Ax Head

The flamboyant curved blade and asymmetrically placed splayed socket of this piece are typical of works from Java and Sulewasi, produced in full size and as miniatures, and used as funerary gifts and for ceremony and display. Axes are often carried by the feathered warriors depicted on drums and situlae from the Dongson culture of Vietnam, and late Dongson ax heads with pediform or boat-like shaped are other thought to have provided prototypes for the exaggerated examples produced in Indonesia.

"Duckbill-shaped" axes like this one were produced primarily in Syria-Palestine during the Middle Bronze Age IIA phase, which is roughly contemporaneous with the 12th Dynasty in Egypt. They are attested throughout the eastern Mediterranean world from Anatolia in the north to the Nile Delta in the south. An ax head very similar to this one, for example, was found in a tomb in the late 12th Dynasty stratum at Tell el-Daba (ancient Avaris) in the delta, where many Asiatic people settled during the Middle Kingdom and later established the capital city of the Hyksos Dynasty. Instead of having a series of small binding-holes like a typical Egyptian ax, this Asiatic type has a large socket to receive the haft. Its cutting edge is much smaller than that of its Egyptian counterpart due to its narrow shape, but the force generated by swinging this hefty ax would have been so focused that a single blow might have proven lethal, especially since armor and helmets were apparently unknown to Egyptian soldiers until the New Kingdom.

Ax Head

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An axe (/Ãks/ sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has many forms and specialised uses but generally consists of an axe head with a handle, also called a haft or a helve.

Before the modern axe, the stone-age hand axe without a handle was used from 1.5 million years BP. Hafted axes (those with a handle) date only from 6000 BC. The earliest examples of handled axes have heads of stone with some form of wooden handle attached (hafted) in a method to suit the available materials and use. Axes made of copper, bronze, iron and steel appeared as these technologies developed.

Most modern axes have steel heads and wooden handles, typically hickory in the US and 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. Hatchets 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, and is one of humanity's oldest melee weapons.[1]

In YorÃbÃ 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 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.

The axe haft is sometimes called the handle. Traditionally, it was made of a resilient hardwood like hickory or ash, but modern axes often have hafts made of durable synthetic materials. Antique axes and their modern reproductions, like the 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.

These axes are specifically designed for felling trees and chopping logs of wood. The head of a felling axe will weigh between two and four pounds, and sit at the end of a long handle. This long handle enables the user to produce a more powerful swing with greater leverage, making for a better cut. Traditionally the handles are made from hickory wood, which is strong. The grain of the hickory should follow the handle lengthways and curve along with it, for superior strength.

A hatchet is a general all-purpose axe, and is the kind of axe that most people own for light jobs in the yard. These can range enormously in price, from just a few dollars to $100+. They are relatively small compared to some other axes, with a chunky handle most commonly made from hickory wood. The head is weighted, with a flared shape that comes to a sharp-tipped blade. Balance is very important for a good hatchet, as an overall balanced feel will help to produce more accurate swings and cuts, making jobs much quicker and easier to complete. A hatchet is used for felling small trees, and for chopping and splitting logs.

These axes are specifically designed for splitting logs into kindling. They have a design very similar to a felling axe, with a long wooden handle to give a good swing. When using a splitting maul, you should use a downward swing, not a sideways swing like that used for a felling axe. Unlike felling axes, which cut against the grain of the wood, splitting mauls cut with the grain, which is what results in split wood rather than chopped wood. The head of a splitting maul will be much heavier than a felling axe, at around eight pounds.

This axe was originally used by miners in the Middle Ages while mining for copper and silver ore in Europe. These axes feature a short handle and a long head, which are ideal for use in close quarters. Gradually over the centuries, these axes became a status symbol among miners, and may have intricately detailed engraving on the head of the axe.

The double bit axe has two blades, one on either side of the head. These will usually be symmetrical from the front, but one blade will blunt while the other is sharp. The sharp side would be used to chop wood or fell trees, and the blunt side used to split the wood into small pieces of kindling ready for the fire. These types of axes are not in mainstream production anymore and are now only used by lumberjacks.

The double head makes them quite cumbersome to carry, as well as being very heavy. Many people prefer not to use them as the added weight of the extra head means the user will tire out when using it more quickly than usual. However, the advantage of the double bit axe is that it essentially is two axes in one, saving you from having two separate axes.

A crash axe is an emergency tool that is typically used in the event of an aircraft crash landing. These axes are a handheld tool with a short handle and a very sharp smooth, or serrated blade. The blade will need to be able to slice through sheet metal in order to gain access to the aircraft from the outside or to cut a hole in the aircraft from the inside to create an exit if other exits are blocked. A crash axe can also pry gaps open and chop interior walls and overhead cabinets. A crash axe must be carried in the cockpit or every aircraft which has 20 or more passenger seats in case of an emergency. Some types of crash axe have a notch upon the blade, which can be used to hook onto sheet metal, while others may have a separate head with a pick on it. These types of axes are typically made entirely from metal and are not commonly owned by anyone outside of the emergency services.

"It's certainly possible for this to happen, it's hard to know for sure whether it hasn't been photoshopped, if it had been whoever did it did a great job," Kane told NPR. "The root appears to be growing in a way that one would expect it would, giving it obstacles like the ax head in its way. Roots are basically growing longer and branching out like branches on the top parts of trees as long as there is water, moisture and soil."

Kane was unsure what the odds were of this sort of pairing happening in nature. He said that "if there was an area where the ax head was left on the ground and it got covered up by the soil it is perfectly reasonable that a root would have found its way to the handle."

"What you can see is kind of like a little bit of swollen tissue that follows the line of the ax head. That's exactly what you would expect to happen if a root was growing and detected something in its way. Like a root growing around a rock," he added.

For the past two years, Flannigan has been scouring the area for vintage ax heads for his projects. From finds in antique stores, to auctions, yard sales, barns and even ones dug up out of fields, he is always on the lookout for his next project.

Jane and I were taking one of our regular exercise walks. We were on the scenic route around the edge of the June Coley Farm, just down the road from where we live. Jane is usually the one that spots partially hidden things in the ground, but the ax head was right in my path.

Occasionally, axe heads will have a buildup of pitch and sap, which can clog the file. Use a bit of bug and tar remover or a similar cleaner to remove the pitch. Also, use a file brush or other stiff-bristled brush to remove any filings from the file.

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