Froes

Froes or shake axe or paling knife is a tool for cleaving wood by splitting it along the grain. 

Froes are an L-shaped tool, used by hammering one edge of its blade into the end grain of a piece of wood, then twisting the blade in the wood by levering on the handle.

In some circumstances, with small diameter poles and certain species such as ash, oak and sweet chestnut, a froe can be used in conjunction with a cleaving break to control the splitting direction.