1. Get a good ax and make sure it’s sharp. Having a quality, sharp ax is key to a successful split. Zdon recommends a 36-inch handle with a 4-pound ax head (Zdon used a Best Made Co. Felling Ax for ...

Wetherbee prefers a splitting maul to an axe, on account of its heavier, less tapered head — it’s less likely to get stuck in knotty wood, she says. Also: a chopping block, and she recommends eye ...

Stacking firewood is pleasant work. It’s quiet and even contemplative. The hard and sometimes dangerous work of felling trees and bucking them with a chainsaw is done. The laborious splitting by hand ...