“Axes”- a kit that had been with us for millennia and been our trusted hand to cut, shape, and split woods.
For a moment, let’s forget about the axes that we’re using today, and take a broader look at the whole evolution axes had gone through.
We mean, just compare the functions, strengths, parts of two axes from 2019 and 1819. You’ll just realize how we’ve been concerned enough to make this tiny tool more effective, impactful and long-lasting.
Long story short- you can do way more stuff with an axe that a random user from the 1800’s would do.
That brings us to an obvious responsibility of learning the parts on an axe and types of axes at the first place. And this article is going to guide you through the whole way.
Hop on the wagon, and let’s start-
Contents
11 Obvious Parts of An Ideal Axe
Well, there’s nothing called an ‘Ideal’ axe, right? Yeah, indeed.
As different types of axes are available in there, everything starting from the head to toe differs in style and strength. But for now, we’ve done a generalized list of parts of an axe. Have a look-
- Head
- Axe Eye
- Blade/Bit/Cutting Edge
- Toe and Heel
- Cheek/Axe Side
- Beard
- Axe Handle
- The body of the Handle
- The Throat of the Handle
- Back of Handle
- Grip
- End Knob
That being said, each of these parts has their own roles to play. But the #1 task of all these parts is to let you operate with minimum effort and maximum output.
Want to check out where each of these parts is located? Here is the complete illustration-
Parts of An Axe (Illustrated)
Now, it’s time to have a look at what role each of these parts plays. Keep in mind that, all of these roles combinedly let you do what you can do with a full-form axe.
Head
The entire metal portion of an axe is basically the head. It has two parts and they are bound by the bit(or blade) at one end, and the poll(or butt) at the other end. And this happens for all types of axe heads.
The Head is also attached to a handle through the axe eye.
Axe Eye
The end of the previous sentence brings us to the next part- Axe eye. The axe handle is mounted through the eye. It’s generally round and thick. But the axe eye sizes vary depending on the head size.
Blade/Bit/Cutting Edge
The blade is the part of an axe where all the cutting/chopping/shaping takes place. It’s the sharp cutting portion of an axe, which is also is known as bit. As we’ve said before, it’s responsible for cutting, chopping, and splitting.
Toe(Upper Corner) And Heel(Lower Corner)
We’ve kept these two parts together as they’re the upper and lower segment of the cutting edge. They don’t have any separate roles but to assist the blade to perform a sharp and perfect cutting.
Cheek or Axe Side
Just as it sounds, it’s the profile surface of the axe head. Both sides of the axe head are called cheeks, however. In terms of dimension, it’s the widest and thickest part of the axe head.
Beard
Beard of axe is the concave part of the bottom of the axe bit. And it’s located near to the handle.
Handle or Haft
The handle is the second major part of the axe
Basically, the handle is the entire part that is attached to the head. It’s also called the Haft. Generally made of hardwood, steel, or durable synthetic materials like carbon fiber.
The body of the Handle
The center of the handle where the user’s upper hand would hold it.
The Throat of the Handle
The bottle of the handle where the user’s bottom hand would hold it.
Back of Handle
It’s the entire back part of the axe handle, which transfers the user’s force towards the blade.
Grip
This the convenient part of the handle where users naturally hold the axe.
End Knob
End of the handle that helps to prevent the axe from slipping out your hands
8 Type of Axes Used In Woodworking
Some common questions to be confused about are- what kind of axe is the best for splitting wood? or What kind of axe is best for camping?
When you’re new to axes, these sort of questions is pretty common to popup in mind. Don’t worry! we’ve an entire section to talk about different types of axes.
Why Axes Are So Much Diverse?
See, axes are for a number of applications. They used to be used weapons before. And today, they’re mostly for woodworking purposes, survival purposes, and for professional carpentry.
As axes are majorly used for woodworking only, we’d showcase the diverse types of woodworking axes only. Let’s Have a look-
Splitting Axe
Splitting axes are used to split wood into small and manageable pieces. The cutting edge is wedge-shaped. For this reason, This ax is particularly suitable for splitting wood but can also be used for felling trees. We handle the axe always with both hands. The length of the splitting axe is usually between 2 inches to 65 cm weight between 1 and 1.5 kg.
Our Favorite Splitting Axe
Fiskars X27 Super Splitting Axe, 36-Inch Features
- Perfect Blade design include low friction coat
- Sharp Edge and comfortable grip
- Proper weight Distribution provides more power
- Lightweight and Unbreakable Handle
Splitting Maul
Splitting mauls are characterized by a heavy axe head. This axe is available in both small and large sizes and its length can vary from 15 inches up to 36 inches. You should handle these types of axes with both hands. It would be difficult to handle with one hand because of its heavyweight. Its weight varies between 1.5 and 3.5 kg.
Our Favorite Splitting Maul
Gransfors Bruk Splitting Maul Features
- Handle 31.5”, Weight 3.2 kg.
- American hickory handle with extra grip.
- Perfect for the hardwood.
Felling Ax/Lumberjack Axe
Felling axes are unique with the thin edge that they come with. Those are used to cut wood, chop, and fell down a tree. The cutting blade is thin and sharp. The felling axe has a sharp blade that makes the axe more efficient. This axe is specially designed to cut down trees. You have to handle this axe with both hands. The length of a felling axe is usually between 20and 25 inches and weight varies between 1.5 and 2.5 kg.
Our Favorite Felling Axe
Helko Classic Scout – 2.5 Lb Felling Axe Features
- Grade A American Hickory Handle
- Total Weight: 4 lb.Head Weight: 2.5 lb and Length: 28 in.
- Comes with leather sheath
Hatchet
Hatchets are small, lightweight axe designed for use one hand. It is effective for rough cuts and cutting the branches of firewood. Hatchet axe for camping and traveling is quite popular practices.
But sometimes, people get confused and get to ask- Is a hatchet an axe? Well, long story short- a hatchet is a one-hand axe but nothing prevents you from using them with both hands. It is Perfect for various uses (pruning, cutting, felling). The length of a hatchet is usually between 10 and 15 inches and weight between 0.5 and 1.5 kg.
Our Favorite Hatchet
Estwing Special Edition Sportsman’s Axe – 14″ Camping Hatchet Features
- Handle made of steel with comfortable Leather Grip
- Most Durable
- Perfect length and cutting edge for all types of cutting
- Suitable for outdoor uses
Carpenter’s Axe
An axe that looks like a Hatchet but in a little bit larger size, is called a carpenter’s axe. As the name suggests, it’s generally used in traditional woodworks. The poll of the carpenter’s axe is designed for being used as a hammer. The length of the carpenter’s axe is usually between 18 and 20 inches and weight between 1 to 1.5 kg.
Our Favorite Carpenter’s Axe
Husqvarna 576926501 19″ Wooden Carpenter’s Axe Features
- Thin Sharp Blade for perfect cutting
- High-Quality hickory handle
- Designed with maximum control
- Ideal length for camp used
Tomahawk Axe/Throwing Axe
The tomahawk axe was designed for woodworking. But today only used for throwing games. That’s why it also called the throwing axe. Nowadays it is used for camping, outdoor and survival purposes. The length of the axe is usually between 12 and 15 inches and weight 2 kg approx.
Our Favorite Tomahawk Axe
Solidtools Forged Adze Hoe Features
- Weight 540 Grams, Length 12.5 inches.
- It is very handy and portable.
- Perfect for outdoor.
Adze
An adze is a perpendicular axe with a sharpen metal piece attached to the handle. It’s used for smoothing, sharpening, or carving hand wood. Moreover, It is used as a pickaxe as well.
Our Favorite Adze Axe
Solidtools Forged Adze Hoe Features
- American hickory handle
- Sharp Blade but not for woodworking
- Suitable for Gardening
Broad-axe
A broad-axe is a comparatively larger axe with a wider blade. It has two types. If one side of the broad-axe is flat and the other side is beveled then its called a single bevel, or chisel-edged axe. On the other hand, if both sides are beveled, it’s called double bevel axe.
Both of these two types of broadaxes are used as weapons and also used to cut straight pieces of wood, like the branches of a tree, timber, and logs. The length of a broad ax is usually between 20 and 23 inches and weight varies between 1.5 and 2 kg.
Our Favorite Broad-axe
Vaughan & Bushnell SB2 Broad Hatchet dark blue Features
- Extra large hickory handle
- Beveled cutting edge
- Rust resistance with black colour
What You Should Always Check Before Using Axe
Axe is a sharp and dangerous cutting tool. So,Before handling it you have to consider a few points-
- Check your axe that it has no cracks or breaks in the head and the handle.
- The handle has to fix correctly with axe head.
- Axe head must be sharp, straight and free from rust.
Did you check these points properly?
Now you can use your axe. But if the axe breaks during the use or has any possibilities to break, stop working immediately.
Wrap Up
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