Was out splitting up some punky old ash to burn today and my Fiskars splitting axe found the hard heart inside a crotch piece. If you’re familiar with it, the Fiskars axes are wickedly sharp.

The axe sank in easily, hit the unrotted spot and skipped off at about a 30 degree angle at full speed and diverted into my (luckily) booted foot. An inch towards the toe, or if I’d have been in the wrong footwear and I’d likely be posting from the hospital.

Do I go out and buy a lottery ticket, or is all the luck used up? I forget how it works...

The axe


The unintended target- you can see where the brass hardware came through and blunted most of the force.


The tiny perforation through the sock and into my foot that will remind me of just how lucky I was.

Yep. Time to take a break. Have a beer.

Whew. The axe god spared you today.

Yup, you were lucky. I say a little prayer every time I pick up an axe, splitting maul, or chain saw.

As my dad used to say "you make your own luck". If you wouldn't have used the proper footwear who knows how bad your day could have been.

Were you splitting with the wood in the ground, or did you have a block set up?

If you have a block/stump set up of the proper height and size, a missed axe swing should end up in the block, and not in foot.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Were you splitting with the wood in the ground, or did you have a block set up?

If you have a block/stump set up of the proper height and size, a missed axe swing should end up in the block, and not in foot.

Block of roughly the same size (about 15” or so). I was knocking off side splits and the solid inner wood tapered wider as it went deeper. I had a loose grip and swinging from the swell at the end. It was whamming into my foot before I knew what happened.

You were very lucky to have only received that small nick. I use a 16" tall stump of 10"x10" post to chop my firewood.

If it's a tree, I thank God every time I use my chainsaw.

quote:

Originally posted by az4783054:
You were very lucky to have only received that small nick. I use a 16" tall stump of 10"x10" post to chop my firewood.

If it's a tree, I thank God every time I use my chainsaw.

That little piece of brass saved me a LOT of misfortune. The irony is had I been wearing my Whites logging boots, no metal would have been there to slow it down. As it is, my foot is sore as hell and I’ll likely have a good sized bruise.

Good day to buy a lottery ticket!

quote:

Originally posted by 10X-Shooter:
Good day to buy a lottery ticket!

And not just "a" beer, maybe a 12 pack.

Thou shalt go out and buy 10 lottery tickets as soon as you can!!!

Glad you had the axe angels on your side!!!

Also, Thanks for the Fiskars recommendation!

Glad to see you didn't get bit to bad.

About 3 years ago I got one of the Fiskar's axes to help my dad split wood because his shit wasn't cutting it for me. After working a few big rounds, I was taking a break, my brother took over and on his 3rd swing blew through a chunk of white oak and put a nice little cut in his brand new steel toe work boots.

He (and everyone else that witnessed it) learned that those Fiskar's axes are no joke and will bite you quicker than a junkyard dog if you aren't careful.

Best splitting axe ever though.

Are you up to date on Tetanus shots?

Guess no more splitting wood in Chacos for me. Which was more than stupid as I have three pairs of boots with industrial toe caps.

quote:

Originally posted by festus haggen:
Are you up to date on Tetanus shots?

+1 my first thoughts too.

quote:

Originally posted by rat2306:

quote:

Originally posted by festus haggen:
Are you up to date on Tetanus shots?

+1 my first thoughts too.

I am, thankfully.

Put down the axe, open a 12 pack of beer, and watch college football.

Here endith the lesson.

You got lucky! Glad you are ok. I just picked up one of those today, thanks for the safety reminder!

Yep, you were given a "not today" coupon on that one. It's Miller time.

While limbing a felled birch in our yard once, I put one bit of a double-bit axe through my jeans and deep enough into my shin to where I should have sought medical attention. But I was 13 and I was more worried about the ass-whupping I would've got for it and simply disappeared the evidence. It healed up ok and I learned important lessons about physics, I reckon. Something about lots of energy applied behind a very small surface area, deflection, angles, and staying well the fuck away from what you're chopping on. I was telling my son about it yesterday while he was laughing at my reaction to a hatchet blow that glanced off a knot from a piece of wood I was splitting kindling off of. I literally got bit once and I'm all kinds of shy with them things. Batoning ftw.

Glad you came out of that with only a scratch!