What is the purpose of the handle attached to the firewood splitting wedge?
Since it is a wedge-shaped tool used instead of an axe with a handle attached to one side, questions arise about how it is actually held and used when splitting firewood.
It serves to help hold and support the wedge stably by hand when placing the blade on the firewood, preventing the wedge from shaking when struck with an axe or hammer.
A wedge refers to a tool driven into wood crevices to split it along the grain. DVERG's KUSABI is a wedge used to split wood efficiently by striking it with an axe or hammer, similar to the batoning technique of placing a blade on firewood and striking the spine[1][2].
The handle was inspired by tools handled by ironwork craftsmen[3]. It is stable. Thanks to its proprietary shape refined for a comfortable grip, it is easy to place the wedge on the top surface of the firewood and hold it upright by hand[4][5]. By striking it with a hammer while holding the handle, firewood can be split safely without swinging an axe widely[6].
The body is also made to withstand strong impacts. By applying hardening heat treatment to carefully selected steel from Takefu Special Steel, a company specializing in steel processing in Echizen—a renowned knife-producing region—it secures durability that is both hard and resistant to breaking[7]. This means the blade does not easily get damaged even with repeated metal-on-metal impacts. The rough coloration of the heat-treated metal is left as is, allowing patina and marks to naturally accumulate on the surface the more firewood is split[8].
The exact weight and overall length of KUSABI have not yet been confirmed in official materials.