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{{for|the body spray|Axe (brand)}}
{{Short description|Weapon or tool used for chopping, splitting, or shaping wood}}
[[File:Double bitted felling axe.jpg|thumb|Axe]]
{{About|the cutting tool||Axe (disambiguation)}}
An '''axe''' (or '''ax''') is an ancient [[tool]]. It is used to shape, split and cut [[wood]].
{{Redirect|Ax||AX (disambiguation){{!}}AX}}
{{more footnotes|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
[[File:Felling axe.jpg|thumb|Double- and single-bit felling axes]]
[[File:ALB - Hortfund Groß Gaglow.jpg|thumb|A collection of [[bronze]] socketed axe blades from the [[Bronze Age]] found in Germany. This was the top tool of the period and also seems to have been used as a store of value.]]


The [[hand axe]] was probably the first tool in the [[Stone Age]]. It did not have a handle.
An '''axe''' (sometimes '''ax''' in [[American English]]; [[American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences|see spelling differences]]) is an implement that has been used for [[Millennium|millennia]] to [[Wood carving|shape]], [[Wood splitting|split]] and [[Woodchopping|cut]] [[wood]], to [[harvest]] [[Lumber|timber]], as a [[battle axe|weapon]], and as a [[ceremony|ceremonial]] or [[Heraldry|heraldic]] [[symbol]]. The axe has many forms and specialised uses but generally consists of an axe head with a [[Handle (grip)|handle]], or ''helve''.


In the past, axes were used as [[weapon]]s by [[soldier]]s. Today, axes are usually related to [[lumberjack|woodcutters]] and [[firefighter|firemen]].
Before the modern axe, the [[Stone Age|stone-age]] [[hand axe]] without a handle was used from 1.5 million years [[Before Present|BP]]. Hafted axes (those with a handle) date only from 6000BC.  The earliest examples of handled axes have heads of [[rock (geology)|stone]] with some form of wooden handle attached ([[hafting|hafted]]) in a method to suit the available materials and use. Axes made of [[copper]], [[bronze]], [[iron]] and [[steel]] appeared as these technologies developed.


Axes are simple machines. They are in the category of wedges. They are usually made of some sort of metal, mainly steel or iron. They can have a metal or wooden handle.  
The axe is an example of a [[simple machine]], as it is a type of [[Wedge (mechanical device)|wedge]], or dual [[inclined plane]]. This reduces the effort needed by the wood chopper. It splits the wood into two parts by the pressure concentration at the blade. The handle of the axe also acts as a [[Lever#Third-class levers|lever]] allowing the user to increase the force at the cutting edge—not using the full length of the handle is known as choking the axe. For fine chopping using a side axe this sometimes is a positive effect, but for [[felling]] with a double bitted axe it reduces efficiency.


Generally, cutting axes have a shallow wedge angle, whereas splitting axes have a deeper angle. Most axes are double bevelled, i.e. symmetrical about the axis of the blade, but some specialist [[broadaxe]]s have a single bevel blade, and usually an offset handle that allows them to be used for finishing work without putting the user's knuckles at risk of injury. Less common today, they were once an integral part of a joiner and carpenter's tool kit, not just a tool for use in forestry. A tool of similar origin is the [[billhook]].


[[Category:Cutting tools]]
Most modern axes have steel heads and wooden handles, typically [[hickory]] in the US and [[ash tree|ash]] in Europe and Asia, although [[plastic]] or [[fibreglass]] handles are also common. Modern axes are specialised by use, size and form. Hafted axes with short handles designed for use with one hand are often called hand axes but the term hand axe refers to axes without handles as well. [[Hatchet]]s tend to be small hafted axes often with a [[hammer]] on the back side (the poll). As easy-to-make weapons, axes have frequently been used in combat.
[[Category:Blades]]
 
[[Category:Woodworking tools]]
==History==
[[File:Kokerbijl van het Plainseautype in brons, 925 tot 800 VC, vindplaats- Maaseik, Heppeneert, Wayerveld, collectie Gallo-Romeins Museum Tongeren, He 1.jpg|thumb|Bronze socketed axe from the Heppeneert hoard (Belgium), about 800 BCE, collection of the [[King Baudouin Foundation]], [[Gallo-Roman Museum, Tongeren|Gallo-Roman Museum (Tongeren)]]]]
[[File:Brescia Monte pietà romani1 by Stefano Bolognini.JPG|thumb|upright|Roman axe in an ancient Roman relief in [[Brescia]], [[Italy]]]]
[[File:Shang Bronze Yue 2.jpg|thumb|[[Shang dynasty]] axe]]
[[Hand axe]]s, of [[Rock (geology)|stone]], and used without handles (hafts) were the first axes. They had [[Knapping|knapped]] (chipped) cutting edges of [[Flint axe|flint]] or other stone. Early examples of hand axes date back to 1.6 mya in the later Oldowan,<ref>Leakey, M. D. 1972. ''Olduvai Gorge''. Vol 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref> in Southern Ethiopia around 1.4 mya,<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=1465142|year=1992|author1=Asfaw, B.|author2=Beyene, Y.|author3=Suwa, G.|author4=Walter, R. C.|author5=White, T. D.|author6=Woldegabriel, G.|author7=Yemane, T.|title=The earliest Acheulean from Konso-Gardula|volume=360|issue=6406|pages=732–5|doi=10.1038/360732a0|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|bibcode=1992Natur.360..732A|s2cid=4341455}}</ref> and in 1.2 mya deposits in [[Olduvai Gorge]].<ref name="FoleyLewin2003">{{cite book|author1=Foley, Robert Andrew|author2=Lewin, Roger|title=Principles of Human Evolution|year=2003|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-0-632-04704-8}}</ref> Stone axes made with ''[[Grind|ground]]'' cutting edges were first developed sometime in the late [[Pleistocene]] in [[Indigenous Australians|Australia]], where grind-edge axe fragments from sites in [[Arnhem Land]] date back at least 44,000 years;<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Hiscock | first1 = P. | last2 = O'Connor | first2 = S. | last3 = Balme | first3 = J. | last4 = Maloney | first4 = T. | year = 2016 | title = World's earliest ground-edge axe production coincides with human colonisation of Australia  | journal = Australian Archaeology | volume = 82 | issue = 1 | pages = 2–11 | doi=10.1080/03122417.2016.1164379 | s2cid = 147777782 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Geneste | first1 = J.-M. | last2 = David | first2 = B. | last3 = Plisson | first3 = H. | last4 = Clarkson | first4 = C. | last5 = Delannoy | first5 = J.-J. | last6 = Petchey | first6 = F. | last7 = Whear | first7 = R. | year = 2010 | title = Earliest evidence for ground-edge axes: 35,400 ± 410 cal BP from Jawoyn Country, Arnhem Land | journal = Australian Archaeology | volume = 71 | issue = 1 | pages = 66–69 | doi=10.1080/03122417.2010.11689385 | hdl = 10289/5067 | s2cid = 134077798 | hdl-access = free }}</ref> grind-edge axes were later invented independently in [[Japan]] some time around 38,000 BP, and are known from several [[Upper Palaeolithic]] sites on the islands of [[Honshu]] and [[Kyushu]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Takashi | first1 = T. | year = 2012 | title = MIS3 edge-ground axes and the arrival of the first Homo sapiens in the Japanese archipelago | journal = Quaternary International | volume = 248 | pages = 70–78 | doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2011.01.030 | bibcode = 2012QuInt.248...70T }}</ref> In [[Europe]], however, the innovation of grind edges occurred much later, in the [[Neolithic]] period ending 4,000 to 2,000 BC.
 
Hafted axes are first known from the [[Mesolithic]] period (c. 6000 BC). Few wooden hafts have been found from this period, but it seems that the axe was normally hafted by [[Wedge|wedging]]. [[Birch-tar]] and [[Rawhide (material)|rawhide]] [[Lashing (ropework)|lashings]] were used to fix the blade. Sometimes a short section of deer [[antler]] (an "antler sleeve") was used,{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} which prevented the splitting of the haft and softened the impact on the stone blade itself, helping absorb the impact of each axe-blow and lessening the chances of breaking the handle. The antler was hollowed out at one end to create a socket for the axehead. The antler sheath was then either perforated and a handle inserted into it or set in a hole made in the handle instead.
 
The distribution of stone axes is an important indication of prehistoric [[trade]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Micu |first1=Alexandru |title=Around 4,500 years ago, Vietnamese stone-age traders traveled hundreds of kilometers to sell their wares |url=https://www.zmescience.com/science/vitenam-trade-stone-ancient/ |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref> Thin sectioning is used to determine the [[Provenance (geology)|provenance]] of the stone blades. In Europe, [[Neolithic]] "axe factories", where thousands of ground stone axes were roughed out, are known from many places, such as:
 
* [[Langdale axe industry|Great Langdale]], England ([[tuff]])
* [[Rathlin Island]], Ireland ([[porcellanite]])
* [[Krzemionki]], Poland (flint)
* [[Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes]], Belgium (flint)
* [[Plancher-les-Mines]], France ([[pelite]])
* [[Aosta Valley]], Italy ([[omphacite]]).
 
Stone axes are still produced and in use today in parts of [[Papua (province)|Papua]], [[Indonesia]]. The [[Mount Hagen]] area of [[Papua New Guinea]] was an important production centre.
 
From the late [[Neolithic]]/[[Chalcolithic]] onwards, axes were made of [[copper]] or copper mixed with [[arsenic]]. These axes were flat and hafted much like their stone predecessors. Axes continued to be made in this manner with the introduction of [[Bronze]] [[metallurgy]]. Eventually the hafting method changed and the flat axe developed into the "flanged axe", then [[palstave]]s, and later winged and socketed axes.
 
The [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] word for "axe" may have been ''*pelek'u-'' (Greek ''pelekus'' πέλεκυς, Sanskrit ''parashu'', see also [[Parashurama]]), but the word was probably a [[Loanword|loan]], or a Neolithic ''[[wanderwort]]'', ultimately related to [[Sumerian language|Sumerian]] ''balag'', [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''pilaku-''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}
 
{{multiple image |align=center
|image1=Franks HouseDSCF7155.jpg|caption1=Hand axes from Swanscombe at the [[British Museum]] that belongs to [[Swanscombe Heritage Park|Swanscombe Man]] who lived 200,000–300,000 years ago |width1=280
|image2=CMOC Treasures of Ancient China exhibit - bronze battle axe.jpg|caption2=A bronze axe from the Chinese [[Shang Dynasty]], 12th to 11th centuries BC
}}{{Clear}}
 
==Symbolism, ritual, and folklore==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2016}}
{{Hiero|Axe|<hiero>T7</hiero>|align=left|era=egypt}}{{Hiero|Axe alternative|<hiero>T7A</hiero>|align left|era=egypt}}
At least since the late [[Neolithic]], elaborate axes (battle-axes, T-axes, etc.) had a [[Religion|religious]] significance and probably indicated the exalted [[Social status|status]] of their owner. Certain types almost never show traces of [[wear]]; deposits of unshafted axe blades from the middle Neolithic (such as at the [[Somerset Levels]] in Britain) may have been gifts to the [[deity|deities]].
[[File:Old axes.jpg|thumb|A collection of old Australian cutting tools including [[broad axe]]s, broad hatchets, mortising axes, carpenter's and felling axes. Also five [[adze]]s, a corner chisel, two [[froe]]s, and a [[twybil]]]]
 
In [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] [[Crete]], the double axe ([[labrys]]) had a special significance, used by priestesses in religious ceremonies. The symbol refers to deification ceremonies; part of the leaping over the [[bull]] symbol also found at Crete; whereby aspirant becomes able to speak as a god to create any reality; the symbol being a sky map.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}}
 
In 1998 a labrys, complete with an elaborately embellished haft, was found at Cham-Eslen, [[Canton of Zug]], [[Switzerland]]. The haft was 120&nbsp;cm long and wrapped in ornamented [[Birch bark|birch-bark]]. The axe blade is 17.4&nbsp;cm long and made of [[antigorite]], mined in the [[Gotthard Pass|Gotthard]]-area. The haft goes through a biconical drilled hole and is fastened by wedges of antler and by birch-tar. It belongs to the early [[Cortaillod culture]].
 
In [[folklore]], stone axes were sometimes believed to be [[thunderbolt]]s and were used to guard buildings against [[lightning]], as it was believed ([[Rumor|mythically]]) that lightning never struck the same place twice. This has caused some skewing of axe distributions.
 
[[Steel]] axes were important in [[superstition]] as well. A [[Axe throwing|thrown]] axe could keep off a [[hail]]storm, sometimes an axe was placed in the [[crops]], with the cutting edge to the skies to protect the harvest against bad [[weather]]. An upright axe buried under the [[sill plate|sill]] of a house would keep off [[Witchcraft|witches]], while an axe under the [[bed]] would assure [[male]] [[offspring]].
 
[[Basque people|Basques]], [[Australia]]ns and [[New Zealanders]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Arnold |first1=Naomi |url=https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/block-busters/ |access-date=23 October 2020}}</ref> have developed variants of rural sports that perpetuate the traditions of [[Woodchopping|log cutting]] with axe. The Basque variants, [[Wood splitting|splitting]] horizontally or vertically disposed logs, are generically called ''[[aizkolaritza]]'' (from ''aizkora'': axe).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.axemanscomplex.com.au/history.html |title=History of the Australian Axeman's Hall of Fame & Timberworks &#124; Latrobe &#124; Tasmania &#124; Australia |publisher=Axemanscomplex.com.au |access-date=2020-02-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426045230/http://www.axemanscomplex.com.au/history.html |archive-date=2012-04-26 }}</ref>
 
In [[Yoruba religion|Yorùbá mythology]], the oshe (double-headed axe) symbolises [[Shango]], [[Orisha]] (god) of thunder and lightning. It is said to represent swift and balanced justice. Shango altars often contain a carved figure of a woman holding a gift to the god with a double-bladed axe sticking up from her head.
 
The [[Arkalochori Axe]] is a bronze, Minoan, axe from the second millennium BC thought to be used for religious purposes. Inscriptions on this axe have been compared with other ancient writing systems.
{{Clear}}
 
==Parts of the axe==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2010}}
[[File:An axe labelled-2edit.svg|thumb|upright|A diagram showing the main points on an axe]]
 
The axe has two primary components: the axe ''head'', and the ''haft''.
 
===Axe head===
{{anchor| Axe head }}
The ''axe head'' is typically bounded by the ''bit'' (or blade) at one end, and the ''poll'' (or butt) at the other, though some designs feature two bits opposite each other. The top corner of the bit where the cutting edge begins is called the ''toe'', and the bottom corner is known as the ''heel''. Either side of the head is called the ''cheek'', which is sometimes supplemented by ''lugs'' where the head meets the haft, and the hole where the haft is mounted is called the ''eye''. The part of the bit that descends below the rest of the axe-head is called the ''beard'', and a ''[[bearded axe]]'' is an antiquated axe head with an exaggerated beard that can sometimes extend the cutting edge twice the height of the rest of the head.
 
===Axe haft===
{{anchor| Axe haft }}
The ''axe haft'' is sometimes called the [[handle]]. Traditionally, it was made of a resilient [[hardwood]] like [[hickory]] or [[Fraxinus|ash]], but modern axes often have hafts made of durable synthetic materials. Antique axes and their modern reproductions, like the [[Tomahawk (axe)|tomahawk]], often had a simple, straight haft with a circular cross-section that wedged onto the axe-head without the aid of wedges or pins. Modern hafts are curved for better grip and to aid in the swinging motion, and are mounted securely to the head. The ''shoulder'' is where the head mounts onto the haft, and this is either a long oval or rectangular cross-section of the haft that is secured to the axe head with small metal or wooden wedges. The ''belly'' of the haft is the longest part, where it bows in gently, and the throat is where it curves sharply down to the short ''grip'', just before the end of the haft, which is known as the ''knob''.
 
==Types of axes==
 
===Axes designed to cut or shape wood===
[[File:Axt zum spalten1.jpg|thumb|upright|Splitting axe]]
[[File:Carpenter's axe.jpg|thumb|upright|A Swedish carpenter's axe]]
 
* '''Felling axe''': Cuts across the [[Wood grain|grain]] of wood, as in the [[felling]] of trees; in single or double bit (the bit is the cutting edge of the head) forms and many different weights, shapes, handle types and cutting geometries to match the characteristics of the material being cut. More so than with for instance a splitting axe, the bit of a felling axe needs to be very sharp, to be able to efficiently cut the [[Wood fibre|fibres]].
* '''Splitting axe''': Used in [[wood splitting]] to split with the grain of the wood. Splitting axe bits are more wedge shaped. This shape causes the axe to rend the fibres of the wood apart, without having to cut through them.
* '''[[broadaxe|Broad axe]]''': Used with the grain of the wood in precision splitting or "[[hewing]]" (i.e. the squaring-off of round timbers usually for use in construction). Broad axe bits are most commonly [[chisel]]-shaped (i.e. one flat and one beveled edge) facilitating more controlled work as the flat cheek passes along the squared timber.
* '''[[Adze]]''': A variation featuring a head perpendicular to that of an axe. Rather than splitting wood side-by-side, it is used to [[Rip cut|rip]] a level surface into a horizontal piece of wood. It can also be used as a [[pickaxe]] for breaking up rocks and [[clay]].
* '''[[Hatchet]]''': A small, light axe designed for use in one hand specifically while [[camping]] or [[travel]]ling.
* '''[[Carpenter's axe]]''': A small axe, usually slightly larger than a hatchet, used in traditional [[Woodworking|woodwork]], [[Woodworking joints|joinery]] and [[Log building|log-building]]. It has a pronounced beard and finger notch to allow a "choked" grip for precise control. The poll is designed for use as a [[hammer]].
* '''Hand axe''': A small axe used for intermediate chopping, similar to hatchets.
* '''[[Mortise and tenon|Mortising]] axe''': Used for creating mortises, a process which begins by [[drilling]] two holes at the ends of the intended mortise. Then the wood between the holes is removed with the mortising axe. Some forms of the tool have one blade, which may be pushed, swung or struck with a [[mallet]]. Others, such as twybil, bisaigüe and piochon have two, one of which is used for separating the fibres, and the other for levering out the waste.<ref>Johan David. [http://www.mot.be/w/1/index.php/Reading/NotesSurTroisOutilsAnciensDuCharpentier "Notes sur trois outils anciens du charpentier : le bondax, la bisaiguë, le piochon"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028220318/http://www.mot.be/w/1/index.php/Reading/NotesSurTroisOutilsAnciensDuCharpentier |date=28 October 2011 }}, ''Revue des archéologues et historiens d'art de Louvain 10''. 1977.</ref>
 
===Axes as weapons===
[[File:Henrik Lalli Ekman.JPG|thumb|upright|According to the legend, a man called [[Lalli]] killed [[Henry, Bishop of Uppsala|Bishop Henry]] with axe on the ice of [[Lake Köyliö]] in [[Finland]] on January 20, 1156.<ref>{{cite book  | last =Michell  | first =Thomas  | title =Handbook for Travellers in Russia, Poland, and Finland  | publisher =J. Murray, [etc., etc.]  | year =1888  | pages =[https://archive.org/details/handbookfortrav00conggoog/page/n556 532]  | url =https://archive.org/details/handbookfortrav00conggoog  | quote =Lalli bishop.  }}</ref><ref>{{cite book  | last =Fryxell  | first =Anders Fryxell  | title =The History of Sweden  | publisher =R. Bentley  | year =1844  | location =Original from the New York Public Library  | pages =[https://archive.org/details/historysweden00fryxgoog/page/n209 192]  | url =https://archive.org/details/historysweden00fryxgoog  | quote =Lalli bishop.  }}</ref> ''The murder of St. Henry by Lalli'', painting by Karl Anders Ekman (1854).]]
[[File:Beheading duke somerset.jpg|thumb|upright|The execution of the [[Edmund Beaufort (died 1471)|Duke of Somerset]] after the [[Battle of Tewkesbury]] in 1471]]
* '''Archer's axe''': a one-handed axe with bearded head carried by medieval [[Archery|archers]]. It served both as [[melee weapon]] and tool. Defensively deployed archers in line used the poll of this axe to hammer wooden [[Archer's stake|stakes]] into the ground and then sharpened the still exposed upper ends of these stakes by chopping them to points with the blade. Lines of such stakes were primarily intended to serve the archers as protective [[Obstacles to troop movement|obstacles]] against [[cavalry]] attack.
* '''[[Battle axe]]''': In its most common form, an arm-length weapon borne in one or both hands. Compared to a [[sword]] swing, it delivers more cleaving power against a smaller target area, making it more effective against [[armour]], due to concentrating more of its weight in the axehead.{{original research inline|date=August 2016}}
* '''[[Tomahawk]]''': used almost exclusively by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]], its blade was originally crafted of stone. Along with the familiar war version, which could be fashioned as a throwing weapon, the pipe tomahawk was a ceremonial and diplomatic tool.
* '''Spontoon tomahawk''': A French trapper and Iroquois collaboration, this was an axe with a knife-like stabbing blade instead of the familiar wedged shape.
* '''[[Shepherd's axe]]''': used by [[shepherd]]s in the [[Carpathian Mountains]], it could double as a [[walking stick]].
* '''[[Ono (weapon)|Ono]]''': a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] weapon wielded by ''[[sōhei]]'' [[warrior monk]]s.
* '''[[Dagger-axe]] (Ji or Ge)''': A variant of [[China|Chinese]] [[polearm]]like weapon with a divided two-part head, composed of the usual straight blade and a [[scythe]]-like blade. The straight blade is used to stab or feint, then the foe's body or head may be cut by pulling the scythe-like horizontal blade backwards. Ge has the horizontal blade but sometimes does not have the straight spear.
* '''[[Halberd]]''': a [[spear]]like weapon with a hooked poll, effective against mounted [[cavalry]].
* '''[[Pollaxe]]''': designed to defeat [[plate armour]]. Its axe (or hammer) head is much narrower than other axes, which accounts for its penetrating power.
* '''[[Dane axe]]''': A long-handled weapon with a large flat blade, often attributed to the [[Norsemen]].
* '''[[Throwing axe]]''': Any of a number of [[ranged weapon]]s designed to strike with a similar splitting action as their [[Melee weapon|melee]] counterparts. These are often small in profile and usable with one hand.
* '''[[Hurlbat]]''': An entirely metal throwing axe sharpened on every auxiliary end to a point or blade, practically guaranteeing some form of damage against its target.
* '''[[Francisca]]''' or '''Frankish axe''': a short throwing weapon of the European [[Migration Period]], the name of which may have become attached to the Germanic tribe associated with it: the [[Franks]] (see [[France]]).
* '''[[Parashu]]''': The '''parashu''' ({{lang-sa|paraṣu}}) is an [[India]]n battle-axe. It is generally wielded with two hands but could also be used with only one. It is depicted as the primary weapon of [[Parashurama]], the 6th Avatar of Lord [[Vishnu]] in [[Hinduism]].
* '''[[Sagaris]]''': An ancient weapon used by [[Scythians]].
 
===Axes as tools=== <!-- This section is linked from [[United Airlines Flight 93]] -->
* '''Double bit axe''': A common axe in the ancient world; introduced to [[North America|America]] in the 1800s. The heavy head makes it ideal for [[felling]] trees. Often one bit is designated for tasks that would more quickly dull the edge such as cutting roots through dirt.
* '''[[Firefighter]]'s axe''', '''fire axe''', or '''pick head axe''': It has a pick-shaped pointed poll (area of the head opposite the cutting edge). It is often decorated in vivid colours to make it easily visible during an emergency. Its primary use is for breaking down doors and windows.
* '''Crash axe:''' A short lightweight handheld emergency chopping tool with a sharp or [[Serration|serrated]] blade spanning a quarter circular from the axis of the handle, sometimes with a notch in the blade to catch on sheet metal, and often a short pick opposite the blade, this tool or a prybar is required to be carried in most large [[aircraft]] [[cockpit]]s with 20 seats or more to quickly chop and pry walls and cabinets to gain access when [[Active fire protection|extinguishing]] a fire while in flight or to escape when exits are unavailable.  A crash axe is sometimes also used by crash rescue firefighter crews to chop through the airplane's [[sheet metal]] skin for a rescue opening; modern crash axes are often made with an electrically [[Insulator (electricity)|insulated]] handle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/2009_01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-03-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303201515/https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/2009_01.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://bestaxeguide.com/types-of-axe-heads|title=Types of axe heads |access-date=2020-01-03 }}</ref>
* '''[[Ice axe]]''' or '''climbing axe''': A number of different styles of ice axes are designed for [[ice climbing]] and enlarging steps used by climbers.
* '''[[Hammer|Lathe hammer]]''' (also known as a lath hammer, lathing hammer, or lathing hatchet): a tool used for cutting and nailing wood [[lath]] which has a small hatchet blade on one side (which features a small lateral nick used for pulling out [[Nail (fastener)|nails]]) and a hammer head on the other.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/lathing+hammer|title=Lathing hammer|journal=The Free Dictionary|author=Farlex}}</ref>
* '''[[Mattock]]''': A dual-purpose axe, combining an adze and axe blade, or sometimes a pick and adze blade.
* '''[[Pickaxe]]''': An axe with a large pointed end, rather than a flat blade. Sometimes exists as a double-bladed tool with a pick on one side and an axe or adze head on the other. Often used to break up hard material, such as [[Rock (geology)|rocks]] or [[concrete]].
* '''[[Pulaski (tool)|Pulaski]]''': An axe with a [[mattock]] blade built into the rear of the main axe blade, used for digging ('grubbing out') through and around roots as well as chopping.  The pulaski is an indispensable tool used in fighting [[Wildfire|forest fires]], as well as [[trail]]-building, [[Understory|brush]] clearance and similar functions.
* '''[[Slater|Slater's axe]]''': An axe for cutting [[Roofing slates|roofing]] [[slate]], with a long point on the poll for punching nail holes, and with the blade offset laterally from the handle to protect the worker's hand from flying slate chips.
* '''[[Splitting maul]]''': A splitting implement that has evolved from the simple "wedge" design to more complex designs. Some mauls have a conical "axehead"; compound mauls have swivelling "sub-wedges", among other types; others have a heavy wedge-shaped head, with a [[sledgehammer]] face opposite.
 
<gallery widths="150px" heights="200px">
File:Travellers' Axe - Project Gutenberg eText 14861.jpg|Climbing axes from circa 1872
File:Firefighter with axe.jpg|[[Firefighter]] with a fire axe
</gallery>
 
==Hammer axe==
Hammer axes (or axe-hammers) typically feature an extended poll, opposite the blade, shaped and sometimes hardened for use as a [[hammer]]. The name axe-hammer is often applied to a characteristic shape of perforated stone axe used in the [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]]s. Iron axe-hammers are found in Roman military contexts, e.g. [[Cramond]], [[Edinburgh]], and [[South Shields]], [[Tyne and Wear]].{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}
 
==See also==
* [[Axe murder]]
* [[Blade]]
* [[Cleaving axe]]
* [[Corded Ware culture]]
* [[Fasces]]
* [[Hibernaculum (zoology)]]
* [[Kaiser blade]]
* [[Nzappa zap]]
* [[Sagaris]]
 
; Related forestry terms
* [[Chainsaw]]
* [[Felling]]
* [[Firewood]]
* [[Hewing]]
* [[Limbing]]
* [[Log bucking]]
* [[Log splitter]]
* [[Logging]]
* [[Pruning]]
* [[Splitting maul]]
* [[Woodchopping]]
 
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
==Further reading==
; Neolithic axes
* W. Borkowski, Krzemionki mining complex (Warszawa 1995)
* P. Pétrequin, La hache de pierre: carrières vosgiennes et échanges de lames polies pendant le néolithique (5400 – 2100 av. J.-C.) (exposition musées d'Auxerre Musée d'Art et d'Histoire) (Paris, Ed. Errance, 1995).
* R. Bradley/M. Edmonds, Interpreting the axe trade: production and exchange in Neolithic Britain (1993).
* P. Pétrequin/A.M. Pétrequin, Écologie d'un outil: la hache de pierre en [[Irian Jaya]] (Indonésie). CNRS Éditions, Mongr. du Centre Rech. Arch. 12 (Paris 1993).
 
; Medieval axes
* Schulze, André(Hrsg.): Mittelalterliche Kampfesweisen. Band 2: Kriegshammer, Schild und Kolben. Mainz am Rhein.: Zabern, 2007. {{ISBN|3-8053-3736-1}}
 
; Superstition
* H. Bächtold-Stäubli, Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens (Berlin, De Gruyter 1987).
 
==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{wiktionary}}
{{Commons}}
{{Commons category|Axes}}
* Section about types of axes is originally based on a [[Quicksilver Wiki]] article at {{URL|1=http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=A_Glossary_of_Terms_For_Traditional_Timber_Framing_(Timberbee)|2=the timber framing glossary}} under the terms of the [[GNU Free Documentation License]].
* {{Wikisource-inline|list=
** {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Axe|short=x |noicon=x}}
** {{Cite NIE |year=1905 |wstitle=Axe|short=x |noicon=x}}
** {{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Axe|short=x |noicon=x}}
** {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Axe|short=x |noicon=x}}
}}
 
{{Cutting and abrasive tools}}
{{Forestry tools}}
{{Garden tools}}
{{Woodworking}}
{{Prehistoric technology}}
 
{{Authority control}}
 
[[Category:Woodworking hand tools]]
[[Category:Timber preparation]]
[[Category:Forestry tools]]
[[Category:Axes| ]]
[[Category:Gardening tools]]
[[Category:Camping equipment]]
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