Kindling splitter

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NZ CRACKER

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As usually this year I split a big box of scrap 2X material for fire starting kindling. I do it with a hatchet. It's fast, holding the wood with a leather glove and swinging away, the chunks fly. The issue is it's hard to get it a small as I would like. This year I went back over the chunks and split them in the 1 1/2 direction.

Do you guys know of a kindling maker machine, or a device to use on the splitter.


Hi Everyone,
I just found this website/forum and was having a look when I came across this post and just had to share something with you all.
My 14 year old daughter has invented and patented this product below that splits kindling, which is so safe and easy to use that nearly anyone can use it from the young and fit through to the elderly and disabled. It is called the ‘Kindling Cracker’, you can see all about it on her website.
Her journey over the last year has been truly amazing from winning New Zealand’s young inventor of the year right through to getting her invention onto the market with no financial assistance from anyone, she is a true inspiration. You can also see her journey on facebook, just search for kindling cracker.
We are currently selling these in New Zealand and Australia and very soon to America via her website.
These are a great accessory for any wood fire/oven, chip heater.
Regards Claire
 

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Interesting. My initial thought based just on the pictures is that I like it. Good on you and your daughter!
 
Thats looks cool - just tried to find a video of it in action but couldn't? plenty of info though well done.
 
I should ask this for Santa for my kid ( and for me)
 
Thats looks cool - just tried to find a video of it in action but couldn't? plenty of info though well done.

Thank you Auzzie Gumtree, Ayla got her dad to help her with a video (LOL) they were just having some fun testing the strength of the blade but there is a small clip of how to use in in normal conditions at the end of it, there is also a 3D video of the new model, on this link
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It's selling like mad and the feedback is just starting to come in (seen here) (broken link removed to http://www.kindlingcracker.com/happy-customers.html)
PS: we are making a professional video (product in use) over the next few weeks.
 
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Welcome to the forum NZ Cracker.

Congratulations to your daughter for completing this project. She has a great future in store for her. I might add that you also have a very beautiful daughter. You should be very proud.
 
Hi Tahoostas, we should be able to ship them to your door in a week or so, it’s best to buy your own hammer locally, you can also use another piece of wood/stone as a hammer, we are currently negotiating prices with shipping companies like UPS, it looks like the best way to ship them is in numbers (4 at a time) so if you have family and friends close by that are interested in one it’s the way to go.

We will put some pricing up on our website soon for shipping (1, 2 and 4 units at a time) UPS has said by the time they pick them up and drop them off to your door it will only 2 to 3 days!
 
Any chance you need a distributor in the US?
Hi NateB,
We are currently in talks with some major US/worldwide distributors. We are looking at licencing the product to them at present, but we will always have New Zealand made units for sale on Ayla's website like they are now. I will keep you in mind if the current companies miss this opportunity.
 
Hate to be a nay-sayer, but at $190 per unit, I'd would pass. (I feel like I'm on Shark Tank). Anyone who splits their own wood has value on the mind in the first place. I can go into my garage and come up with something that would serve this purpose in a couple of hours, maybe a trip to HD for parts. A small/medium size tire comes to mind, pack with splits and split into smaller splits.
 
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Very interesting tool and nice design. It is always fun to see the little guy (girl) ramp up a product like this.
 
Very interesting tool and nice design. It is always fun to see the little guy (girl) ramp up a product like this.
Thank you Jags, she has done very well at 14 years of age and her story a huge inspiration all around the world to the young and old, just as well we patented her idea aye, Ayla has many large corporate companies now wanting to make her product under licence and supply the likes of home depot etc. The Kindling Cracker's made for the big box stores will be a lot cheaper than her ones on her website because they will not be handmade, but mass manufactured in China, Ayla's dream is to have them made in the country where they are sold to create employment for their own people and to reduce the global footprint (less freight)

Made in USA to create employment for USA and made in Europe to do the same for their people and so on is what Ayla would like to see happen.
 
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Made in USA to create employment for USA and made in Europe to do the same for their people and so on is what Ayla would like to see happen.
And a noble objective it is.
 
Hate to be a nay-sayer, but at $190 per unit, I'd would pass. (I feel like I'm on Shark Tank). Anyone who splits their own wood has value on the mind in the first place. I can go into my garage and come up with something that would serve this purpose in a couple of hours, maybe a trip to HD for parts. A small/medium size tire comes to mind, pack with splits and split into smaller splits.
Hi Mass-burner, you should take a look at Ayla's Facebook page and have a look at her journey https://www.facebook.com/KindlingCracker (the seven sharp video link is very cool) see below comments to Jag also.
 
Jags is right, interesting tool good design. And I'm sure your daughter is a fine girl. But I still wouldn't put down $190 for something I can improvise rather quickly. Also, I can imagine the wife's reaction to spending $200 for a tool to make kindling when most of us here have numerous axes already. Now that's your real selling job.
 
Jags is right, interesting tool good design. And I'm sure your daughter is a fine girl. But I still wouldn't put down $190 for something I can improvise rather quickly. Also, I can imagine the wife's reaction to spending $200 for a tool to make kindling when most of us here have numerous axes already. Now that's your real selling job.


Hi Mass burner, I hear what you are saying, the reason they are this price is;


A, These are shipped from New Zealand to your door (shipping is included)

B, These are Handmade in New Zealand by New Zealanders and are a fantastic quality.


If you were to buy a mass manufactured axe from a big box store it will cost you very little.

If you purchased a handmade axe from a blacksmith, they sell for $800 plus over here and you would go on a waiting list.


Our Kindling Crackers will be mass manufactured and sent out to the big box stores in your country probably next year and will be cheaper, but they will not be the same quality as the New Zealand 'handmade' units (you get what you pay for) we are selling ‘volumes’ of Handmade units to USA and around the world so no problem with selling a quality New Zealand made product, 80% of people don't know how to use a welder or a grinder so everyone isn't going to whip one up like you say, you will be able to buy a cheaper one when they are in the stores (if you are driven by price) you might not which is also fine, but this product has been designed to split kindling and it has had a lot of research go into the design, it looks way cool and would look good anywhere, you could not achieve this look in your shed and you would spend weeks tinkering in your shed to get the same function and it would never ever look as good, then you have to ask yourself what’s my time worth?


Even though these will be available at HD... etc... in the future; we will always sell quality made units from New Zealand which employs around 150 people in the foundries in New Zealand


Kindling Cracker’s take away the sharp object flying past your/teen’s/mums/wife’s/dad’s hand and it’s real easy to use and if everyone had one it would stop people losing their fingers with axes, you would be amazed of how many do each year, I know one thing is for certain...our family won’t be losing a finger cutting kindling with an axe....my 12 year old has been cutting kindling all week.
 
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