Splitting Firewood

Of course we occasionally visited the homes of others who did but my mom, sister and I lived in a simple subdivision built in the 1950s with economy, not luxury, as the goal. The houses are very small, very basic, and nearly identical in layout and design. Any of them with residents that enjoy the pleasures of a warm fire are the result of the addition of a fireplace during a home remodel or the later installation of a wood burning stove. We weren't blessed with either and while I'm grateful for the heat provided by our inefficient electric furnace during those years, I'm even more grateful to have the benefits of an efficient furnace and a wood burning stove as an adult.

Being raised a city girl and remaining one until I was past the age of 30, the whole country-living experience I now have is still occasionally a source of culture shock. But it's always interesting and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

While I embraced my city-upbringing, my husband has always had the attitude that he was raised in the country over the summer months and on weekends and was forced to endure city life during the school year. He has patiently (and usually through laughter) walked me through everything from coming to understand that the "amazing green grass" I saw on cold-weather drives through the country was winter wheat, not grass, to foraging in the woods for edible mushrooms and berries. Another revelation for me was that all that firewood being sold from the beds of pick up trucks in store parking lots was actually cut by regular-Joes, just like us, using not just chainsaws but also axes. People still need axes!

Earlier this year, when my husband was preparing to split our firewood for the winter, I asked him to set aside his trusty old wood-handled splitting maul for the Fiskars 28 inch Super Splitting Axe. A bit skeptical before starting because of the lighter weight of the axe, and concerned that the handle was shorter than what he's accustomed to using, he was sold on it in no time.

Two features of the axe that my husband appreciated for making the job easier are the non-stick surface of the blade and the wide wedge shape of the head. These features make both splitting wood and removing the axe from the wood when it becomes wedged require less effort. He also liked that the fiberglass composite handle was easier on his hands than his wood-handled maul.

The final vote on the Fiskars 28 inch Super Splitting Axe is that it's a keeper. This city girl couldn't be more excited about introducing her country boy to a tool that has easily earned his respect.