Editor’s Note: We updated this Guide on November 13, 2024, adding two smaller splitting axes ideal for lighter-duty one-handed use, the Hults Bruk Agdor 20 and the Fiskars Norden N12.

Firewood's Dark NightmareWhile it’s not as elegant as a Best Made Axe, in true Gear Patrol colors, Fiskars does deliver wood-splitting Armageddon with their 7854 Super Splitting Axe ($40). With its 28 ...

I earned my BSA Paul Bunyan certification when I was 16, hacking down and splitting a 24″ pine. With my old-ass axe, it took me better part of two hours. Man, I wish I had the Fiskars X17 back then.