Magic axe

Funny because I just got my X27 last night too. Couldn't wait to try it out so I took a 12" round of maple, set it on my splitting stump and let gravity do the rest. I was shocked when absolutely nothing happened. So I took the X27 and gave it a typical roundhouse swing of the type that I use with my regular maul and sledgehammer. This time I went right into the wood and stuck there, like any $20 axe does. Extracted the thing and it took 2 more hard swings to get the round to split.

Took the round that was just below that one in the truck and my old trusty 6lb yellow handled maul and knocked it in 2 on the first swing.

Now to be fair, I have not given the X27 a real workout yet, but so far I'm hanging onto my receipt.

Also in the interest of being fair, any of you guys that own and rave over the Fiskars in general (and the X27 in particular), how do you swing it? Is there a trick to doing it more effectively than with a traditional maul so as to take better advantage of the square head design? Also, is it supposed to be really sharp? Because mine came to me about as sharp as the flat side of a butterknife, there is no sharp edge to this thing right now. I did purchase the Fiskars sharpener with it so I can certainly try to put a better edge on it if thats how it workes best.

Thoughts?

Since the X27 doesn't weigh much, it relies on speed and a sharp cutting edge, not so much on gravity. I'm able to get the most speed using a roundhouse swing and I keep it sharp using the Fiskars sharpener in combination with diamond stones. The Fiskars sharpener by itself should be adequate.

Eventually you Fiskars will lose it's "low friction" coating and get gummed up wit sap. It's probably not necessary but I periodically use vibrating sander to clean that gunk off. I use a super fine grit last to polish it up and temporarily reduce friction.

Maybe I'm just an idiot but the round house swing as I have seen, and tried, is an energy burner. The other thing I dislike is the accuracy seems to slip a bit. I swing an 8lb. maul with a wood handle. I lift in a conventional manner over my head and swing hard down through the round. I am sure the heavier the maul is, it takes more strength to balance and control in a round house swing. To each his own I guess. I would like to try the X27 to see what it is capable of, it may require a different swing and then you might be cross training!!

RNLA said:

Maybe I'm just an idiot but the round house swing as I have seen, and tried, is an energy burner. The other thing I dislike is the accuracy seems to slip a bit. I swing an 8lb. maul with a wood handle. I lift in a conventional manner over my head and swing hard down through the round. I am sure the heavier the maul is, it takes more strength to balance and control in a round house swing. To each his own I guess. I would like to try the X27 to see what it is capable of, it may require a different swing and then you might be cross training!!

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This is exactly how I felt using my new X27. I was playing around out back and found that it worked (for me anyway) much, much better if I came straight back over my head (almost perpendicular with my back) and came straight over and down through the round. Much better accuracy and velocity. I was doing the round house thing for quite a while before I switched it up. Seemed to split much better using this method. Of course, I only bought the Fiskars for the "workout" splitting perfect "choice" rounds to kill time out back. When I really need to get some work done, the 27 ton TB is my splitter of choice.

So I should put a sharp edge on it and try again? Makes sense and is the direction I was going to go with.

Most people seem to suggest it splits so well that they just sort of let it drop on its own and don't have to really do much more than guide it in...which seems silly to me...no way any tool you cna lift over your head is going to split a round without adding significant muscle force to it.

I'm planning on giving it a very fair shake, but I'm going into the testing phase with massive skepticism.

I'll have to weigh both tools and see. My 6lb maul is heavier, but only just barely according to my right arm...I think the X27 is supposed to be 4.4lb or therabouts.

mayhem said:

So I should put a sharp edge on it and try again? Makes sense and is the direction I was going to go with.

Most people seem to suggest it splits so well that they just sort of let it drop on its own and don't have to really do much more than guide it in...which seems silly to me...no way any tool you cna lift over your head is going to split a round without adding significant muscle force to it.

I'm planning on giving it a very fair shake, but I'm going into the testing phase with massive skepticism.

I'll have to weigh both tools and see. My 6lb maul is heavier, but only just barely according to my right arm...I think the X27 is supposed to be 4.4lb or therabouts.

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I have a cheapish 8# maul that will split good sized red oak rounds with very little more than gravity. I keep it sharp, and the rounds need to be fresh.

RNLA said:

Maybe I'm just an idiot but the round house swing as I have seen, and tried, is an energy burner. The other thing I dislike is the accuracy seems to slip a bit. I swing an 8lb. maul with a wood handle. I lift in a conventional manner over my head and swing hard down through the round. I am sure the heavier the maul is, it takes more strength to balance and control in a round house swing. To each his own I guess. I would like to try the X27 to see what it is capable of, it may require a different swing and then you might be cross training!!

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When you say you lift in a conventional manner, what does that mean? As far as I'm concerned, my swing is conventional...of copurse what I call a roundhouse swing might not mean the same thing to you.

The swing this guy uses is exacly what I'm doing and what I'm calling a roundhouse swing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV9_feKXmSo

The video is kind of silly because the stuff the guy is splitting is teeny tiny, short, straight grained ash, but it shows how I swing any splitting tool except a hatchet. I can't imagine doing it another way without expending alot more energy or sacrificing accuracy.

I hit the the sh#t out of the log whether I am using an 8 pound mall or the X27. With any maul, I modulate the energy after I get to know what the wood is like. Some wood splits easy. So far I have split beech, white and red oak. I like the X27 better. As I said in my post about it, it's know miracle worker, but I think it is more efficient than an 8 pound mall.

Determined that wiht the Fiskars, its all about the sharp edge. Mine came to me with a fairly dull edge on it, running my thumb over it, I was in no danger of breaking the skin. I ran it over the Fiskars honing stone I got with it a few times and put an edge on it that I could cut paper with (no joke). Went out and gave it a good swing, blew a 14"Wx 20" L round of fresh, green birch on the first hit. I was not swiniging it at capacity, maybe 40-50%.

I'm much happier now. A nice benefit is I also used it as a limbing axe dealing with 8 fresh cut trees. Used it to take the 1" and smaller branches off, worked great.

After breaking another maul handle yanking out of a round I got the x27 instead of another cheap 8 pounder. I think its great much easier to pull out of a round also seems to leave the round on the splitting stump longer instead of flying both halfs off. So far have only used it on 18 inch diameter ash pretty straight stuff but when I had run the same stuff through the splitter it was pretty stringy for ash and almost always needed a full piston stroke to get it apart. the x27 went clean through I definetly split this stuff faster with this axe then the splitter.

I have one in route (somewhere in Ill.).

I did not give into the hype until last week.. I read somewhere that the X27 was easier to use then their 27 ton splitter... and now this thread...

sheeesss you guys. Now I have to sharpen it, grind it and polish it to use it.

Don't forget to kiss it after you do your splitting, otherwise it won't know you appreciate it.

mecreature said:

I have one in route (somewhere in Ill.).

I did not give into the hype until last week.. I read somewhere that the X27 was easier to use then their 27 ton splitter... and now this thread...

sheeesss you guys. Now I have to sharpen it, grind it and polish it to use it.

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That sure sounds like a lot of hype to me...lol Like to work with that guy!

one born every minute I guess.

now my 20 yr old maul is going to be madder then hell.

mecreature said:

one born every minute I guess.

now my 20 yr old maul is going to be madder then hell.

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Lol...I am sure it is a fine ax!

My Fiskars was a magic axe last weekend. I bought the x27 a couple of weeks ago, based on reviews here. I took it up to the farm, which is our weekend place. The neighbor's 16 year old son tried it out and was very impressed. Being Amish, they heat solely with wood at home, so I figure they know a thing or two about splitting wood. The boy told his dad, so he came over and tried it out. As he was leaving, the other neighbor came by, and he had to try it, too. Between them, I got my whole pile split by magic! I just wish I had had a bigger pile of rounds when I "let" them try my new toy. They want me to order them their own Fiskars, I told them they were welcome to borrow mine to split my wood anytime. That didn't work.

I previously posted success with this striking tool. After much use, it is my opinion that this splitting axe cannot be used in isolation. With large rounds, I will start off with the X27 to create a groove. After that I revert to the maul or sledge and wedge method. All depends on wood specie. It simply doesn't carry the weight and striking properties of a traditional 8 lb maul. Once I quarter, it's back to the X27 because of it's light weight and sharpness.

The handle and shaft of the X27 is also a rectangular oval, if that makes any sense. It is a bit different from the traditional oval handle of any striking tool. Because of this feature and my natural swinging style, I've found that the X27 will periodically turn in and deflect right after contacting wood. Their is even indication on the edge of the axe head.

I purchased the X27 after reviews of the "short" super splitter. I now want to the purchase the SS to see if in fact the original was better. All in all the X27 is a nice piece but the "wood wonder" that everyone was hoping for.

But NOT the "wood wonder" that everyone was hoping for.

bja105 said:

My Fiskars was a magic axe last weekend. I bought the x27 a couple of weeks ago, based on reviews here. I took it up to the farm, which is our weekend place. The neighbor's 16 year old son tried it out and was very impressed. Being Amish, they heat solely with wood at home, so I figure they know a thing or two about splitting wood. The boy told his dad, so he came over and tried it out. As he was leaving, the other neighbor came by, and he had to try it, too. Between them, I got my whole pile split by magic! I just wish I had had a bigger pile of rounds when I "let" them try my new toy. They want me to order them their own Fiskars, I told them they were welcome to borrow mine to split my wood anytime. That didn't work.

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Great. Here's a culture that's survived centuries as a bulwark against the encroachments of modern civilization, and you've managed to destroy that in one weekend. Feeling good about that? You'll have that kid on power roller skates yet.

And they want to buy their own axe to continue to split your wood? Sweet.

mecreature said:

sheeesss you guys. Now I have to sharpen it, grind it and polish it to use it.

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And swing it, too, apparently, unless you have Amish neighbors.

snowleopard said:

Great. Here's a culture that's survived centuries as a bulwark against the encroachments of modern civilization, and you've managed to destroy that in one weekend. Feeling good about that? You'll have that kid on power roller skates yet.

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Hehee!

My Amish neighbor actually had a 372XP before I owned my first chainsaw.

Have you noticed how many people here have Amish neighbors? They'll probably start turning up in sig lines soon . . . .

Maybe Menonites. Dress similarly but I see them using weedwhackers and such.

mayhem said:

Maybe Menonites. Dress similarly but I see them using weedwhackers and such.

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I know the "rules" vary in different areas, but my neighbors use gasoline engines for many things, pumps, saws, arrow cutting lathe (for traditional carbon fiber arrows), washing machines, meat grinder... They cut the grass by kid power, but did get the coolest horse drawn riding mower. Its like three reel style mowers welded to a frame with a seat.

They are Old Order Amish here. (New Wilmington & Volant, PA)