Axe 44327 225035117 2008-07-11T15:57:43Z NawlinWiki 301395 Protected Axe: no reason to move this page w/o discussion [move=sysop] [[Image:Axt Handwerk.jpg|thumb|308px|Axe]] {{otheruses}} The '''axe''', or '''ax''', is an implement that has been used for [[Millennium|millennia]] to shape, split and cut [[wood]], [[harvest]] [[Lumber|timber]], as a [[weapon]] and a [[ceremony|ceremonial]] or [[Heraldry|heraldic]] [[symbol]]. The axe has many forms and specialized uses but generally consists of an axe head with a [[Handle (grip)|handle]], or ''helve''. The earliest examples of 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]], [[steel]] appeared as these technologies developed. 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 (try using an axe head without a handle and you will see what is meant) - 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. [[Image:アックス・スティール製PC210312.jpg|thumbnail|240px|axe of Stihl Holding AG & Co. KG]]   Generally cutting axes have a shallow wedge angle, whereas splitting axes have a deeper angle. Most axes are double beveled, i.e. symmetrical about the axis of the blade, but some specialist [[broadaxe|broadaxes]] 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]] with short handle and long blade it can be used for tasks where an axe is unsuitable. However in France and Holland the billhook often replaced the axe as a joiner's bench tool. Most modern axes have steel heads and wooden handles, typically [[hickory]] in the USA and [[ash tree|ash]] in the UK and Europe, although [[plastic]] or [[fiberglass]] handles are also common. Modern axes are specialized 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). Axes were frequently used in combat as they were easy to make, and the village edge tool makers were frequently the armourers to the lord of the manor in times of war. ==History== [[Image:Brescia Monte pietà romani1 by Stefano Bolognini.JPG|thumb|200px|Roman axe in an ancient Roman relief in [[Brescia]], [[Italy]]]] [[Image:Bronze ax, Shang Dynasty.JPG|thumb||A bronze axe from the Chinese [[Shang Dynasty]], 12th to 11th centuries BC]] Initially axes were probably not hafted. The first true hafted axes are known from the [[Mesolithic]] period (ca. 6000 BC). Axes made from ground stone are known since the [[Neolithic]]. Few wooden hafts have been found from this period, but it seems that the axe was normally hafted by wedging. Birch-tar and raw-hide lashings were used to fix the blade. Sometimes a short section of deer [[antler]] (an "antler sleeve") was used, 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. thin sectioning is used to determine the 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: *Great Langdale, Great Britain (tuff) *Rathlin Island, Ireland (porcellanite) *Krzemionki, Poland (flint) *Plancher-les-Mines, France (pelite) *Val de'Aoste, Italy (omphacite). Stone axes are still produced and in use today in parts of Irian Jaya, New Guinea. The Mount Hagen area 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 palstaves, and later winged and socketed axes. The 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 loan, or a Neolithic wanderwort, ultimately related to Sumerian balag, Akkadian pilaku- .{{Fact|date=March 2008}} ==Symbolism, ritual, and folklore== [[Image:Labrys.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] symbolic labrys of gold, [[2nd millennium BC]]: many [[Arkalochori Axe]]s have been found in the [[Arkalochori]] cave]] 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]]. In Minoan Crete, the double axe ([[labrys]]) had a special significance, used by women priests in religious ceremonies. In 1998 a labrys, complete with an elaborately embellished haft, was found at Cham-Eslen, [[Canton of Zug]], [[Switzerland]]. The haft was 120 cm long and wrapped in ornamented birch-bark. The axe blade is 17,4 cm long and made of [[antigorite]], mined in the [[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 the [[ancient Rome|Roman]] ''[[fasces]]'', the axe symbolized the [[authority]] to execute and were often used as symbols for Fascist Italy under Mussolini. 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 thrown axe could keep off a [[hail]]storm, sometimes an axe was placed in the [[Crop (agriculture)|crops]], with the cutting edge to the skies to protect the harvest against bad [[weather]]. An upright axe buried under the [[sill]] of a house would keep off [[Witchcraft|witches]], while an axe under the bed would assure [[male]] [[offspring]]. [[Image:Old axes.jpg|thumb|A collection of old Australian axes]] [[Basque people|Basques]], [[Australia]]ns and New Zealanders have developed variants of rural sports that perpetuate the traditions of log cutting with axe. The Basque variants, splitting horizontally or vertically disposed logs, are generically called ''[[aizkolaritza]]'' (from ''aizkora'': axe). In [[Yoruba religion|Yorùbá mythology]], the oshe (double-headed axe) symbolizes [[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. ==Parts of the axe== [[Image:An axe labelled-2edit.svg|thumb|left|A diagram showing the main points on an axe.]] The axe is comprised of two primary components, the axe ''head'', and the ''haft''. 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 (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's 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 into to the short ''grip'', just before end of the haft, which is known as the ''knob''. ==Forms of Axes== ===Axes designed to cut or shape wood=== [[Image:Axt zum spalten1.jpg|thumb|Splitting axe]] * '''Felling axe''' — Cuts across the 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. * '''Splitting Axe''' — Used 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, especially if the blow is delivered with a twisting action at impact. * '''[[broadaxe|Broad axe]]''' — Used with the grain of the wood in precision splitting. Broad axe bits are [[chisel]]-shaped (one flat and one bevelled edge) facilitating more controlled work. * '''[[Adze]]''' — A variation featuring a head perpendicular to that of an axe. Rather than splitting wood side-by-side, it is used to rip a level surface into a horizontal piece of wood. ===Axes as weapons === ====Mêlée==== {{Main|List of Mêlée weapons}} * '''[[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 armor, due to concentrating more of its weight in the axehead. However, it allows much less precision than a sword does. * '''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. A similar type of axe is the African [[nzappa zap]]. It has traditionally been a favorite of marines since Vietnam. * ''' Spontoon Tomahawk ''' - A French trapper and Iroquois collaboration, this was an axe with a knife-like stabbing blade instead of the familiar wedged shape. * '''[[Valaška]]''' — used by [[Slovaks|Slovak]] shepherds, it could double as a [[walking stick]]. * '''[[Ono (weapon)|Ono]]''' — a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] weapon wielded by ''[[sōhei]]'' warrior monks. ====Pole Arm==== * '''[[Halberd]]''' — a [[spear]]like weapon with a hooked poll, effective against mounted [[cavalry]]. * '''[[Pollaxe_%28Polearm%29|Pole axe]]''' — designed to defeat [[plate armour]]. Its axe (or hammer) head is much narrower than other axes, which accounts for its penetrating power. * '''[[Danish axe]]''' — A long-handled weapon with a large flat blade, often attributed to the [[Viking]]s. ====Ranged==== * '''[[Throwing axe]]''' — Any of a number of [[ranged weapon]]s designed to strike with a similar splitting action as their [[Mêlée weapon|Mêlée]] 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 '''[[Franks|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]]). ===Axes for other uses===<!-- This section is linked from [[United Airlines Flight 93]] --> [[Image:Firefighter with axe.jpg|thumb|[[Firefighter]] with a fire axe]] * '''[[Firefighter]]'s axe''' or '''fire axe''' &mdash; It has a pick-shaped pointed poll (area of the head opposite the cutting edge). It is often decorated in vivid colors to make it easily visible during an emergency. Its primary use is for breaking down doors. * '''[[Pulaski (tool)|Pulaski]]''' &mdash; 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. In addition to the McCloud (a tool similar to a hoe/rake combination), the pulaski is an indispensable tool used in fighting [[Wildfire|forest fire]]s, as well as trail-building, brush clearance and similar functions. * '''[[Splitting maul]]''' &mdash; A splitting implement that has evolved from the simple 'wedge' design to more complex designs. Some mauls have a conical 'axehead'; compound mauls have swiveling 'sub-wedges', among other types; others have a heavy wedge-shaped head, with a [[sledgehammer]] face opposite. * '''[[slater|slater's axe]]''' or '''zax''' &mdash; An axe for cutting 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. [[Image:Travellers' Axe - Project Gutenberg eText 14861.jpg|frame|left|Climbing axes from circa 1872]] * '''Climbing axe''' or '''ice axe''' — A number of different styles of [[ice axe]] are designed for ice [[climbing]], and, though less used today than in previous times, for rock work, especially in enlarging steps used by climbers. In the illustration to the left, from an 1872 "Art of Travel" publication, figure 1 represents a light axe or [[Pickaxe|pick]] which has the great advantage of lightness and handiness, with a single blade, or [[adze]], suited to step-cutting and with a small hammer-head at the back which balances the pick, and is useful in inserting pegs into rock and ice. Figure 2 represents a travellers' axe, slightly heavier than the first, and which, at least at the time, was recommended as adapted for mountain work of all kinds. ==Hammer Axe== {{worldwide}} 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 Ages. Iron axe-hammers are found in Roman military contexts, e.g. Cramond, Edinburgh and South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Today they are used in many different fields of work, completing all jobs from splitting wood to removal engines from vans. Tungsten is often added for weight as an upgrade, as well as six foot handles for the heavier jobs that require added force and "massive blows" such as cutting automobile frames, slicing brake rotors, rough body work, home construction, home de-construction, etc. ==See also== {{Commons}} * [[Sagaris]] * [[Fasces]] * [[Corded Ware culture|Battle axe people]] Corded Ware culture * [[Nzappa zap]] ==Literature== ===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). == References == * Section about types of axes is based on a [[Quicksilver Wiki]] article at [http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=A_Glossary_of_Terms_For_Traditional_Timber_Framing_(Timberbee)] under the terms of the [[Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License|GNU Free Documentation License]]. {{reflist}} == External links == * [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/Fspubs/99232823/index.htm U.S. Forest Service Ax Manual] {{Types of tools}} [[Category:Axes|*]] [[Category:Lithics]] [[Category:Archaeological artefact types]] [[Category:Woodworking hand tools]] [[Category:Blade weapons]] [[Category:Primitive weapons]] [[Category:Ancient weapons]] [[Category:Medieval weapons]] [[Category:Survival skills]] [[ang:Æcs]] [[ar:فأس]] [[an:Estral]] [[as:কুঠাৰ]] [[ast:Hachu]] [[bar:Åxt]] [[bs:Sjekira]] [[bg:Брадва]] [[ca:Destral]] [[cs:Sekera]] [[da:Økse]] [[de:Axt]] [[et:Kirves]] [[es:Hacha]] [[eo:Hakilo]] [[eu:Aizkora]] [[fr:Hache]] [[ko:도끼]] [[hr:Sjekira]] [[io:Hakilo]] [[bpy:মাচাডো]] [[id:Kapak]] [[is:Öxi]] [[it:Scure]] [[he:גרזן]] [[kg:Soka]] [[la:Securis]] [[lt:Kirvis]] [[ln:Nsóka]] [[hu:Balta]] [[mk:Секира]] [[ms:Kapak]] [[nl:Bijl]] [[ja:斧]] [[no:Øks]] [[nn:Øks]] [[pam:Palakul]] [[pl:Topór]] [[pt:Machado]] [[ru:Топор]] [[scn:Accetta]] [[simple:Axe]] [[sk:Sekera]] [[sl:Sekira]] [[sr:Секира]] [[sh:Sjekira]] [[su:Kampak]] [[fi:Kirves]] [[sv:Yxa]] [[ta:கோடரி]] [[te:గొడ్డలి]] [[th:ขวาน]] [[tr:Balta]] [[bat-smg:Kėrvis]] [[zh:斧]] [[zh-yue:斧頭]]