Anyone know anything about this maul/axe?

flatlanderks · Feb 1, 2007

I was looking for a new splitting maul and came across this one.

http://www.vipukirves.fi/images/isokuva_kirves1.jpg

I am not that strong in Finnish (putting it lightly). Anyone with any experience or knowledge about this.

I am still trying to nail down a price. I think it is 199 euros, a little steep if that is the price.

There is a video of it in action on this page

http://www.vipukirves.fi/media/index.htm

Just click on the ESITTELYVIDEO

Any thoughts?

TooTall999 · Feb 1, 2007

Seems to work for making lots of small kindling pieces...Don't see it as being usefull for bigger splitting jobs though.

flatlanderks · Feb 1, 2007

I was just wondering if anyone had heard about or used it. I have ordered a Helko Tomahawk splitting axe and found the Heikki Vipukirves.

Sodboa · Feb 1, 2007

Looks like it would really hurt your wrists. The hook on the top catchs in the log and would twist on most hits. Look at what they are splitting, I think I could split it with a hatchet.

chowdozer · Feb 1, 2007

Looks like it would be really good for splitting something like alder or cedar. There isn't much weight to it and even less taper. I would pass on it and keep my trusty Vaughan axe. That's just my opinion though.

habanero · Feb 1, 2007

Sure doesn't look to be worth 258 dollars (assuming 1.3 dollar exchange rate). For that you're well on your way to a decent used hydraulic splitter.

flatlanderks · Feb 2, 2007

$247 as of yesterdays currency exch rate. Way too much for anything that does not have a motor for me. I will just wait till my Tomahawk gets here to share the work with my MonsterMaul.

kattcutter · Feb 3, 2007

Funny how easy they make it look - taking small, almost kindling size slivers, plus, it's all straight grain wood that could easily be split with any axe.

it does look like it would do a number on the wrists with that twisting action...

Nah, I'll stick with my Chopper 1!

treeman82 · Feb 3, 2007

I was just given a maul yesterday by a customer. NICE maul, haven't used it yet, but it's made by Kenowa tools.

Finland · Feb 15, 2007

Information

Hello friends.
I found this conversation in the internet. I have a good reason to take part to this conversation, because I found some misunderstandigs in previouse writings. VIPUKIRVES= LEVERAXE is totally new way to split the wood very safely.
All the axes since the stoneage , four million years ago (4000000 years) are in a way or another formed to be as a wedge. They may have some extra parts on the sides, but basicly they still are symmetrycally formed. The maximum part of the power vanishes to the friction. There is also very big chanse to hurt yourself by hitting to your foot or hand.
VIPUKIRVES /LEVERAXE funktions totally by new way. You hit with it like with any other axe, but at the end of the hit you must loosen yor touch so, that the handle can rotate in your hands. The axeblade is formed to be eccentric and this why the blale turns automaticly to the right when it hits the block. The blade penetrates to the block only 5 to 15 millimeters, that is the friction part. Then the blade leans to the right and moowes to the left at the same time and pushes the split away . It will spred the split up to 8 sentimeters (3 inches). The blade never stucks to the block. Somebody figured earlier that this may hurt your wrists. On the contrary, this does not hurt your wrists at all, because at the moment the blade hitts the block, you hold the handle very gently. It is very easy tecnics to learn , because there is no fear that you could hurt yourself. The blade allways remains on the block and does not continue the moowement anywhere. The splitting power is many times more than with the traditional axes because this uses moovement energy and moment. This is 100 % Finnish product .
You will find the DIRECTIONS FOR USE on my home pages. Please click the flag of England and you fill find a lot of relevant informarion about this genious invention.
VIPUKIRVES is not yet availlable in USA, but I am working on it. So far, be openminded, think differently. It only took four million years to greate this safe and very effective new tool.
Bes regards from FINLAND
www.vipukirves.fi

ericjeeper · Feb 16, 2007

Send us a demo unit

Finland said:
Hello friends.
I found this conversation in the internet. I have a good reason to take part to this conversation, because I found some misunderstandigs in previouse writings. VIPUKIRVES= LEVERAXE is totally new way to split the wood very safely.
All the axes since the stoneage , four million years ago (4000000 years) are in a way or another formed to be as a wedge. They may have some extra parts on the sides, but basicly they still are symmetrycally formed. The maximum part of the power vanishes to the friction. There is also very big chanse to hurt yourself by hitting to your foot or hand.
VIPUKIRVES /LEVERAXE funktions totally by new way. You hit with it like with any other axe, but at the end of the hit you must loosen yor touch so, that the handle can rotate in your hands. The axeblade is formed to be offsentric and this why the blale turns automaticly to the right when it hits the block. The blade penetrates to the block only 5 to 15 millimeters, that is the frickion part. Then the blade leans to the right and moowes to the left at the same time and pushes the split away . It will spred the split up to 8 sentimeters (3 inches). The blade never stucks to the block. Somebody figured earlier that this may hurt your wrists. On the contrary, this does not hurt your wrists at all, because at the moment the blade hitts the block, you hold the handle very gently. It is very easy tecnics to learn , because there is no fear that you could hurt yourself. The blade allways remains on the block and does not continue the moowement anywhere. The splitting power is many times more than with the traditional axes because this uses moovement energy and moment. This is 100 % Finnish product .
You will find the DIRECTIONS FOR USE on my home pages. Please klick the flag of England and you fill find a lot of relevant informarion about this genious invention.
VIPUKIRVES is not yet availlable in USA, but I am working on it. So far, be openminded, think differently. It only took four million years to greate this safe and very effective new tool.
Bes regards from FINLAND
www.vipukirves.fi

If you would like some American imput. Please send one of us a demo unit. we will review it for one week and then ship it to another AS member. That way you will get some free advertisement, and some data as to how that baby will split real wood. Hickory, red elm.oak.

habanero · Feb 16, 2007

Finland said:
...All the axes since the stoneage , four million years ago (4000000 years) are in a way or another formed to be as a wedge...

If something has survived 4 million years with little evolution in design principle, there's probably a reason for it---it works!

But hey, I'm all for trying new things. I think Eric has a good idea; let us try it out and report back. I know I have some ~18" elm that'd be as good of test as anything.

Finland · Feb 16, 2007

VIPUKIRVES /LEVERAXE is designed specially and only for the purpose to split the wood. You cannot do anything else with it. BUT, for splitting purposes it is definitely the most effective and safiest comparing to the traditional ones. In a way this is totally a new tool. You do the same busines with it like with the other axes, but the funktion is totally different.
The traditional four million years old axe is still very good tool for many purposes, I fully agree with the previous writer.

ericjeeper · Feb 16, 2007

I guess that means it is not in the mail?

I would be willing to give it a try then send it to the next guy.

Former Saw Builder · Feb 25, 2007

Vipukirves

Finland said:
VIPUKIRVES /LEVERAXE is designed specially and only for the purpose to split the wood. You cannot do anything else with it. BUT, for splitting purposes it is definitely the most effective and safiest comparing to the traditional ones. In a way this is totally a new tool. You do the same busines with it like with the other axes, but the funktion is totally different.
The traditional four million years old axe is still very good tool for many purposes, I fully agree with the previous writer.

I would be willing to purchase one from you... Please PM me if you can get one of those to me here in the USA....

Haywire Haywood · Feb 25, 2007

Show us a video of it quartering a 16 inch (40cm) diameter oak or similar hardwood log. The little splits you're making in the video are fine for kindling but not much else.

Ian

laynes69 · Feb 25, 2007

Those logs would produce 4 pieces for me. Those pieces in the video are too small for my wood furnace. I would also like to see some hardwood split with it.

MRCONRAN · Feb 25, 2007

Actually one can split wood with a regular axe just like they have designed this one to do. I was taught it over 30 years ago buy a fellow from BC. It takes some practice but at the last moment as the axe makes contact with the wood one can twist the handle a little bit. At the same time you relaxe your grip alittle on the handle. If done right your axe will be laying on its side at the compleated blow. Wood will often fly a few feet apart. I am talking about fairly easy wood like hickory oak ect. Also should add you can split wood this way right down the middle. I have split a lot of sweetgum this way by breaking off the edges untill it would fit a stove. It's easy to show but hard to describe.

Finland · Feb 26, 2007

Some information

Unfortunately my ancestors/forefathers cut down all the oaks very long time ago. They were sold to be as construktion material to make the boats. That is why I have no posiibility to split oak as firewood. We do get some oak from abroad, maybe from USA, but it is so expensive that it is used to furniture industry. Ofcourse I have occasionally got some peaces of oak so that I know that it does not make any differences comparing to other type/family of wood in splitting purpoce.
In fact, VIPUKIRVES/LEVERAX operates the better the harder the wood is.
You see very hard wood splits easier, because it is not so stringy/tough as forinstance pine/redwood. The reason why I split the blocks to so many peases is caused by the stoves we have in FINLAND. Our stoves gather all the possible heat to its stony construction and releases the heat litle by litle during next 24-36 hours. The energy is the same wether you burn the wood either as big splits or small splits. In our case it is better to burn the wood fast with a lot of oxygen. This way the chimney keeps clean, as well. I understand that if you have an open stove/fireplace then it is wise to burn the wood as long as possible to get the radiation heat as long as possible.
I could easily leave the splits much bigger, but as told before the small ones are in our case better.
There are many ways to split the wood. So many tecnics. There is only one problem with many of them. They are dangerous. They do not fit to everybody. Some people can be very talented and they can do allmost anything, but some are not. That is why I greated VIPUKIRVES/LEVERAXE.
It is safe to use for everybody. Even souch a person who has never even seen any kind of an axe ,can safely start to split his/her firefood. I do not know about the statistics conserning accidenses caused by axes in USA, but I know, that there are about 4000 accidenses in FINLAND every year. My opinion is: Even one accident is too much.
I hope you to see the sunny side in this new, safe innovation.
Bes regards from FINLAND
www.vipukirves.fi
Here are some adresses to look at the Finnish stowes
www.tulikivi.fi www.nunnauuni.fi

Haywire Haywood · Feb 26, 2007

What kind of wood do you burn usually?

Ian

Anyone know anything about this maul/axe?

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