Gransfors Bruk Splitting Maul 31.50 Inch Wood Splitting Axe, 450

Nov 2016 My initial run with this Splitting Maul is good. When I got the Maul undug from its well packed tomb; which I'm grateful for that. (My Maul was either sold by Amazon themselves or it was sold for the customer by amazon) Anyways, when I got this tool out of its packaging, that's what she said?.. . I noticed it had a VERY KEEN cutting edge.. I was like, "I wonder if I can shave my arm hair off with this? It looks sharp enough." And all be danged, I never expected to remove hair with a maul, but that was how sharp it arrived. I'm not saying that you'll get that level of sharpness when yours arrives, because this product is produced in quantity,but that's some attention to detail! Anyways, looking at the handle, it had a very nice grain all the way down. I'm not a pro but I've heard that's a sign of quality. The Maul head was very secure on the handle. Great sign! The balance, weight ratio to length of the handle seemed pretty good. The actual area on the handle that you would hold, Gransfors Bruks worked in some small but noticeable gripping ridges, or ripples.. (I'm not sure what to call it exactly) Make's holding securely to the maul, when your in full swing, a bit easier. So that's always a good thing! The metal guard around the maul handle was interesting, a very welcomed practical guard, because I can lay claim to a goof up or two when splitting logs (with a no name old splitting maul)..one of those those goof ups where, you hit the wedge and something moves on you and the handle of your maul ends up kissing the wedge your using to split a difficult log.. yeah those are never fun. So it's a nice well thought addition. What arrived on or with the Splitting maul, was a leather guard for the maul head. And 'The Axe Book' which I have only glanced through. The book seems to give a run down on the current company's leadership view on things related to there craft. Gives some advice on maintaining your splitting maul. It also shows different types of axes. The book is 5x5 inches or there about, and maybe 1/4" thick. The font is pretty big, so easy to read. Has a few high quality Black and White images.. quite a few illustrations in the book as well. The most important thing in the book though, is probably the fact it mentions a '20 year guarantee'... if my ISP had given me a guarantee 20 years ago that I'd have fiber internet service today, well I'd have a quality internet connection by now! I guess mentioning that seems random,. . . Not really; where I'm going with this, is the fact.. It's RARE to have that kind of guarantee with a tool today, or 20 years ago! Even if you spend quite a bit of money. You might get a 5 year guarantee if your lucky! Also your ISP is just going to spout nonsense about how you don't want faster and better quality internet service for decades..because can't is easier to say than can, because with can, you have to think! This is my knee jerk reaction with limited usage. Seems like a quality tool. Worth the money so far. I'll try to remember to give an update on how this splitting maul is holding up after more usage. Update: March 2018 So I've had this 5-1/2 pound splitting maul awhile now, and it's gotten a LOT of usage, from splitting wild cherry, to oak, and locust, and maple... I also bought one of Gransfors Bruks "Wedges" as well around the time that I bought this 5-1/2lb splitting maul. I have not had to use the Splitting wedge at all so far. I've purely used the maul. The widest wood I have split, with this maul, has probably been 20" wide.. Any bigger & unless your a body builder, I think physics would just be working against you. Do to the head design on the Maul, its been great for splitting.This 5-1/2lb maul vs the 8lb maul my father uses, I seem more productive with this lighter maul. PLUS this maul has a better designed head, the angles are sharper, so it REALLY bites into the wood and splits in one action. Where as I got more resistance with the 8lb maul, do to the head design, it was just too blunt shaped. I'm still tickled with my purchase. I've been trying to take care of my tool so it takes care of me. I did screw up once over my two years of usage, & that metal collar around the handle worked really really well.

Gransfors Bruks Splitting Maul I agree with the previous comments of praise. This maul is truly a work of art. I proudly hang it up on my workshop wall when not in use. I have been splitting firewood for 35+ years with an old conventional 8 lbs. maul, an old 12 lbs. "Monster Maul" and a few inexpensive iron wedges. All have served me well through the years. However as I enter into my 60s, my upper body just "isn't what it used to be". The old 12 lbs. monster maul especially has become a little tougher for me to swing effectively. After using this maul and the GB splitting wedge 460 for a month or so to split about a cord of oak wood, I will offer the following comments. The Gransfors Bruks (GB) 450 maul has a beautifully forged, well shaped and sharpened 5½ lbs. head. The hickory handle is also well shaped and fits well into my hands. The grooved handle is an added bonus. The entire maul is well balanced and feels good to use. It is obvious the GB folks put some thought, pride and individual attention into the making of this piece. This is NOT some inexpensive, mass produced piece found at your typical home improvement store. Don't let that smaller 5½ lbs. head fool you! For me, this maul package actually has much more splitting power than my older mauls. I can generate more maul head speed for more power. It is basic physics. Energy = Mass Times Velocity Squared. In other words; if the velocity is doubled, the resultant energy delivered is quadrupled. Simple, effective and satisfying wood splitting is achieved - no gimmicks. There is also a metal collar below the maul head to protect the hickory handle against over strikes. Yes, it protects well - I over struck a few rounds! The only very minor drawback is if the wood round is large or stubborn and will not split, the GB head sticks deep in the wood, but removal is not difficult. Just go at it again and the round will eventually split. The old monster mauls will simply bounce back. The reason is the GB head is sharpened and angled more acutely than the more traditional wood splitting mauls. Solution for the big, tough, hard to split rounds - team the GB maul up with the also high quality GB splitting wedge 460 or two, and you will have a beautiful arsenal of wood splitting tools. If taken care of with good common sense, they should last a lifetime. Expensive - yes of course. But to me, worth every penny.

To answer that question, my first thought is, if you're not an experienced axe/maul/sledge hammer user, buy yourself the Fiskars splitting axe first (either the regular or super)..... The Gransfors Bruks splitting maul is almost too beautiful to put to wood.... especially for a green woodsman. From the imperfections that are the tell tale signs of a crafted forge, to the beautifully finished and fitted handle; from the pride of the forgers' initials, to the branding mark of the manufacturer on the wood, this piece of tool speaks volumes of the old world craftmanship and attention to pertinent details. It swings beautifully with its balance and it splits crisply with its geometry and its razor edge. Obviously, you'll need to learn the capabilities of this tool and its limitations since hand tools are not easily judged simply by a lable of its horse power. Through experience, you'll learn when a log is ready for splitting and how much force to swing for each individual piece; to get the job done efficiently, cleanly, and know how to avoid biting off more than the tool can chew. Yeah, I learned the hard way; it is also the natural way..... and got frustrated over getting the maul stuck in wood too big for its weight. I swung a sledge over the maul to finish the job when I should have used additional splitting wedges; I over swung at times and scared myself as the head rushed cleanly through the log and continued into the ground..... All things you don't really want to do to a pricey, well crafted tool. So.... If you're a newbie, learn the craft with an alternative, well built tool that will be your 'first car' so to speak. Less expensive, less ache when you mar it up, and teaches you appreciation when you're ready to move up to a classic... When your skills have matured and you are still stoked by the art and zen of wood splitting, then get your hands on one of these beauties and emerse yourself in the pleasures of being out in nature and being one with your Gransfors Bruks splitting maul. Additional note as of 9/28/2013.... When you run into logs that are too big for this maul, you'll either need a couple of splitting wedges and a sledge hammer or use a larger eight pound splitting maul. You'll know when a log is too big for this maul when it simply gets stuck in the log when you swing it with maximum controlled force and the wood simply would not split. I've found that an eight pound splitting maul is about as big as you'd want to go with since it is hard to countrol anything bigger safely. When a log can't be split with an eight pounder, it's time to resort to a hydraulic splitter.

I recently purchased this Gransfors Splitting Maul from Amazon after years of using cheaper mauls from Wal-Mart, Lowe's, and the like. I've been splitting wood since I was a child in the Scouts, and I've even lived a couple of summers in a log cabin with nothing but a woodstove and fireplace for cooking and heat. In all that time, I've seen good tools and bad ones, but they all required a lot of care and effort to get the most out of them. That's certainly not the case with this maul. It came out of the box much sharper than I was expecting, and my first impression was one of quality. I've done some smaller blacksmithing projects, and it's clear that this axe was made with attention to detail, from the forging of the head to careful selection and treatment of the handle. The leather sheath was a nice touch, although it does seem like the strap may wear through in time where it contacts the sharp corner of the head. As far as performance from this maul goes, you couldn't ask for more. It's relatively lightweight means I can swing it all day and not be so sore I can't move at the end. In addition, it also allows for greater accuracy and speed of the swing, which in my experience is more important than weight. While it certainly doesn't split everything on the first hit, when it does fail to split cleanly it almost always gets a good crack started. I've split about two cords of wood with this maul since I got it, and it's still as sharp as ever. Despite the fact the the last half a cord I split was full of knots and fairly dense wood, I only had to resort to using a splitting wedge on one round. Speaking of using wedges, the poll is designed to strike the top of the wedge to drive it into the log, eliminating the need for a separate sledge. I would like to note that the maul head is susceptible to rust if you don't take the care to clean it after use, more so than other painted or coated tools (which is usually done to hide imperfections). I take good care of my tools, and I've found that cleaning with a nylon scrubbing pad like I use for dishes and coating lightly with gun oil after each use keeps it look like new. All in all, this is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to split wood easily and effectively, and I am highly impressed with Gransfors overall. I will certainly be turning to them again in the future for any axes or hatchets I may need.

I've been using axes and mauls for the better part of 20 years, if I had to guess. I've used many generic axes that polished up to a good edge. I spent years as a kid as the "knife sharpener" for our group of hunters, meaning a pile of dull, abused knives would be dropped off to me every so often and I had to make them shave-worthy in a day or two! I feel I have gained a good eye and perspective on quality of metal, as well as construction of the tools and am well practiced in their use.... WOW I know that often, you get what you pay for, but I was still skeptical. It took me years to justify this purchase, but - just before my load of firewood was delivered this fall, I managed to snap the handle on my usual maul (Collins). With some urging from a friend, I bit the bullet. Even on arrival, it DID look as nice as I'd hoped... and it WAS razor sharp... and the metal LOOKED pretty good overall... but it wasn't until I tried it that I was really impressed. As many other reviews have said - it is to wood as Thor's butterknife would be to ... oh, anything else. I first attempted a 12" round of oak that was a little too wet, and a little too tough. My large hatchets just ricocheted off of it. The first attempt, I felt no resistance as I gave one controlled, easy swing and cleanly split it into two. I tried it again, and again, on multiple pieces of the same tough oak, and hoped the neighbors wouldn't see me prancing around the yard like a goof holding the maul into the air in victory. Also, after one day of chopping small oak rounds, it is still razor sharp. Seriously - I thought I'd tried some pretty good mauls before, and I thought I'd done a good job of cleaning up some lesser-quality ones to do a good job. I probably had, but this is light years ahead in overall quality of construction, materials and service, and will be passed on to my grandkids to boot! I have a hatchet coming after using this guy, and will likely invest in an axe, just for the pure pleasure of using it. So happy. SO happy. Buy one.

I had been using a Fiskars X27 to split some red oak and white oak rounds that were dropped off in my yard from a tree removal service. Many of the rounds were 2' (or larger) in diameter and 18" to 20" tall. If there weren't any knots in the round and the grain was sufficiently straight, I had no problem using just the Fiskars. However, the Fiskars (while great) was insufficient for tougher rounds. Enter the Gransfors Bruks Splitting Maul: The tough rounds are now easier thanks to the added weight and superb craftsmanship of this beautiful piece of work. It's also nice to know that I can pass down to my kids and/or grandkids. It's just that 'solid'. After splitting a few of the tougher rounds yesterday, my wife asked me how I felt about picking up this maul and I told her it was worth every penny and a pleasure to work with. It brings a smile to my face to even think about splitting wood with it.

Beautiful maul. You DO NOT need a heavier maul than this. I split many cords a year of very nasty wood and if you think you need a larger splitting maul then you are simply splitting wood by hand wrong. Buy at least 4 wedges off all types (I have two grenade wedges and two standard wedges) and an 8 lb sledgehammer (hickory handle!!!) in addition to this and you will split through anything. Buying a sledgehammer will maintain the shape of the maul and is much cheaper and therefore you will not feel guilty about putting wear and tear on it like you will if you use the back of your nice gransfors maul. YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED HOCKEY TAPE. You also NEED to buy a leather axe guard or you WILL chip the handle...most likely on the first swing too. Clean it daily...this is an absolute must...use steel wool, gun oil, boiled linseed oil, and maybe leather conditioner for the axe guard and cover. You can also go a good while without sharpening it if you don’t want to get a whetstone right away. Just be mindful of where you are splitting at. Do not split near concrete or rocks. Also you won’t regret steel toe boots. Safety glasses and ear protection are recommended when using wedges too...steel chips can fly into your eyes and the dB from wedges is loud enough to damage your ears permanently. Enjoy your new axe.

Excellent craftsmanship as always from gransfors bruks but I wish they would make the handle a few inches longer. I don’t want to always have to use a wedge. If I can swing and bust a round without using a wedge that is ideal but with the short handle length it’s hard to get a full swing. For reference I’m 5’10 and I’d prefer +3 inches to the handle.