Firewood thread.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Excuse my ignorance, but what's the difference between an axe and a maul? We city folk don't get to do much wood-splitting. At least, the police in Hyde Park weren't very happy the last time I tried.

I'm no hardcore lumberjack but basically a maul is a bigger heavier axe with a much longer handle and much bigger heavier head. Mauls also tend to have much squarer blunter blades and can be used much more easily as hammers. Mauls are awesome for splitting wood, and driving the occasional wedge or stake, but as far as I know they're much worse at doing any of the finer work. For example chopping up a tree, or chopping off branches, though I did use one for that once and wasn't too disappointed. Beirut may have some more to add though.

EDIT:
Our axe is probably most like the Large Swedish Carving Axe. It has a very similar haft, and the axe-head is pretty much right on, the size sounds about right too. About 10-16 inches. Luckily I was only felling a sapling otherwise I would have been in trouble. It was the first tree I downed alone too so starting small and simple seemed like a good idea.

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/pro...orkofotar.html