Quality wedges

This will be my first winter burning, but up to this point I've split all my wood using a sledge and a couple straight wedges. It works fine and I enjoy it, but either I don't remember my childhood well enough or the wedges these days are made of play-doh. Is there a quality manufacturer of wedges out there? Would I be better off buying a maul so I am not using the wedges so intensely and having to keep dressing them to address their mushrooming.

thats good ole' american imported steel for you. Sorry, I gave up hand splitting and went hydro!
But you are doing the right thing by dressing them because eventually a chunk will come flying off and could be dangerous.

I had a grandfather who lost an eye from a metal shard (was a maintenance man at the local mine) and thus taught the importance of dressing them.

Might just want to spend a little money and get a good maul or X27. Its good to have an assortment of splitting equipment. I have the manual splitting equipment but will some day have either electric or hydo...or both.

By hand, I would use my X27 and maybe my 8lb maul as a change of pace. I quit using the 10lb sledge & wedges when I realized that it's more dangerous than my comfort level. The rest would get noodled with a chainsaw.

If I really wanted to use wedges, I'd try to find some old USA made wedges secondhand.

Bryan, I'd also get a splitting maul in either 6 or 8 pounds. You will notice the splitting goes much faster with less work. Save the wedges for the knotty logs.

Lots still out there with a little searching.Ebay,local garage/estate sales,flea markets,farm/estate auctions.Can still be found quite cheaply, sometimes less than 1/2 the cost of the vastly inferior new chinese,indian & mexican ones. I've had mine 20 to 30 yrs now,they were mere pennies per pound.

I found this made in U.S.A. wedge at the local Ace hardware store. I haven't used it much as I mostly use mt X27.

http://www.estwing.com/ao_sure_split_wedge.php

Sounds like its time to hit up the local flea market for some wedges and a maul. The X27 sounds like prime christmas gift material

I fully agree. I think ours are about 60 year old or more. I didn't buy them new so God only knows how old they are.

Gransfors bruks makes a wedge. Forged steel. Costs $$ though

That's one I hope to get soon.Most makes/styles seem to run $35-75 each.

These look great also - http://www.helkonorthamerica.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=223

http://www.garrettwade.com/wetterling-swedish-splitting-maul-wedge/p/25S04.01/

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.co...-Hand-Forged-in-Austria/productinfo/367-0299/

++1 on the the advise to dress the wedge. I once had shrapnel nail me badly in the leg, bled like a stuck pig and it scared the %*(#) out of me. Blood was literally spurting out like a geyser.
I searched high and low for good quality wedges - everything I tried mushroomed on the first couple smacks. I have some of my Dad's wedges from the 1950's - now those are made of good steel.
The wood around here just laughs at a maul, everything is kind of knotty or twisted. Best thing I ever did was get a hydraulic splitter!!

rich
i love estwing tools and bet that is a good quality wedge. i find that 'fins' on a wedge and even a maul can get piched in a split. have you noticed this?

OT

I have the Gransfor bruks wedge, works great hand made from forged steel and very expensive, if you dont mind spending the money i highly recommend it