Fiskars cleavers: models and their characteristics

Fiskars cleavers, produced by the Finnish company of the same name, are in great demand among Russians. The popularity of the tool is due to the high working qualities of the tool, modern appearance and long service life.

The Fiskars cleaver is a new generation ax featuring a Teflon coating on the blade. Thanks to this spraying, the cleaver has a long service life, high strength and absolute corrosion resistance. Besides, Teflon has a rather low coefficient of friction, as a result of which it remains sharp for a long time and easily enters the wood fiber. Another distinctive feature of Finnish products is excellent functionality, ergonomic shapes and attractive appearance of tools. Thanks to the three-dimensional handle with touch points, the grip of the ax is very comfortable, which makes the hands less tired during work.

The handle of the ax is made of ultra-modern composite material FiberComp and covered with resilient elastic material SoftGrip. Both products perfectly tolerate both extreme low and high temperatures, while maintaining their original shape and performance characteristics. BThanks to the SoftGrip coating, the handle perfectly absorbs and partially dampens the impact of shock vibrationsarising from the contact of the cleaver with the working material. The ax is pressed into the ax by means of casting and is carried out under high pressure. This guarantees a high reliability of the connection of both parts and completely excludes that the "head" will fly off during operation. Another important feature of Fiskars cleavers is the center of gravity shifted towards the blade. This significantly increases operational safety and contributes to a more even distribution of the impact force on the wood.

High demand for Fiskars cleavers on the world market is due to a number of important advantages of this tool.

• Thanks to the double hardening procedure, the cleaver blade is very durable, which allows you to work with wood of any species without fear of damaging the working surface of the tool. In addition, the Teflon coating, which reduces friction by a quarter, allows you to easily remove the cleaver from any, even the narrowest crevices in the wood.
• Cleavers have a rather long service life and can be used for 10 or more years. This is due to the stamped-forged method of their manufacture, as well as the use of only high-quality modern raw materials.
• Compared to most forged counterparts equipped with wooden axes, the Fiskars are lightweight and well balanced. In the process of developing the cleavers, all the subtleties of the process of harvesting firewood were taken into account and the safest design for use was created.
• All Fiskars cleavers are equipped with a protective plastic sheath that reliably covers the blade. This makes the tool completely safe during transportation and storage.

Judging by the numerous reviews, no technical flaws were found in the Fiskars cleavers., and consumers consider the cost to be the only disadvantage in comparison with domestic stamped models. However, due to its ease of use and durability, the product ultimately pays for itself.

The range of Fiskars cleavers consists of a large number of modern models, each of which is very robust and durable. However, some of them are mentioned in customer reviews much more often, which is why it is worth taking a closer look at them.

• Model Fiskars X11-S 1015640 is one of the lightest in the Fiskars cleaver family and weighs only 1.2 kg. The length of the product is 49.1 cm, width - 19.6 cm. The double-hardened steel blade is coated with an anti-friction compound and is enclosed in a plastic protective cover. The tool is designed for splitting logs not exceeding 20 cm in diameter, and despite its low weight, it can be easily removed from the wood. The handle is traditionally made of high-tech FiberComp and covered with a shock-absorbing SoftGrip layer. The cost of this model may vary depending on the supplier, but the average is 2900-3000 rubles.

• Model Fiskars X27-XXL 122503 represented by the most powerful and heaviest tool of the entire line of cleavers. The product is intended for professional use and features an ergonomic, thought-out design to the smallest detail, which can significantly reduce the load on the arms and back. The cleaver blade is double hardened and rounded. Models with this configuration behave much better than their counterparts with a straight blade and do not get stuck in narrow crevices in the wood. The "head" has a Teflon coating and is connected to the hatchet by pressing. This prevents it from slipping when swinging or hitting under any circumstances. The handle has a two-component design and is equipped with a shock-absorbing layer. The product is rather large and is designed to work with logs with a diameter of over 30 cm.The splitter weight is 2.56 kg, and the total length is 91.5 cm.The cost of Fiskars X27-XXL 122503 also varies depending on the dealer and averages 5 200 rubles.

• Model Fiskars X25-XL 1015643 (122483), like the previous product, belongs to the category of especially powerful cleavers and weighs 2.4 kg. The tool is designed to work with thick logs with a diameter of 30 cm and more and can be used both for professional activities and as a home assistant. The total length of the product is 72.5 cm, the blade width is 23 cm. The cleaver costs 4,950 rubles.

• Model Fiskars Solid A19 122142 belongs to the middle weight category of axes and weighs 1.72 kg. The main purpose of the tool is to prepare firewood, however, due to the rounded shape of the blade and its sufficiently sharp edge, it can quickly and easily cut down a tree of medium thickness. This classifies the product as universal and significantly expands the scope of its application. The "head" of the tool is easily pulled out of the wood, and the elongated handle, in case of a miss, will not allow the blade to sink into the leg and stick into the ground. In addition, the end of the ax is equipped with a hook-shaped protrusion that does not allow the cleaver to slip out of the hands when swinging or hitting. The length of the Fiskars Solid A19 122142 model is 72 cm, the cost reaches 2 160 rubles.

• Fiskars X17 Splitting Ax and Fiskars X21-L 129047 are a lightweight version of axes and are designed to work with logs with a diameter of up to 20 cm. The length of the first product is 60 cm, the weight reaches 1.5 kg. The second cleaver is 75 cm long and weighs 1.6 kg. The cost of tools is 3,300 and 4,360 rubles, respectively.

When buying a cleaver, you need to pay attention to a number of important technical characteristics of the product.

• The main criterion is weight. This is due to the fact that chopping wood is a very laborious process, and working with a heavy tool causes quick fatigue. However, the cleaver cannot be too light. Otherwise, the force of the blows inflicted on the logs may not be enough to split the wood. The optimal weight for a cleaver is 2–2.5 kg. With such a tool it is convenient to chop medium and large sized chocks, while maintaining performance for a long time.It is in this weight range that most of the models produced by Fiskars are located, which favorably distinguishes them from the massive 3 and 4 kg cleavers from other companies.

• The next selection criterion is the tool blade. Fiskars cleavers are divided according to this criterion into 2 categories. The first is represented by the so-called eared blades, designed to work with dry wood. Such models often get stuck in damp logs, which is why many consumers believe that the blade is dull and begin to sharpen it. As a result, it is only worse, and it is not possible to achieve effective splitting of the chocks. In this case, only strengthening the blow or applying a second blow with a butt will help, after which the log, as a rule, splits well. The second type is represented by wedge-shaped blades, which are designed for working with raw wood and are distinguished by blunt wide blades. This shape allows you to effectively split thick logs with a few blows. Wedge blades do not need sharpening and should always be dull. Otherwise, they will get stuck in wet wood and the efficiency of the work will decrease.

• Another important feature that you need to pay attention to when buying is the length of the handle. This parameter has a direct impact on the force of impact and the safety of the work. In order not to be mistaken in choosing the length, you need to take the cleaver and attach it to your hand. The optimal length is considered to be from shoulder to wrist. By the way, you can empirically determine the weight. To do this, take the ax in the right hand by the end of the ax handle and lower it down for a while. Then, with the left hand, support the right elbow and try to raise the handle vertically. If this cannot be done, then a lighter cleaver should be chosen.

You will learn more about how to choose the right Fiskars cleaver in the following video.

Despite the high cost, Fiskars cleavers are gradually replacing the traditional massive models with wooden axes, as evidenced by the growing demand and accolades on the Internet.