Question:
I've been looking for a good heavy ax for about 20 years. I knew that 4 1/2 pound axes exist, but all I could ever find were 3 1/2 pounds and an occasional 3 pounder. Today I finally found and bought one -- a 6 pound single-bit ax. No, it is not a maul; it looks just like any other ax but the head is slightly bigger. I got it at a "fire and safety equipment" store. It is a fireman's ax, although it doesn't have that funny little pick on the back. When I called, they said they didn't have any 4.5's, but they had 6 pound and 8 pound axes. I split a few pieces of twisted up elm wood when I got home, and it works even better than I expected. I just had to tell somebody, and I thought you folks would understand.

Answer: -Glad you found one that you like. As a firefighter, I can attest to the fact that these work well. What you obtained is called a flat head axe, if you're interested at all. The ones with the "funny little pick" on the end are called pick head axes (rightfully named).

-The "tool" you are looking for is not an axe, but rather a MAUL. They come in sizes of 4, 6, 8, and I have seen 12 pounds. Bit axes are for CHOPPING and MAULS are for splitting. Adding a wedge to the splitting process allows longer and more fibrous pieces to be worked. Set the wedge after the first few whacks, turn the maul around and use the sledge to drive the wedge.