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VIPUKIRVES™ is a lever axe made in Finland that holds
the sole patent to a new axe
technology. It has received the INNOFINLAND award, which
promotes creativity, skill and
entrepreneurial spirit.
VIPUKIRVES™ is the first precision cast manual tool
meant for the effective and safe
chopping of firewood.
The effectiveness of the tool is based on its levering action
which provides greater splitting
power than traditional axes. VIPUKIRVES™ is lever based,
as opposed to conventional
wedge axes.
FAQ:
Question 1: Can VIPUKIRVES™ be used by a woman?
Answer: Yes it can. VIPUKIRVES™ has gained its
success because its blade doesn’t lodge
in the log. VIPUKIRVES™ has a long handle, allowing a wide
grip stance thereby making it
easier to swing.
Question 2: What is the function
of the axe’s special
design?
Answer: The function of the axe is based on the blade’s
one-sided design. When the
blade strikes a log, it begins to incline, creating torque,
which multiplies the splitting force
and enables the blade to detach the log wood. Kinetic energy
ends on top of the log so the
blade will not slip.
Question 3: Can I use VIPUKIRVES™ like a regular axe?
Answer: You can use VIPUKIRVES™ in the same way
as a conventional axe, but you must loosen
your grip when the axe hits the log to allow its levering
movement. It is essential to let the
handle of the axe turn in your hands. VIPUKIRVES™ is a special
tool designed for
chopping firewood, not appropriate for carpentry or for use
as a striking tool.
Question 4: Why does VIPUKIRVES™ have
a wooden handle?
Answer: The birch handle has been proven to be the best material
for absorbing impact. It prevents
the impact force of the blade upon the wood to be transferred
to the hands. The wooden
handle does not freeze in the winter and is not slippery
when wet.
Question 5: Why is the handle
so long?
Answer: The handle’s length is primarily a matter of safety.
A long handle (90 cm/3 ft) assures that
the stroke will not hit your leg even if you miss the log
and strike the ground. A long handle
also gives more speed and precision to the blow.
Question 6: Will the blade
stay attached to the handle if it dries out?
Answer: There doesn’t
seem to be any wedges on the handle.
Due to unique fastening, the blade of the VIPUKIRVES™ will
not detach, even if the handle
dries out. The handle’s top end is a thick wedge by
itself and it fits perfectly into the hole
on the blade. There is elastic glue between the handle and
the blade. Detaching the blade
through use is very unlikely. The handle may move a bit if
it has been left in dry conditions
for a long period, but the matter will fix itself in a few
days after the VIPUKIRVES™ is used
in the moist outdoors.
Still, if the handle feels loose inside the blade, you should
do the following: Wrap a wet
towel around the blade and put the axe in a plastic bag.
Close the bag tightly so moisture
cannot get out. Leave the axe in the bag for a couple of
days until the handle is swollen
and tight. Store the VIPUKIRVES™ in naturally moist locations
such as a shed, sauna or
other outdoor structure.
Question 7: Is the axe suitable
for left handed people?
Answer: Through experiments, we found there is no difference in
using the axe with the right or left
hand.
Question 8: Does the axe concentrate
a lot of strain on the wrists by constantly
levering to the side? Does is strain the arms as much as
a traditional axe?
Answer: The technique of using the VIPUKIRVES™ is unique, as the
grip is loosened when the
blade strikes the log. The blade automatically creates a
levering movement and detaches
chopped wood with more force than the traditional axe. The
handle doesn’t jolt in the
user’s hands during the hewing. The handle just turns
in the user’s hands and the laws of
physics work to your advantage. You shouldn’t restrain
or force the movement. The
VIPUKIRVES™ doesn’t slip upon striking the log because
its kinetic energy stops when it
hits the wood. Like everyone who has ever chopped firewood
knows, a traditional axe jolts
occasionally and injure the user’s wrists. This tool
was developed to address that
disadvantage.
Question 9: Can it cut a branchy
spruce or do I have to use a maul and a
sledgehammer? How about a cross-branched spruce that doesn’t
split when hit in a
wrong place?
Answer: The VIPUKIRVES™ chops branchy birches and spruces with
ease. When using the
VIPUKIRVES™, mauls and sledgehammers are not necessary.
The VIPUKIRVES™ wedges
the crack open 6-8 cm (2.3-3.2 inches), splitting even the
hardest trees easily. A traditional
axe spreads the crack only the thickness of the blade and
axe’s motion seizes due to
friction.
As you have likely learned from experience, spruces’ branches
reach all the way to the
base. The correct way of chopping a spruce is to split it
in half and then chop in a shape of
a sector toward the tree’s center between the branches.
If the tree is very large, you
should chop pieces from between the branches to reduce the
tension. This will make it
easier to split the tree and chop it into pieces.
Question 10: How about large
logs? I have a 120 cm (4 feet) poplar waiting to be
chopped. It has huge branches so it’s a tricky one.
Will VIPUKIRVES™ work on that?
I also have a big spruce that is rotten on the inside and
only the outside is not
destroyed.
Answer: A 120 cm wide poplar is a tricky scenario for a regular
axe, but not for the VIPUKIRVES™.
You can begin chopping from the edge and continue around
the tree. Don't strike straight
at the big branches but chop at an angle on both sides, thinning
the cross section and
reducing tension. It is then easy to chop the branch, as
you can strike the axe to the very
edge without fear of the blade striking to your leg. As mentioned,
a large tree like that is
difficult to chop, but VIPUKIRVES™ is
suitable for all kinds of tricky cases, even if the tree
has a 2 meter (6.5 foot) radius and weighs over 200 kilograms
(400 pounds). Due to the
ingenious design of VIPUKIRVES™, you
can chop wood at any site.
A rotting interior is typical of old spruces. I've chopped
many of them after several dry
summers.
Don't strike at the rotten part of the tree. Try to chop
off another part first to relieve the
tension. Then all you have to do is to chop off one piece
at a time moving around the tree.
Don't try to chop a considerably rotten tree, because VIPUKIRVES™ needs
more resistance in order to split the tree correctly.
Question 11: Do I always need
to put a car tire around the chopping block?
Answer: No, because you can start chopping safely from the outer
edge. You can chop on rock or
asphalt, because the blade does not penetrate to tree all
the way. The best location is a
half a meter (1.6 feet) tall chopping block. You can improve
the result by using a tire in
conjunction with the chopping block. You can fill the tire
with logs and start chopping them
one by one. This way the logs will stay stationary while
chopping and you can lift them all
at once and move them to dry in a pile. By using the tire
technique you'll save time, trouble
and your back. It is best to use an extra wide tire in order
to fit more and larger logs in it.
Question 12: I only have 10
cm (4 inches) wide trees. How do I split them?
Answer: Put them vertically and hit in the middle. With VIPUKIRVES™ you must strike the middle of
the log, not on the edges, for the splitting mechanism to
work properly. Use of a chopping
block in conjunction with a tire is the best way to save
time chopping smaller trees,
because you can keep more logs in queue, making chopping
more efficient. Chopping is
thus more efficient.
Question 13: How often do
I need to sharpen the blade?
Answer: You can sharpen the VIPUKIRVES™ with the grinding stone
or wheel. If using a wheel, you
can finish it off with grindstone. You don't have to sharpen
it too frequently, because it
works perfectly even when a bit dull.
Question 14: Will the blade
rust in the rain?
Answer: Take good care of your VIPUKIRVES™.
Cover the blade after use and store it in a covered
dry location. The paint will wear off from the parts that
touch the wood, but this is normal.
Oil the blade occasionally to prevent rust.
Question 15: Pretty colorful
device. Is it meant to scare rabbits away?
Answer: Maybe out of the log's way! The real reason of
the color is that you’ll find your
VIPUKIRVES™ easily if it is left it
in the bushes or the snow on a coffee break. The colors
on the VIPUKIRVES™ are the same as in
traffic signs, because they are easily noticeable,
adding to the safety of the axe. You’ll notice it right
away and you won't step or trip on it.
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