Well Scott, I'm a little jealous that you have a Stiletto.  I just can't
pass up a Stiletto anything.

> Its more about practice than the handle really. I suspect a guy can get 
> used to just about anything. Its the stroke and the strike, and the 
> angle. And what part of the edge you are contacting. It's a little like 
> dancing.

Yep.  And a bit about how the ax is sharpened. I have a Russian ax that 
has a thin blade, and is sharpened to 20 degrees.  Not so useful for 
felling, but it will do things unimaginable.  You can list staves with 
it.

About that boy's ax.  My grandfather and his brother used to make yearly 
trips to the mountains for fire wood.  They'd fill the back of a flatbed 
Ford with rounds, and split them at home.  My grandfather had two axes 
(which I still have!)  One is your usual single bit ax, but the other is 
a 2 1/2 pound head Plumb.  Different jobs.

Mike in Sacto