How to Chop a Log With an Axe

One of the greatest axmen of all time, reveals Dan Beard in "Book of Camp-Lore & Woodcraft," was Abraham Lincoln. The president enjoyed chopping wood for exercise and became famous for extending his arm, "holding the axe in a horizontal position by the extreme end of the handle" and laughing. Not a tremor of muscle nor the slightest of movement betrayed the effort Lincoln displayed. Fortunately, chopping a log doesn't require such skill; you might say Abe was just showing off. But knowing how to chop a log quickly and proficiently will allow you to show off as well.

Instructions

- 1
  Clear the area where you wish to chop the log --- a procedure called "bucking" in the timber industry. Remove any clotheslines, overhead branches or other obstacles immediately above or surrounding your work area. More than one careless person has split his head or cut another body part due to not checking his work area.
- 2
  Stand facing the log lengthwise at a comfortable distance from the log. Square your feet, and space them about shoulders' width apart to provide a stable, balanced stance. Take a practice swing to ensure you are close enough to the log to reach it with the axe with your arms fully extended without standing too close or straining to reach the log; adjust your pose as necessary.
- 3
  Grip the axe handle with both hands. Place your dominant hand --- the hand you write with, in most cases --- near the far end of the axe handle. Grasp the handle with your other hand at the very end, farthest from the axe blade. The effect is much like a batter holding a baseball bat.
- 4
  
  Allow the momentum of your swing supply the force to cut the wood.
  
  Raise the axe over your dominant shoulder, sliding your top hand nearer to the axe blade as you lift the axe. Bring the axe back down in a swift motion, allowing your top hand to slide back into position at the base of the axe handle. Moving your hand during both the upward and downward strokes improves the accuracy of your swing as well as concentrating the force of the blow.
- 5
  Repeat the chopping motions, concentrating on hitting the log at a 45-degree angle with the cutting edge of the axe blade. Switch the hand that leads and the corresponding shoulder to raise the axe over as you work to create a V-shaped cut in the log. Moving the placement of the blade slightly also helps create a clean, effective cut.

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