Fiskars X7-XS: 35.5 cm small axe for fine wood

The Fiskars X7-XS (model 1015618) is a small axe 35.5 cm long overall, with an alloy steel head and a fibreglass-reinforced plastic handle moulded directly onto the head. The listing talks about a hardened steel blade, a balance meant to tire you less, and a use for carving wood and cutting branches up to 7 cm in diameter. It states 640 g in the text and 710 g in the table; it comes with a carry sheath, which the table calls a "blade guard".

A kamado is not cooked with an axe, but its fuel does get prepared with one. Smoking chunks sometimes arrive too big, and an axe this size can split them into pieces that fit among the charcoal. Know what you want to smoke first: the guide to smoking woods explains which ones give clean smoke, and the glossary entry on wood chunks explains what they are. For very fine kindling or splints it can also do; for thick logs, a 35.5 cm handle falls short.

Safety matters more than power. Split the wood on a steady chopping block, never on hard ground or a stone, and keep your feet out of the swing path. Stand the chunk upright and stable and strike along the grain without holding it by hand: if it will not stand on its own, it is too small for the axe. A short handle gives less margin for error than a long one: if the chunk is thick, use a wedge or look for an axe with a longer handle. Safety glasses, leather gloves such as the Weber leather gloves and closed shoes are the minimum. And the included sheath, to store it with the edge covered.

The catches visible in the listing: it contradicts itself on weight (640 g in the text, 710 g in the table) and on origin, because the text says made in Finland while the table gives China as country of origin. The title mentions a "non-stick coating" and the bullets refer to a "coating", but the listing never says what it is or what it does. The table classes the head as a "splitting maul", although the listing itself talks about carving and cutting small branches: this is a light axe, not a splitting maul. It publishes no warranty either.

With 4.7 out of 5 across 4,385 Amazon reviews it has very broad backing. The listing says the edge can be refreshed with a sharpener from the same brand (reference 1000601). For the kamado, the axe only sorts out the size: flavour depends on dry wood and good kamado charcoal. This is not a hands-on test: it is a reading of the listing and technical judgement.