Thank you to everyone who has recently purchased a Beaver Lever Kindling Cutter. We are very excited about the interest and the positive feedback! Like any tool, The Beaver Lever will serve you best when used properly and with a bit of practice. We hope the following tips will be helpful to you.
Beaver Lever Tips
- Choose appropriate wood for kindling. Most people use softwood such as spruce, pine and cedar for kindling. The Beaver Lever excels at splitting softwood; with practice, it will also split kindling from hardwood. Regardless of the type of wood, it must have straight grain and relatively few knots.
- Do not attempt to cut too thick or deep of a piece.
- Keep the wood as close to the uprights as possible. The power produced by a lever is strongest when applied close to the pivot point.
- For maximum power, apply downward pressure at the end of the knife handle.
- Do not attempt to split rotten or "punky" wood as kindling.
- After you make a cutting stroke, secure the wood with your hand or foot and lift up on the handle end of the knife. As you lift, the knife pivots in the wood, allowing the dowel to slide down to the next appropriate notch.
- By making two or three shallow "relief cuts" in from the edge of the wood, you will be able to split larger pieces of kindling.
- Keep the path of the split in-line with the uprights to prevent the knife from twisting and binding between the uprights.
- Some people prefer to stand on the base of the Beaver Lever, using a foot to keep the wood in place during operation.
- If the knife will not split the kindling with a reasonable amount of force, you might have to change something like attempting a smaller cut or choosing a different piece of wood.
- Always follow safety guidelines!