I finished splitting my 6th cord this weekend with my first oak log and some poplar that I took down near the wood pile. The oak was definitely a bit tougher than the maple and beech I've been mostly dealing with. I expected the poplar to be a breeze. Nope... The only log that's been tougher for me was hornbeam. I'm guessing it must have been tough due to the amount of figure in the wood. I've never seen poplar this beautiful. Had I known it was like is before cutting into rounds, I think I would have saved a length to make something with. Gorgeous! It makes me wonder what other gems have been found by all of us once it was too late.