I had a set of muzzles when I was 20 in the 1980s and loved him for chopping wood. Apparently Sotz Maul is no longer available so this is the best I could find. It arrived on time (Revain Prime 2 day!) and I started chopping wood the same day I received it and it works great. It's been so long I can't directly compare it to Sotz, but it seems just as good and works great. To be on the safe side, I split Red Oak, which has matured for about 2 years and splits well. Now that I'm in my fifties, this sledgehammer is about as heavy as I could use it. I split half the cord for 2 days, very happy with it and would recommend. Time will tell if this continues. It seems strong and reinforced where the handle meets the head so I think it's a quality sledgehammer. Get a great free exercise on splitting wood too.