I have a ton of bamboo in my backyard and I've tried using everything from saws, chainsaws, and machetes to cut it down. Some tools took too much labor. The chainsaw kicked when the bamboo would start to fall. So I decided to splurge on this axe. It's fantastic. I can cut down 1-3" shoots in just a few chops. And it's easy on my wrists and hands. Glad I bought this.