FeatherSticks · Skills
Carving a Bushcraft Mallet and Wooden Splitting Wedges
One log, a saw and a knife: a mallet and wedges that split wood without an axe.
Quick facts
- Time
- Mallet 1–2 h, each wedge about 30 min (typical)
- Difficulty
- Medium: saw, stop cut and long knife cuts
- Best for
- Pegs, wedges, chisels, splitting without an axe
- You need
- Sound hardwood, folding saw, fixed-blade knife, baton
What you need
- Folding saw with a coarse blade for green wood
- Sturdy full-tang fixed-blade knife and a strop
- Baton for removing the waste
- Pencil or marker for the head line
- Safety glasses for wedge work
- Gloves for sawing
- First aid kit with pressure bandage
Step by step
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1 Choose dense, sound hardwood
Beech, hornbeam, oak or maple, 10–12 cm thick, dead but not rotten, or wood you have permission to cut. No fungus, no soft spots.
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2 Saw a blank of 45–55 cm
Mark 15–20 cm for the head and 30–35 cm for the handle. Saw both ends square.
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3 Stop cut, then the handle
Saw a stop cut all round at the head line, about 4 cm deep. Baton off the waste and carve the handle to about 3 cm.
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4 Chamfer and smooth the grip
Chamfer the end edges of the head, leave a small swell at the handle end and check the shoulder for cracks.
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5 Carve two or three wedges
Split blanks of green hardwood without pith, 15–25 cm long, with a long taper of 10–15° and a chamfered head.
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6 Split with wedges and mallet
Set a wedge in a drying check, tap it in, then strike square. Stand to the side and wear eye protection.
Common mistakes
- Using rotten or softwood that crushes after a few blows.
- Sawing the stop cut too deep, which leaves the handle thin at the shoulder.
- Carving the handle towards the hand that holds the head.
- Striking with the end grain of the head instead of its side.
- Glancing blows on wedges, without eye protection, while leaning over the wedge.
- Drying a green mallet next to the fire until it cracks.
- Using a knife as a chisel under the mallet.