Helko Vario 2000 Scandinavian Splitting Axe 1600g

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Price: $69.99    

Product Description

1600G Scandinavian Splitting Axe - A medium duty Scandinavian style splitting axe with an offset wedge shaped head to prevent jamming in logs with twisted or difficult grain. 30" straight American hickory handle. Head weight - 3.5 lb. Germany NOTE: Retainer cap should never be struck with a hammer or sledge and should not be used to strike other objects. About Helko Vario 2000 Axes & Hatchets Ever had to replace a broken handle on a traditional axe head? Most of us would rather go buy a whole new axe than bother with fixing the old one. And if you're out on a remote location without the right tools to make needed repairs - forget it. Both situations are an unfortunate waste of time and money. Unlike traditional axes and hatchets, helko Vario 2000 handles are easily replaced in minutes by means of a simple cap screw retainer system and hex key. Uniquely, every part in the system is standardized, so that every component in the system is completely interchangeable from one model to the other. The cap & screw retainer system is also a built-in safety feature that keeps loose heads on the handle where they belong, not flying off at an unintended target. To further protect the handles, all axes are equipped with an aluminum over-strike protectors (over-strike protectors not included with the hatchets.) The steel tool heads are forged and hardened to strict German DIN standards to stand up to rigorous use. Weights listed are head weights only. Hex key is included with all completely assembled units. All components available seperately.

Helko Vario 2000 Scandinavian Splitting Axe 1600g Review

It looks like I am the first to review any of the Helko Vario 2000 Axe line. I did a lot of research before making the purchase, one Universal Felling Axe and one Scandinavian Splitting Axe. This review applies to both.

First, the axes arrived with the screws not even hand tight, which would be very dangerous if not checked before first use. Also the bit (blade edge) was not sharp enough to use. It actually had a bit of a square edge, but that is easily fixed with a file and stone in about 30 minutes as would be expected with any axe under $150. The steel is pretty hard, about right in my opinion. Cheap axes are easy to sharpen but that makes them dull quickly too, because the steel is soft. Really high end axes tend to be a bit harder than this but, that can make them brittle if you don't strike correctly every time, or use them below freezing. I believe these heads are a perfect medium hardness for the trained/experienced user. The contour of the felling axe head seemed perfect, hollow ground but not super thin. Thinner than a typical Jersey or Dayton, kind of like a Gransfors Bruks. The performance of a thin hollow ground bit can be fantastic, but the downside is the possibility of a broken bit if stuck with a glancing blow or hard twist. Strike properly and you will love this. This is part of why I say Not for Beginners. The other reason is the head mounting method. The head has no eye (handle hole). It is hung (held on the handle) by two allan bolts that go from the back through a plate through the handle and a front plate (overstrike protector) which gives the head a solid square base and into the head about 3/8" This is the other reason I say Not for Beginners. This type of mounting makes it a snap to replace the handle or change the head as long as these handles remain available. However compared to a regular axe head which fits head around a handle which is wedged into place, this method has very little lateral strength. That is why there are three no-nos with this axe, 1) never use the back side as a sledge hammer, 2) never twist a stuck axe and 3) never strike the back of the head with any other tool. These three warnings are printed on the handle in a pictorial graphic. Also if you were to strike a glancing blow, it would be more likely to dislodge the head as there is not so much support keeping the head rigid from side to side.

The 1300 gr head combined with the mounting hardware makes this axe about equal to a 3 1/2 lb felling axe. But it balances differently too, also meaning that you better know how to swing. A properly balanced axe will sit level if the handle is balanced across something. It will not sit bit down or bit up. This means you can make a lazy swing and it will still strike pretty straight and true. This axe will balance with the bit almost straight down. That means it will have a slight tendency to twist sideways in the hand when making a really hard swing and may strike sideways which as explained before is a bad thing, especially for this design. But if you pay attention and don't keep swinging when you get really fatigued, it is a sweet axe. So again, not for beginners.

What to do if you are a beginner, get a Council (or other mid line brand) Jersey or Dayton felling axe. Pretty good values, fairly well designed and mostly well assembled as long as the handle grain is parallel to the head. Never buy an axe where the grain isn't within about 20 degrees of being parallel to the head or one with any kind of knot in it. It is destined to break at the worst time. Is there ever a good time?

As to the splitting axe most of the above applies, except how well it splits. The head is not really heavy, about 4 lbs with hardware, so you need to think about how you line up your strikes in relation to the grain more than with a heavier axe or maul. It is not for splitting huge rounds, more like medium to small stuff. It doesn't power through the really tough stuff like an 8 lb maul, so you need a little fineness. But the multi-faceted head design works well at preventing the head from getting super stuck which is necessary for the reasons I explained above about not twisting and striking the head. For splitting light to medium stuff it is quick and efficient, but again not for beginners as noted above. So consider your skill level before deciding to buy these new strange looking high tech axes or parts. Hartville Tool (hartvilletool.com) is the place to find parts not listed on Amazon.

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