CT Burner said:
I've got the X27. I"m 6'1", and usually split with the logs on the ground (i.e. not sitting on another stump).
The fiskars splitting axe is a beast. don't let the light weight fool you. Its all about force.
F=1/2 x mass x velocity squared.
so if you want to double your force, you can double the mass of the maul head (5lb vs 10lb), OR, you can increase the speed of the maul head by ~20%.
The fiskars is designed for fast head speed. It has a sharp blade (for going deep faster/longer), it has special metal that is impregnated with a low friction material (kind of like teflon...the axe head feels kind of slippery), and the shape of the wedge in the axe head is designed to maintain as high a head velocity as possible.
I have 3 friends (traditional maul users) that were doubtful of how awesome this thing is. I let them try it on some freshly cut green red oak longs (~20in long, 12in diameter).
All three are now going out an buying a fiskars!
For $40, its hard to go wrong with this thing!
Your math for determining force is totally bogus; you're really looking at kinetic energy.
For maximizing that, I've found that a 6 lb maul is just about right. With metallurgy different from Fiskars, so that it's not brittle and chipping at the edge. Seems to me that the head shape works best when it has "chubby cheeks" that start spreading the sides of the split very shortly after breaking the surface of the wood.
Sorry, but your statement about the shape of the wedge and head velocity makes no sense.
Too bad, but some folks are not fanboys for new toys. I am a fanboy for honest rational evaluations; this ain't it.