Trying to like the Hults Bruk Arvika, Splitting white oak, and opinions on the Oxe head splitter
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- Bucking a white oak, splitting the rounds. Chopping with a Council Tool double bit, and why I still don't like the Hults Bruk Arvika
Good mornings work, and a good vid! Big ol' tree! Solo loading big logs and beams is always good fun👍👍
Great video! I have never used an Arvika myself but I’ve heard quite a bit about them. Loved seeing the hand splitting. Very well done my friend!
Hey man! Thank you. The way you get after those big rounds is awesome 🪓
@@urbanlumberjack thank you my friend! I appreciate that a lot. It’s fun to try them out now and then down the middle and to see how different types of wood split like that. Keep up the great work with your channel. You’re doing a fine job!
Enjoyable video! Looks like the cold blue held up pretty well. Video highlight for me was watching you load those beams. Good job.
The cold blue held up great, very happy with it! Thanks for the kind words, those quarters sure were heavy.
Mr. Stuart you are quite the beast with those white-oak beams...what a variety show...I personally enjoyed the double-bit action and your overall commentary...very enjoyable session sir...
I’m glad I could rescue some of the wood! Your work on that maple was awesome, and that became very real to me after chopping the little bit I did.
I felt the same way about my Arvika. I will say I like it a lot more now since I thinned down the profile to make it bite a bit better / deeper and swapped out the club-like stock handle with a shorter racing style handle. It's nice to see someone enjoying hard work. Does make you feel great especially when paired with a feeing of accomplishment.
I should look into a better handle. Ive heard a few people who like it found a good handle. Definitely not trying to criticize anybody who likes the axe! Maybe I should have clarified more it’s my personal opinion, and not a necessarily bad axe.
Hello, I own the ox head 'Iltis Canada' with 800 grams. The handle was much too thick and stiff for me, there was no question of flexibility, so I made the handle slimmer and therefore flexible, as with all axes except grandfather's axes. In my experience, German ax handles are oversized; my recommendation: reduce the handle of the Ox-Splitter to a manageable size to protect your hands from harsh vibrations. Greetings fom Germany - Baden-Wuerttemberg 👍
Thanks for the comment! Both my grandmother and grandfather grew up speaking german. Germany is a wonderful country and I plan to visit the Rhineland as soon as I can.
The handle is definitely thick, thinning it down would certainly help. I do like German axes!
When it comes to splitting, the timber lets you know what kind of axe you can use for the least amount of effort. With really pleasant poplar you could split with a boys axe probably haha. Not that you NEED to use the lightest axe possible for the job. I use what is convenient and I think most do the same. Most people don't even have 10 axes so they use what they have. One type of splitter I don't want to use is the monster maul. Seems like there's a lot of weight in the handle and obviously too much weight in the head unless you're showing off haha. I find nothing wrong with showing off. It's just not sustainable.
The way I got started swinging axes was actually with a boy's axe from council and that means splitting and cross cutting. I split big rounds of american sweetgum and nasty rounds of black tupelo. As for your husky. It seemed just fine to me and like you said the more expensive Stihl variant seemed to be heavier than you needed for most of your swings. I can't justify buying a new fiskars splitter but I'd love to have one. If I find a used one for a good price I would definitely get it. I have enough axes though
When you're talking about how hard softwood/hardwoods are to split I'm reminded of Daniel Donnelly on instagram. The fellow splits a lot of softwood and that stuff looks really tough most of the time. Most forest grown hardwoods just don't put out that many branches below the canopy. But softwoods get greedy haha. At least that's what I believe. In the best circumstances I'd take hardwoods over softwoods every time. Anything with big and/or various knots is going to be tougher to split than normal. The resin of most softwoods is what puts me off. Also that it's less desirable to burn for heat and cooking.
Good reading Mr. Ethical...
Good thoughts. I follow Donnelly as well, he’s doing a cool project. I’d like to try a fiskars as well at some point
@@urbanlumberjack ethical seems to have a lot of knowledge. You can tell he loves timber haha. That’s great to see. Definitely try the fiskars out. For me personally, I haven’t used a better splitting axe to date but I’ve heard the Adler super splitter is great as well. Great video!
Resin softwood is heating many American homes this winter.
For sure! Some of my favorite stove fires have been in Alaska.
I would like to pick up a Tassie of some sort, some day, but I would probably go with Agdor version or Helko based on your assessment. I've never swung a stock Ochsenkopf Spalt-fix but I recently hung one (and made a video) and I like it so far. I did give myself a nice palmswell, which probably helps. Ben Scott says it really comes into it's own on softwoods, which jives with your comment about axes tending to sink and stick (it's a very wedgy head). One thing I will point out is that most of the other points of criticism are model-specific. There's a lighter version and they don't all have the collar or weird hang assembly. Not to say that all models are equally available (presumably depends on location).
Tassies are awesome axes! I bet a nice palm swell helps a lot on a 6 pound axe. I’d be curious to use this axe without the collar as well. Or maybe cut the collar so it doesn’t extend as far down the handle.
I hate it too. Gave mine to VintageAxeHoarder. He loves it. 🤷♂️
To each his own right? Honestly if I didn’t spend near $250 on it I might feel different. Between that and the “splitting” axe, HB has definitely made a fool out of me lol.
"Inverse troll" 🤣 Great content. 👍
I have a 1940s double bit cruiser pattern Western Clipper axe on a straight 36” handle. It will split when nothing else will. I have a Fiskar splitter axe similar to your Husky. Sometimes, the species of wood and moisture content can drive innovation/use of an axe head. Great video! Take a look at Kurt S channel.
Thanks man! I love watching Kurt. Really skilled dude. I’ve never used a fiskars, but would consider it for an axe that I know would be subject to really extreme use. Especially in areas where moisture content would change a lot or it’s very dry. I hear a lot of people swear by them.
Looked up a picture of your double bit, beautiful. Something very classic about those double bits. I like them a lot.
Thank you! You can see the Western Clipper I have in one of my videos. I’ll make a video about it sometime. ruclips.net/video/fcTrPV5cSyg/видео.html
I really admire your office. I am particularly interested in the axes. support you all. hope you make more ax videos
Thank you! More axe videos in the works!
Hey. At least you tried. My gosh that was a big white oak. Do you have any idea what the age of it was? Nice axemanship on that Council tool. You made nice lines on your chops. That Kobalt(?) splitter seemed to do a great job. Those patterns with the big bevels arent very romantic like an old double bit but they seem to do a good job in the hardwood. Especially when they are on the dull side. Lastly, you couldn't have fit a goat in the passenger seat?✌
Lol! The goats don’t travel well unfortunately but my kids did put them on a leash once for a walk.
It’s older than 250 years based on my ring count. It really is massive. I’ve got about ten real big slabs off of it and am pretty much down to firewood now.
i've owned 4 arvikas at this point. Sold the first two after trying to get them to work well for months/years.Now i own a vintage one and The blue Agdor version.
If the Agdor is still available (doubt it?) then it's definitely the better option.
Thanks for sharing, I’ve tried finding the agdor Arvikas in the US and haven’t found anyone selling them. Apparently in Canada a few outlets have in the past, or are now, selling just the heads for a ridiculously good price.
Would like to find a vintage arvika for sure. I’ve spent so much time trying to make mine work, and it just doesn’t perform.
@@urbanlumberjack vintage arvika's seem to be mostly in Australia. You're right, there are some retailers in Canada that still stock the Agdor versions for an affordable price.
Matt LeBlanc on Axe junkies was selling them for a long while. I believe Kevin bought one and a montreal from him
Is that the 3.5lb Michigan pattern double bit? I was thinking of picking one up.
Another good video.
That’s correct, it’s a good one. There is also the sport utility double bit which I really like (it has phantom bevels) but it is a bit pricier.
@@urbanlumberjack Thanks. I'd like to try that Michigan and the 5lb SB splitting axe.
Currently using 4lb Kelly single bit we hafted and cheap fiberglass no name thing. My gramps old double bit is maybe 2lb. Cuts and even splits but feels like a toy.
3-1/2 to 4 pound axe seems to be the sweet spot of power & being able to swing over & over!
I have a 3.5# husky with the plastic handle and love it.
It’s been good to me for sure! Very happy with it.
Pine is the worst thing I’ve ever split. Knots go all the way to the center and lots of branches.
We use hydraulics for pine.
Great video!
I know those planks were heavy!
So heavy. I have some footage from loading them I might put up
That Husky is the best splitting axe you have, unless you have a Fiskars bc it’s fatter. Don’t care what anyone says.
I may get a fiskars at some point. I have a bunch of splitting axes and mauls, but that husky is what I bring when I need to do some work, and want to be quick and have zero problems!
Holy moly you almost cut yourself on that double. Be safe ❤️🪓
I’m always on my toes! I’m sure the angle makes it look more dangerous than it really was but can’t be too careful
@@urbanlumberjack right on. Great video. Keep it up ✌️🪓
Sadly more and more people are becoming experts on things they know nothing about. It's really a strange phenomenon. And yes, a tool is just a tool. No reason to get scientific about it. Especially if you're not a scientist. 👍
Cuts like a chore 😢
Haha it sure does!
But it is swedish!!!!!
I know, and that is an awesome heritage. But HB was bought by an investment firm, and i think their axe design suffers because of it!