Is an axe an axe? Unfortunately, the answer is no, and there is a difference between a splitting axe and a felling axe. Each has its own unique design, they weigh differently, and the blade is also different.

The splitting axe has a narrow head shaped like a wedge and weighs between 3 and 6 lbs. The blade isn’t razor-sharp but generally blunt.

The felling axe has a much broader, flatter head, weighs roughly the same as the splitting axe, and has a sharpened blade.

The splitting axe strikes and splits a log with the grain via the downward swing of the axe. The felling axe can cut laterally or downward, so the cut can be against or with the grain.