Splitting logs is such a satisfying process. From the moment you hear the first cracking of the wood as you drive the wedge in, to that final blow of the axe that finally makes the sides jump in opposite directions.
It used to be a lot harder to do this because i didn't have a wedge or a proper sized axe. The wedge i bought and the axe was found by my mother, buried in the soil of her garden area. It belonged to my grandfather and it is a sturdy piece of metal, well-forged, as you'd expect from the old days.
The axe had no handle and i made the one you see in the image. No craftmanship to boast about, but i like how it feels and delivers.
Another thing i didn't have before was aim. You can't buy that anywhere. Some people are born with it, and others must develop it through practice. I feel proud of how much I've improved in that regard, having a high rate of hitting just where i want to hit.
Sometimes, depending on the log, i can split a board with just the axe and no need for wedges.
These are all willow logs and that means that they are not very straight and grow in very twisted ways, but there are some relatively straight ones from time to time that can be used for crafting all sorts of things, like this bench i recently made:
Most split logs are going into this project of surrounding the house with trash and rammed soil. This is mainly to leave the forest as clean and tidy as i can before leaving for travels.
Have a good day!
🙏