a teen we used the mallet with wedges to split large pieces of wood and I hated to see large pieces like the one you all was splitting. Most of the time I just had to use the double edge ax to break up wood as it was the main tool other than the buck saw we had.

[@radleykutek2969]

I'm not an engineer but I think the twist imparts torque into the log upon the strike and makes it more efficient

[@frankdn109]

Cody, aside from the safety issue re. chips, leaving the top of the wedge soft and malleable will also improve energy transfer from the maul; like a dead-blow hammer.

[@CaseyHarrisSr]

You convinced me to buy two. Thank you and Alan. Great voice over canidate.

[@godzilla7382]

I believe the wedge works better simply due to it lack of surface contact when it is being forced through. less surface contact=less friction/drag. same concept as that splitting axe that prandi sent you.

[@samuelscott3989]

In mining the hand bit described is known as a jumper steel. and is basically the earliest form of a hammer drill just a looooot slower.

[@alanm.thornton4055]

+Samuel Scott interesting!

[@wildcat19671]

+Samuel Scott If I remember correctly they used to call it "hand jacking".

[@alanm.thornton4055]

+wildcat19671 I've seen sculptors use that technique as well, which makes perfect sense, but for hand mining? Ugh.

[@bigjchristo]

I split all my firewood by hand and it is a very mixed variety I usually use three wedges for large oak and ash two that are flat and one that is kind of star shaped but goes to a point. I would like to try out this style of wedge but haven't bean able to find a website that I can order it from will you be selling these at wranglermart ?

[@rosurvival6869]

downward momentum helps push the wedge deeper twist in the wedge gives angular momentum that pushes the fibers out of the way and reduces contac point between the wood and the wedge that means less friction and more downward energy output ... also because of the twist after the split starts spreading beyond the width of the wedge the twist helps further expand the split like twisting an axe by the handle

[@rayw3332]

Split wood outside where sound dissipates! Wear ear protection! Onlookers: wear eye protection!

[@timothymagee6643]

The one clear advantage to using the wedge is that you can more easily repeat the strikes without the concern of getting stuck in the wood. You are easily retrieving the maul for the next strike as opposed to possibly having to work a splitting maul out of the work to retrieve it.

[@mdbigman]

Great little wedge. Even looks lighter weight than most and should be a breeze to pack out into the woods!

[@ethicaltesticle]

Growing up in western Nebraska we burned mulberry and cottonwood and we used wedges and hydraulic not so much splitting axe. I think we had one but wedgs, sometimes more than one, where used to split big tree trunks.

[@michaeldougfir9807]

Glad the Italian wedge passed with flying colors. Now if you wanted a tough round, when you can, try a couple of large rounds of mature ponderosa. Not only is it sometimes uncooperative, but it will probably have several LARGE knots. That may be a good test!

[@yourfavoritedenturewearer]

there for just a min I thought you were going to start in the middle and I was going to leave a very harsh comment. Glad you moved it to the edge to start. Any one that has ever split even one large log knows to start at the edge and get it to split all the way across. thank you for this video, I like a lot of your videos just don't comment all the time.

[@Tog_Tastic]

Can someone post a link to that wedge? Looks awesome, I really like that design!

[@gregorym9591]

nice wedge! But...... where is your sledge hammer for hitting that wedge? Long time ago when I used to split wood all winter , found it better to use sledge hammers than the maul when splitting logs. I have also used branches with the tip chopped to a point on the branch to split the log . This is when we were camping. The wedge mushroomed top had to be cut off every once in a while. We would leave some mushroom on so the folded out part would catch the log and not fall to the ground . This videos bring back some hard times. You would think we lived in the country the way i sound ...... we lived in NYC with wood hot water heat furnaces.

[@richardc6932]

I know squat about splitting wedges, but my guess is that the spiral design improves the spitting ability of the wedge. Is it wider at the top of its' winds than a conventional tapered wedge? It appears to twist or rotate as it penetrates the wood.

[@SolarRyze]

Can you please tell me what brand golves alan is wearing in the video? Would love to get my hands on a pair

[@youbikewithatube]

I consider myself an expert in splitting wood with a wedge. Why because when I was young every fall on our farm we would cut wood and I would split it. My parents would give me two wedges and a long handled sledge hammer usually after school and there was always a pile of wood that needed to be split, hauled in a wheelbarrow to the woodshed, and stack appropriately before the snow fell on the piles. Why a wedge, because they didn't want me hurting myself which is easy to do with a maul like was demonstrated, those things are too heavy to control when your off even a little they are so annoying. also swing it for two hours that sucks. If you miss with the sledge its not going to glance as much or at all so they are safer. Mauls are also unbalanced to me, unlike the sledge which is the same on both sides and perfectly balanced with the handle being in the middle. I love the idea of splitting axes though, and easier to control.

[@Jcod_]

If the twist in it is pronounced enough that it causes the wedge to actually turn slightly when you drive it in, it would definitely help with transferring the force from a downward to a horizontal direction. It would give the wood not only a shock form the wedge being driven in and getting to a wider point in it's cross section, but also from that slight force translation from the slight screw shape. Impulses of energy really help when trying to get something to split anything. Gradually driving in the wedge with a bunch of pressure would also work, but it'd take much more work than striking.

[@hoorenga]

I'm 72 and have been splitting wood most of my life. I've tried a lot of different tools but my favorite is a 6 pound, axe handled maul. I can throw it quicker and get the rounds to pop just as well as with a hevier head but with less work. It also tends to survive longer than a round handle. I also use a modified axe swing where I use my top hand to toss the head of the maul into the air, similar to what a shot putter would do. I then use both hands to pull the head down, completing the swing. Tossing it into the air over your head gives you a bit more momentum and the swing becomes easier because you aren't depending entirely on your swing for power.

[@robertexum2281]

FYI - Spear Jackson 3765LM Log Splitting Maul, 6.5-Pound. Also, would like to see your review on the "Vario" brand of mauls, axes and hatchets. Thanks.

[@mikeandmaryinmt3898]

Prandi also has something called a wood strapper for splitting. You should do a video on that device Wranglerstar,

[@paladin252]

i challenge you to come out east and split some of our twisted oak here at the foothills of the berkshires. it is so twisted and stringy that even the hydraulic wood splitter can't split it completely, still need to use a hatchet to separate the pieces.

[@Alawatakima]

Enjoyed the Duo, Alan should start his own channel or be a guest more often :) Love his jacket too.

[@bl4533]

What brand maul is bruticus? Also, I have a cheepie wedge I picked up at Harbor Freight that looks exactly like this one and works very well. I do use a sledge hammer to drive it so the impact is more spread out on the wedge.