Hans, our Swedish log splitter.

Like many of our friends we have a log burning stove. Logs need splitting and of course we used to use an axe.

But now we have Hans. That is what we call him. This clever Swedish device uses gravity to do the job. The weighted blade is slid up a metal pole. Then you release it and as the picture shows it slides down the pole and very efficiently splits your log.

The value of wood, a renewable resource, for heating is increasingly being recognised. This is leading to the establishment of groups of volunteers who collect coppiced wood, which in the past would have been burnt on site, which is then distributed in the community. Some for the volunteers and some for people in need. Even the volunteers pay for their share. Of course all this is done with the agreement of the woodland owners.