Comment by Merad
18 hours ago
Are you trying to split it with an axe? You need a sledgehammer and a few splitting wedges. The sledge lets you apply a lot more force than an axe and striking the wedge focuses that force onto a small area. The first wedge will open a crack, then you use additional wedges to expand that crack until she splits.
Source: grew up in a wood burning family, helped split many stubborn hardwood trees (all by hand).
The dude in the comments above suggested a maul, which seems nice (kinda like an axe and a sledge built into one tool)
A wedge is still useful with a maul. Sometimes to split a large-diameter log, you'll want to start a split and insert the wedge to open it, then you continue the split with the maul. It's helpful if you have timber that doesn't have a straight grain and doesn't want to split open.