Axe design is a pretty stagnant field. With a few minor exceptions, this basic tool has remained pretty much unchanged for hundreds, heck, maybe even thousands of years.
But the basic axe has one flaw: A stubborn log with tight grain tends to take several hits to split. The axe head can easily get stuck in the log, requiring the user to battle the log to get the blade back or lift the entire blade-and-stuck-log overhead for a second, third, fourth… swing.
Well, the Leveraxe (Vipukirves) is a simple invention that was released a few years ago. It appears to really speed up the whole log-splitting process.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jDR_2Zsr40?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Invented by a Finnish company, the Leveraxe uses a side-weighted cantilever to force the blade of the axe to act as a lever when it impacts wood with force.
It took me a few seconds to puzzle out how this device would work, but after a bit of thought it makes sense. We haven’t had the chance to test this out and suspect that there will be some situations where it doesn’t work as well as a standard axe or heavy-headed maul, but the Leveraxe certainly looks innovative.
The company claims that the splitting force of Leveraxe is considerably stronger than a traditional axe.
Upon striking a log, the design automatically turns to the right and detaches the chopped portion from the log. Chopped sections are removed with a single strike and the blade doesn’t become lodged in the log, but keeps it in the same place and ready for the next strike.
The axe is not cheap, but it is available online for about $250 plus shipping.
We hope to spend a few hours getting warmed (twice) by the side of a campfire testing this clever cleaver this summer. —Sean McCoy
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