Best ax or maul for splitting wood?

[quads]

I just happened to be looking through the Bailey's catalogue and saw in their writeup of Fiskars products that, "Fiskars is one of the oldest companies in the world and began as an ironworks in Finland in 1649."

I wonder what they made way back then? Maybe cauldrons or something.

This was taken from: http://www.fiskars.fi/corporation/corporation_2.html

"1649 - Fiskars ironworks founded
When the ironworks were founded in Fiskars, Finland was under Swedish rule, and Sweden was one of Europe's biggest producers of iron in the seventeenth century. In 1649, Peter Thorwöste was granted the privilege of setting up a blast furnace and bar hammer in Fiskars and for the manufacture of cast iron and forged products. The iron ore used in Fiskars was mainly brought in from the Utö mine in Stockholm's outer archipelago and most of the bar iron manufactured at the ironworks was shipped to Sweden to be sold on the Iron Market in Stockholm's Old Town. In Fiskars, the iron was also used to make nails, thread, knives, hoes, iron wheels and other things."

Thanks for the info! Iron in thread? Never knew that.

I am assuming that they meant sewing needles, but it got lost in translation. You never know!

Or I was thinking maybe for color/dye?

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Well Fiskars may have originated in Finland. But with this global economy, I know of one small plant in Central Wisconsin. Wife has a relative or two employed there. Not sure what they make, if it's scissors or axes though.

 

[quads]

Well Fiskars may have originated in Finland. But with this global economy, I know of one small plant in Central Wisconsin. Wife has a relative or two employed there. Not sure what they make, if it's scissors or axes though.

I have heard they have a factory outlet store in, I think it was Sauk City? A relative was telling me once that they have clearance sales there once a year. He got a couple axes, some hedge shears, that sort of thing there.