While chainsaws have replaced the traditional axe as the favoured tool for gathering wood, many prefer an axe due to its portability. Chainsaws and spare fuel require room and space to carry, while their fuel and oil smell is a problem in station wagons.
Australian trees are renowned for dropping branches and the bush is littered with dead trees that make for excellent firewood. In most cases, branches and small logs can be tossed onto a fire without the need to be cut up. Dead timber stuffs up sharp blades and only the back of the axe should be used (like a sledgehammer) to break branches into handy lengths, but watch out a piece does not hit you in the noggin’. It is not something a novice axe person should attempt. The best way of doing it is to drop a hessian bag or similar over the end of the timber to stop it from becoming airborne.
An axe can be dangerous to the uninitiated and must
