Well the Estwing brand "Sure-Split" wedge that I mentioned in one of my other threads has arrived, and I would say it is OK, but not great, probably not worth the money in terms of splitting action, possibly worth whatever extra quality you get from the Estwing brand.
In the picture from the Ace Hardware website the wedge looked more or less conical, so I was expecting a version of the "wood grenade" design. Instead, the design is pretty much a standard steel wedge, about the same profile and dimensions as my other standard wedges for about the first 1/2 its length. It then adds two "fins" or wings, slightly staggered that taper out at a sharper angle.
This means that the wedge works just the same way a normal wedge works for the first half of it's length - it is just the same to start, and to drive in until you get to the fins. Once the fins hit the log, the amount of "spreading pressure" goes up much faster with each hit, but I don't know how much that will mean you get less penetration per hit... One advantage that may develop is that the fins make the efective width of the wedge at the hitting end MUCH wider, so if you drive it below the surface of the log you may be able to hit it in further than a normal wedge, as the added width will give more clearance in the crack for the head of the sledge.
So far I've tried the Sure-Split on a couple rounds of Elm, each about 8" diameter, both of which I'd beat on for a bit with the monster maul, and cracked them but failed to make them split. (Since I usually try the MM first, this is fairly typical.) I found that the Sure-Split worked, but wasn't noticeably better than my other wedges. It might be more effective in a round that doesn't have the "stringy tied togther" nature of Elm that keeps it from splitting even when it's cracked all the way through....
Bottom line, Estwing is high grade for hammers, and presumably that brand of wedge would be better quality than your typical "made in china" wedge, but it's nothing special beyond that - the fins may help but don't make it a "can't live without" tool.
(I put a review on the Ace site, gave it a 3 out of 5...)
Gooserider
In the picture from the Ace Hardware website the wedge looked more or less conical, so I was expecting a version of the "wood grenade" design. Instead, the design is pretty much a standard steel wedge, about the same profile and dimensions as my other standard wedges for about the first 1/2 its length. It then adds two "fins" or wings, slightly staggered that taper out at a sharper angle.
This means that the wedge works just the same way a normal wedge works for the first half of it's length - it is just the same to start, and to drive in until you get to the fins. Once the fins hit the log, the amount of "spreading pressure" goes up much faster with each hit, but I don't know how much that will mean you get less penetration per hit... One advantage that may develop is that the fins make the efective width of the wedge at the hitting end MUCH wider, so if you drive it below the surface of the log you may be able to hit it in further than a normal wedge, as the added width will give more clearance in the crack for the head of the sledge.
So far I've tried the Sure-Split on a couple rounds of Elm, each about 8" diameter, both of which I'd beat on for a bit with the monster maul, and cracked them but failed to make them split. (Since I usually try the MM first, this is fairly typical.) I found that the Sure-Split worked, but wasn't noticeably better than my other wedges. It might be more effective in a round that doesn't have the "stringy tied togther" nature of Elm that keeps it from splitting even when it's cracked all the way through....
Bottom line, Estwing is high grade for hammers, and presumably that brand of wedge would be better quality than your typical "made in china" wedge, but it's nothing special beyond that - the fins may help but don't make it a "can't live without" tool.
(I put a review on the Ace site, gave it a 3 out of 5...)
Gooserider
:-/ 
