Good Thinking

Leveraxe turns against the grain

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By harnessing leverage when its cutting edge strikes wood, the Leveraxe reportedly chops wood more easily and safely
Leveraxe
By harnessing leverage when its cutting edge strikes wood, the Leveraxe reportedly chops wood more easily and safely
Leveraxe
A hollow compound handle makes the new Leveraxe lighter and easier to use
Leveraxe
The offset head and asymmetrical cutting edge of the Leveraxe naturally make it rotate when it makes contact with wood, splitting the wood more easily and stopping the axe from getting stuck
Leveraxe
By naturally turning and deflecting the downward force of the axe when the chopping edge hits the wood, the axe head eliminates the possibility of the axe bouncing back at the user
Leveraxe
The head of the new Leveraxe is made of iron alloy
Leveraxe
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The axe is one of the oldest tools known to mankind, and its basic design typically changes very little. The Leveraxe, however, strays from that blueprint. As a result, it's said to be more effective than a traditional axe, require less power, be safer and not get stuck in the wood.

Designed by Heikki Kärnä, the Leveraxe is aimed at solving a number of problems that conventional axes present. The Finn found that axes could be both dangerous and hard to work with. By harnessing leverage when the cutting edge struck wood, Kärnä realized he could address both of these issues and more.

Traditional axe heads are symmetrical wedges that are centered on the handle. These must carry enough momentum to penetrate and split any wood being chopped. By offsetting the head of the axe and making the cutting edge asymmetrical, the Leveraxe naturally rotates when making contact with wood, splitting the wood more easily and stopping the axe from getting stuck.

As the design of the Leveraxe makes it naturally more effective than a conventional axe, less power is needed to penetrate and split wood. Users therefore need not be quite so strong, and the Leveraxe can be used with more accuracy and safety.

The head of the new Leveraxe is made of iron alloy
Leveraxe

As well as requiring less force for use, the Leveraxe is reportedly safer to use than a conventional axe due to its predilection for rotating on impact. By naturally turning and deflecting the downward force of the axe when the chopping edge hits the wood, it eliminates the possibility of the axe bouncing back at the user.

After a swing, a hook at the rear of the axe head bites into the wood to reduce the chance of it following through and hitting the user in the legs. In addition, the handle has been made longer than those of conventional axes so that less force still is required, and so that the Leveraxe will hit the floor rather than the user's legs if it misses the wood being chopped

There are two existing Leveraxe models, but a new one has been developed. It features an iron alloy head and a hollow compound handle that makes it lighter and easier to use. Each Leveraxe head has 10-year warranty.

A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is underway for the Leveraxe. At the time of writing, individuals who pledge from US$99 can receive a Leveraxe, assuming all goes to plan with the campaign and roll-out. Shipping is expected from November of this year.

The video below is the Kickstarter pitch for the Leveraxe.

Sources: Leveraxe, Kickstarter

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8 comments
notarichman
looks good, but with twisted grain wood? should be "maul", not axe though.
dsiple
Looks like a better mousetrap, but the music in the video was way too loud and drowned out the man talking.
Erg
Neat design, but the soft wood that he's splitting in the video could be split with a large kitchen knife.
I wonder how it would go on the Australian hardwood I split?
apprenticeearthwiz
Maybe they don't have block splitters in Scandinavia. A less expensive design that can pretty well do that to Australian hardwoods (some of them anyway). It wouldn't be much use across the grain.
Robert Wyatt
So you'll be offering a left-handed version as well?
ezeflyer
Do we need to make it easier to finish destroying the forests that provide our oxygen?
Cleetus McTavish
This thing is really going to play havoc with your wrists after using for any length of time!
Martin Hone
I agree. Let's see how it goes with good ol' Aussie hardwoods..............