I was just responding to the general thread and not any specific comment.

I have seen those little mini-mauls. Nice idea, but the handle's too short for my taste. Looks like a knuckle buster to me, especially if the wood is tough. Then again, I haven't had a chance to try one.

As for general axes and splitting, their effectiveness varies depending on the profile of the axe (thin for cutting vs. thick for splitting) and the characteristics of the wood itself. A nice straight grain in dead-dry wood splits easily with just about anything. Add a lot of knots or a high moisture content and you can work up a sweat even with a full size maul. The latter is what I usually see in public parks, in great big blocks, and people are chipping away furiously with tiny hatchets (and often wearing shorts and sandals - yikes).