I hear you on Honey Locust. A froe is a very useful tool, and very simple tool. I like to repurpose things if I can, wood splitting tool froe have a bunch of random stuff that just seems to show up in the yard and field so I replace lawnmower blades wood splitting tool froe often that I would like, I've probably got another 4 or 5 sitting in my scrap metal. Basic instructions for use, including how to spllitting a riving brake, are included. A good description of the wood from Wood-Database.

The weld is the worst I've ever seen - rusted under and around the weld joints on both sides where it attaches to the ring - in addition to nearly a quarter inch gap between the weld and the metal ring in spots! For those with welding knowledge, weld shows sluggish puddle, no control, discoloration, too much heat, no prep. I wouldn't try to split butter with this thing. Also, comes with handle but no metal wedge to attach it. Clearly, this was hand packed - and this defect is very obvious - it should have never left the factory.

I expected more of Lehman's - my first order is also now my last. Les Rogers Feb 7, A handsome tool at a handsome price. I've never had or used a froe before and am looking forward to trying it later today.

I bought it for making kindling. Seemed the best tool for the job. Alex Botkin Apr 28, A well made tool at a terrific price. I'm glad I didn't buy a recycled antique. Name withheld Jan 22, The two froes I purchased were an OK buy. I received froes that were a two piece design with the blade welded to what appears to be a steel pipe fitting. The welding on one froe was decent while the other was very poor quality.

I expected what was advertised, but did not receive such. They both work for their intended purposes, but the quality was not what I expected.

I had seen other froes such as the ones I received and passed on purchasing them as I did not like the design. Since they do work, I decided to keep them instead of dealing with the hassle of returning them. Buyer beware however, as the froe you receive may not be the one advertised on this site. I left an earlier review but it doesn't seem to have been posted. The froe blade is really nice looking.

The metal seems to be high quality. The froe handle is nice looking. Good hardwood. How the pieces go together? Well, it sorta make this froe suck. I seated the handle correctly Maybe whoever turned my handle didn't put a good enough taper on it.

So luckily I have a lathe and will make myself a new handle Lehman's service was great. The product was delivered in a timely fashion.

The blade is really good metal and the edge on it is well ground and well honed. The handle is smooth hardwood, as promised. The handle, while smooth, will not stay in the froe blade. I've done everything I ought to have done: put the handle through the receiver on the blade, and pounded the handle on a chopping block using the weight of the blade to seat the blade on the handle's taperthe same method you'd use to seat a hammer or axe head on a handle.

Thank goodness I have a lathe and can turn myself a new handle or I'd be returning this froe. Lehman's folks, if you're reading this, I suggest you ship a pack of shims or wedges with the froe to insert in the receiver once the handle is in place, like one might see on an axe But as is?

Not too cool. Mark H Jul 10, Very impressed with the speed of the order and it's receipt the froe is well-made and has a nice hickory handle. The handle is unfinished but that's no big deal, just add a little boiled linseed oil and you're good to go. The most impressive part of the whole deal is the price. Best price I've found. Would I recommend this to a friend?

Already have and will continue to tout Lehman's. As Arnold would say, I will be back! Roy Pettit May 8, Terrific product and value. I was pleasantly surprised with this product. Additionally, the folks at Lehman's are great to deal with. Matt Myers Feb 23, Allen Feb 10, The froe itself is very nice. So far, all i have split is dry oak firewood-very hard!

I'm sure, when used as directed, on green wood, it will work like a charm. I feel the handle is a bit small. The handle and shipping are the only things keeping me from giving it a 5.

UPS drop shipped this to my local post office - where it got lost and took another week to deliver. I have to say, costomer service got right on it tho! For the amount I payed for shipping, I would't expect corners to be cut. Steve Cox Jul 15, This is a very nice froe. The hole for the handle is cylindrical so you can buy or turn another one if this one breaks. The edge is thin enough to start the split pretty easy.

If you are riving for shingles, chair posts and rungs, or anything else for that matter, this froe works great. Highly recommended. Was very disappointed at the quality of the product.

Would have expect much higher standards from a multi generational family run company. Jon-David Engle Jun 3, It's so nice to have a new, sharp, straight froe. Terri Dec 20, Was bought for a friend making his own shake shingles, gave it to him early for Christmas, great tool, he loves it. Jim Taudte Jul 8, I've only used my froe a little, so far, it works great and it's built to last a lifetime, or two.

Scott Urquhart Mar 26, Hi Folks - I just this evening received the Froe and immediately put it to work making pegs for a timberframe building.

The froe works beautifully and it has a very nice heft and feel. I roughed out about 30 pegs 1-inch X 1-inch in a few minutes. Andy Jan 1, This is a really good froe. It is very plain and the handle is unfinished. If I were comparing it to froes from woodqorking specialty stores, I might only give it 3 or 4 lamps. But those froes cost twice as much, so I am giving it the full 5.

It is a user tool, not a show piece. Olaf Dec 8, I've read all about froes. They can make wooden planks from logs. Boards cost a lot if you buy them, but I read you can make boards without sawing with it, costs nothing if you have trees. I'm making a 7' square, 3' high tomato planter box.

Boards don't need to be perfect. The trick with the eye, is you need to leave material to either rivet or forgeweld, so as you bend it around you need to make the extra flat section lay down on top of the main body. Now, at this point I ran out of charcoal but I'll explain the process of a forge weld in case you want to try it. First, forge welds are not magic, you can do it! With the metal as close together as you can get it, touching is best, bring the steel in that area up to a red heat, then sprinkle borax on and in the joint.

After fluxing, put the steel back in the fire and heat it to white hot, if you start getting sparks you've gone too far and are actually burning off the metal. As soon as it hits white hot, pull it out and start tapping the joint, not too hard, start in the middle and work your way to the edges, that way all the slag and oxides are pushed out.

If, like me, you had some difficulty with the forge weld, rivets are an option. But forge welding is just about the perfect joint, the two pieces of metal are as one. My rivets will eventually fail, time will tell how long. I'd quenched the froe and the metal is HARD, I took my trusty blow torch and heated up the area where I was going to drill the holes to a light cherry color, checking by turning off the lights.

While I waited for the blade to cool, I took the steel rod, the only part I actually paid for, and heated about and inch and a half of it to a cherry red. I suspect it was cold rolled, and by annealing it I am making it less likely to crack and easier to cut. I then waited a bit, the blade was still hot, but the rod was cool enough to cut, so I used my file to start two cuts, then cut off two pieces about half an inch long each.

By the time I was done cutting the rivets, I could handle the blade so I clamped it to a sacrificial drilling board and drilled two holes, making sure to keep them oiled to pull of the heat so I wouldn't ruin my drill bit. I then took the froe off my bench, re-clamped it, and took it to my machinist vice because it has a small light duty anvil on the back.

Using the round side of a ball peen hammer I started in the middle of the rod and worked my way around the rod to create a mushroom, this is called peening. I then repositioned the clamp so I could hammer on the other side and mushroomed that. Now that both sides were mushroomed I took off the clamp and started peening the rod some more until I had it drawn as tight as possible.

I then did the same thing to the next rivet. After all that peening I used the flat side to flatten down the rivets a bit more.

I may be wrong, but when I made a pocket knife I ground off all the extra rivet material, I'm hoping that by doing this I haven't inadvertently weakened the joint. I used my angle grinder to clean the rivets up, as you can probably tell from the pictures, once ground you can't even see where the rivets are, I think that looks pretty neat! The edge of the blade is a bit wonky shaped, so I ground it down a little. I left a bit of the low end in place, I figure that it might give me more riving space, and if it doesn't work out, I can either grind the entire blade down, or I can cut it off.

Next I put a slight edge on the what is going to be the splitting surface. Froes are splitting tools, as such it doesn't need to actually be sharp, just sharp enough to get started in the endgrain of a log. I used an abrasive flap disk on my angle grinder to polish up as much of the froe as I could, no real reason other than I think it looks nicer. Because I messed up the eye of the froe, the handle was a bit difficult to fit.

Idealy the the handle would have been round with a slight taper, the taper is so the blade is jamb fitted to the handle. You can make your handle with a variety of tools, I chose to go with a hand plane because my spokeshave has never worked right due to poor manufacturing, but it was a gift and I plan to fix it some day. I used the eye of the froe and a sharpy to layout my minimum dimensions, as I was working I would be sure to always stay above that line.

I had a knot that caused havoc with my plane, I actually planned across the grain there. After planing a while, I test fit the handle and it went on about 4 inches. So I kept planing and test fitting as I went along.

Running my four in one at an angle I was able to clean up almost all of the tear out, then I used the file side and cleaned up the gouges from the rasp. After I finished the maul I put the froe together and gave it a test, the results of which are pictured above. I have no idea what type of wood that is, it split decently, except for the knots in it. The froe performed really well, the rivets held strong the whole time I was using it, and the leverage was great. As I mentioned before, I would much rather have forge welded the froe, and have re-forged the eye to a better shape, but despite that I am incredibly happy with this product.

I do apologize for not having photos of the forging process, I simply didn't have means to get decent pictures while forging, I needed to strike while the iron was hot, and if you have ever wondered where that saying comes from, it does indeed originate in blacksmithing.

Happy Forging y'all, my next instructable will likely feature the froe as a tool involved. Unless y'all would like me to make and instructable for a froe maul, in which case I Best Tools For Splitting Wood Quotes took some pictures of my process and I can get that up in a week or so.

Participated in the Apocalypse Preparedness Contest. Reply 1 year ago. Thank you so much! Now I'm going to have to make more instructables :. Reply 5 years ago. It is a bit thinner than one you might buy from a store, but it did cost nearly nothing but time to make.

I don't have any idea as to the hardness, but due Electric Wood Carver Tool Jack to the fact that it is driven with a wooden mallet into wood, the hardness isn't super critical, it has bent a bit from use, which isn't great, but it still functions.

I like that it bent instead of breaking though. Not very hard if it bent, but it is thin too. I only ask to try to determined the type of metal stock it came from. I can not do a spark test on a laptop. I am not saying anything bad about your project, we learn by doing, safety should be the only limit when working with metal or wood.

About the bent froe, maybe you could forge weld two blade together. Thanks for a quick reply. A couple of years ago I read some various knife making forums looking for the answer to what sort of steel lawnmower blades are. Reply 5 years ago on Introduction. I finally identified the tree, I remembered I had a guide to North American Trees that let me look them up by leaves. I hear you on Honey Locust. I've taken down a few on my grandfather's property in Missouri and they were no fun to even get to the trunk.

As a kid, I saved the spines to use as arrow heads for my stick bows. I'm seasoning some of the wood, I'll see what it looks like later this year, with as small as the boards are it ought to season quickly.

I used honey locust spines for arrow heads too, I think I read an article that said the Confederate soldiers would use the spines to pin clothes back together, and maybe used them as needles too, it's been about a decade since I read that so I'm a bit fuzzy on the specifics.

Thank you! I like to repurpose things if I can, we have a bunch of random stuff that just seems to show up in the yard and field so I replace lawnmower blades more often that I would like, I've probably got another 4 or 5 sitting in my scrap metal.

We never got any nuts of that tree, and it had been growing for at least years before I cut it down, it was in the way of replacing a fence. Between the bark and color of wood I don't think it's walnut, but I guess it could be some relative, it's sure pretty looking wood though. Looks just like Black Walnut to me. I have one in my backyard that is approx 12" in diameter that has thin, grey-ish bark. The bark isn't anything like a normal, deeply furrowed bark typical of walnut trees.

Color can sometimes have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white.

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