Safely splitting wood with thin knives

[Robson Valley]

I buy shake blocks of western red cedar for carving. 24" long x 12" x 8", more-or-less. $5 each at the mill.
I had a blacksmith make a froe for me. 12" bevel and 3/8" stock metal. The mallet is a chunk of alder log.
The first strike has to be a big one to set the froe otherwise it bounces.

A knife just won't work at all = not enough of a wedge to be useful.
Some blocks are tougher than others, I have a bunch of WRC wedges that won't dent the wood for splitting .

 

[Kepis]

A knife just won't work at all = not enough of a wedge to be useful.
Some blocks are tougher than others, I have a bunch of WRC wedges that won't dent the wood for splitting .

If you read what I wrote, I said I use it to split stuff up to a couple of inches diameter, i.e. the same size sticks people generally split with a knife, the froe made from a knife does work and has done so since I made it.

It's not used to make shingles or cracking open 12" diameter logs, for those jobs, I have blacksmith and vintage froes in various lengths and styles to do the job at hand.

 

[Dave Budd]

Quite right! Froes are the way to go and a little one doesn't weigh much or take a lot of space ☺

 

[Janne]

A thin, sharp knife is excellent of splitting off slivers and fashioning tooth picks.
I never carry a toothbrush so need something to half decent to clean my teeth with.