ESTWING Fireside Friend Axe - 14 Wood Splitting Maul with Forged Steel Construction & Shock Reduction Grip - E3-FF4 and E-5 5 Lb Sure Split Wedge , Blue

this is the perfect size and weight for final splitting kindling alongside the fire or wood stove.

Have lived up in the North Fork of the Flathead River for about eight years! Would not have had to replace the blue version of this axe with this model but my buddy’s boyfriend stole mine! Best for cutting kindling fireside or helping split logs all winter. Handle will not break loose from head as it is all one piece! Been through many cords of spruce and or Doug Fir with my “friend” and unlike certain exiting boyfriends… never let me down!

I used to have a full size splitting maul but somewhere between three moves in 20 years it went AWOL. I dont really need to split actual firewood anymore, but I do have a fire pit and split smaller kindling size stuff to burn in that. This is just the ticket. A wedge shaped, 4 lb head, a sledge face on the back, and the well-known Estwing quality. Its so nice you almost dont want to go out and start slamming it into firewood. If I had one criticism, I wish the handle was about three inches longer, as it would make it a versatile two-handed tool with a little more swing. As it is it works OK though - If I dont get a good split on the first swing and it wedges in the wood, I can use a smaller limb to baton it through by swinging against the back face. And yes, it came with a very nice sheath, too.

So far so good. Great quality! Made in USA.

I love everything about this tool. It perfectly fills the need for splitting smallish chunks of wood that a maul or axe is too big for. If you use it right it goes through fairly difficult chunks like butter (dont swing it like a hatchet...let the weight of the tool do the work). All you have to do is hold it high and let it fall straight down on the wood, bending your knees at the same time. Its a lot safer that way too since there is no arc to make it bounce back towards your legs. Its also great for driving splitting wedges into huge chunks of wood. Cant wait to use it camping for those nuisance chunks of wood someone always seems to leave lying around because theyre too big for a hatchet...and who wants to drag a splitting maul along on a camping trip?

I use this maul to split wood for cooking fires after I have cut the wood to size with a bowsaw. It makes very quick work of 5-8 logs and you are left with pieces that are easy to burn. Be careful with it however. If you put the maul on top of the piece of wood and lift the wood up and down to tap it on something and get the maul started, the heavy head can suddenly break through. You may want to do this if the piece of wood wont stand up or something. Just be sure to hold the wood near the top so the edge doesnt fall quickly through the wood and hit your fingers. For a small cooking style fire you dont need any larger splitting maul than this. It is sturdy and comfortable to use. It comes with a nice sheath that will keep the edge covered. It can be used to chop a smaller tree down but it get tiring. Best to stay with a good ax or hatchet or saw for that. But in an emergency it can do the trick.

I’m a full timer RVer and this little axe is awesome. It’s just the right weight, has a great grip on th handle and does the job. Oh yah and it’s small enough to where it doesn’t take alot of room. Definitely a great buy.

Exactly what I was looking for, 1/2 hatchet, 1/2 sledge hammer. Great for campfires, and camping, cutting kindling wood, pounding in stakes, etc. Heavy; wouldnt want to carry it around hiking, but a good tool to have around in the truck or camper.