iodonnell said:Wow ELM across the board! I figured ELM but I don't really have access or touch the stuff so I've not had the hurt. I just had the thought after I split a whole lot of black birch. I have a sharp Fiskars and it'd take a lot of whacks on both ends to split, compared to the Shagbark. Pignut was just as hard but I guess now I'm thinking about the science of wood fibers now. I was splitting 36" rounds of shagbark hickory as fast as I could find them. Switched to some 12" rounds of Pignut, horrible. Switched to 24" black birch and where's my gloves! All 18" length.
Had some poplar too and that wet was like slicing a cake.
Now I'm thinking what actually influences the "splittability" of wood in the wood itself? Obviosuly grain, knots, branch formations but comparing apples to apples here.
Thanks for the replies. Maybe I'll find some elm just for a brusing!
Just get the elm after it's been standing dead for a few years . . . with the bark falling off . . . then it's a whole different critter while splitting it vs. splitting a fresh cut elm. One way will be a bitter and frustrating experience . . . the other way will make you scratching your head wondering what the big fuss about splitting elm is all about.