Axes. history of creation, modifications, purpose

In a country, most of which is covered (or rather, was covered) with dense forests suitable for any product - from a spoon to a frigate, a universal TOOL for woodworking - an AX - simply could not help but appear. He will cut down and split, and hew will help, and Hard time and become a weapon.
The recipe for the famous AX porridge is simple and memorable from childhood. Only few of us think that without the most important ingredient of this mysterious dish, it is simply impossible to imagine the history of mankind.
Judge for yourself: in the Stone Age, when the AX was, of course, made of stone - uncomfortable, heavy and short-lived, our ancestors still survived. Of course, not so much could be cut with a flint TOOL - hard, troublesome, and the stone is fragile. However, without an AX - nowhere. And build housing, and cut down a fighting club, and butcher a mammoth, and fight off a neighbor if you are seduced by a mammoth.
With the advent of bronze and iron, "AX WORK" went uphill. A person no longer had to think about where the naughty flint from the AX would fly off - work for yourself, just look so that you don’t accidentally crush the tree or your neighbor doesn’t steal the TOOL. But, despite the difficult intertribal relations, crafts associated with wood processing began to develop intensively. And when AXES began to be made of good tool steel, it remained to gain mind - mind and work. Moreover, the hated neighbor also has his own TOOL, so now he won’t take him away - go to the shop, buy and use it.
By the way, asking someone for a TOOL, and especially an AX, was considered bad form. They gave it reluctantly, but the point here was not at all

In the old days, masters could actually shave with an AX, it was so lovingly sharpened. By the way, few people know that the word "AX" is of Turkic origin, it came to Russia along with the Tatars - Mongol invasion and replaced the word "AX".

Over its long history, AX has not changed much. HANDLE (HANDLE, SHAFT) is cut out of wood hard rock- birch, maple, elm, hornbeam - or made of synthetic materials - fiberglass, polyamide. In our time, rubber corrugated pads for AXES are widely used - for more comfortable coverage and prevention of slipping of the palm. The length of the AX for rough work is approximately 45 cm.
The working part - the BLADE - on the one hand ends with a BLADE, and on the other - with a BUT and an EYE. The angle of sharpening of the working part is 35 degrees. special attention deserves a BLADE that can be sharpened for right or left hand- the bevel of the BLADES from the "working" side is made a little more. If necessary, the AX can always be resharpened.
THE BUT is mounted on the AX. The standard weight of the TOOL is about 1.5 kg, although other parameters are allowed. It should be taken into account that light TOOL designed for finishing, and for rough work it will require too much physical effort. A HEAVY TOOL (more than 1.5 kg.) is difficult to wield with one hand. For the most delicate, thorough processing of wood, you will need a lightweight version of the AX, weighing 0.8 - 0.9 kg. So the choice TOOL NEEDED conditioned by the task.

How are AXES made in our time? There are two ways:
1. Forge welding of two parts. From a strip with a section of 60x35 mm from ordinary steel (St3), a workpiece 170 mm long is “chopped off” - this is the base, the “body” of the AX. For the blade take tool steel. Two recesses are made in the heated billet, leaving a ledge in the middle for the AX BUTT. After that, the workpiece is bent so that the hole - "VSAD" - fits under the mandrel, corresponding in cross section to the AX at the place of the nozzle. A wedge is forged from tool steel, which is inserted between the drawn and bent ends of the workpiece and hammered between them. The workpiece is heated to the welding temperature together with the wedge and welded “in the lock”. At the end of welding, they put it on a steel mandrel, and on this mandrel they cut and bend the BEARD to protect the AX, bring all the necessary dimensions, finish the surfaces, sharpen the BLADE. Only the BLADE is quenched and tempered according to the heat treatment modes for tool steels.

2. One-piece forged AX is made from high-quality carbon or alloy steels (45 or 35G). The AX is forged in the same way as a welded one, before the formation of "VSADA". Then the “CHEEKS” of the AX are welded by forge welding and brought to the required size and shape by forging. The BLADE is chopped off and sharpened on an emery wheel, after which it is hardened according to the modes corresponding to the selected steel. A one-piece forged AX has a BLADE that is less durable and dulls faster than an AX made by forge welding with a tool steel BLADE. The connection of the “body” of the AX with the BLADE using rivets is more difficult and is used extremely rarely. This is how "elite" TOOLS for carpentry, joinery and other works are born.
A zealous owner used to have at least four AXES - one for each type of work. By the number of these INSTRUMENTS, the level of prosperity in the family was measured. No wonder the proverb says: "IN SEVEN YARDS ONE AX - FROM POVERTY."
It should also be remembered that the AX can also be very dangerous weapon. It is almost impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of injury, not only during work, but also during the transportation of the TOOL. Ancestors wore an AX in a special ring or loop on the back of the belt, which was called "AX". Today the AX is enclosed in a special tarpaulin or leather case.
The AX was never left stuck in a log or block of wood and was not placed against the wall, but only placed under the bench. Remembering the children's riddle: "BOWS, BOWS, COME HOME - STRETCHES." It will stretch under the bench, and the AX was turned with a blade to the wall so that no one - neither adults, nor even children - would accidentally get hurt while lifting something that had rolled under the bench. And in general, the AX was treated like a huge chain dog - lovingly, but prudently.

The main classification of the TOOL is carried out according to its purpose:
1. TOURIST AX - for going out into the forest, fishing or hiking.
2. CARPENTRY AX - for joinery, carpentry and wood carving.

3. AX FOR CHOPPING WOOD - also suitable for chopping firewood.
4. AX - CLEVER - with a long powerful handle for chopping massive logs.

5. UNIVERSAL AX - can be used as a hammer, and some models - as a nail puller. For this, the end of the butt, opposite to the blade, has an appropriate shape.
6. FIRE AX - all-metal, which has a pointed end instead of a butt.

7. THE BUTCHER'S AX ​​- otherwise referred to as the "STUPID", heavy and very sharp, with a short handle, the chopping part is not straight, like that of the CARPENT, but slightly rounded.
8. THE AX OF THE EXECUTIONER is the most “fun” of all the AXES invented by mankind. Massive with a long handle, the chopping part of the blade is not straight, like that of the CARPENTRY, but rounded, more often resembling a crescent. In the 20th century, such an AX took its rightful place in the museum.

In addition, it is possible to single out the types of AXES characteristic of certain countries. In France, INSTRUMENTS are popular with a straight AXIS along the entire length, on which a BLADE is mounted, vaguely resembling a bell “in profile”. The Scandinavian AX has a diamond-shaped working part with three stiffening ribs. The American felling TOOL with a long handle (70-100 cm) is equipped with a BLADE in the form of an isosceles trapezoid.
For Russia, the German-type AX with a classic wide BLADE is the most familiar. A kind of AX - "Teslo". This is the name of a carpenter's TOOL, a modified AX, in which the BLADE is set perpendicular to the AX. Sometimes the BLADE is given a semicircular or oval shape. TESLO is used to gouge recesses.

Simple rules of operation and storage, as well as basic concepts of working methods can make the AX a real long-liver ...

The oldest ax among household tools is only a digging stick - the great-grandmother of a modern shovel. It is clear that a lot has happened with this instrument over such a long century. Changes occurred, first of all, with the material of the ax and, only insignificantly, with the shape.

Also, given the specifics of the site, we will only briefly mention battle axes, axes and tomahawks.

Although very often their shape and manufacturing technology are very close to those of axes that serve as household tools.

In this article we will consider the most commonly used types of axes in the household:

• carpentry;
• carpentry;
• cleavers;
• tourist.

We will also mention some features of specific axes that do not fall into these groups.

carpentry axes

The vast majority of axes made throughout history are carpentry. Often they are also called universal.

The photo shows axes from various manufacturers of the pre-war Soviet period. Even a fairly experienced person in this matter will notice very few differences.

Carpenter's ax (here it is necessary to mention that we are talking about axes common in the territory of the former Russian Empire) has a characteristic shape of a straight elongated skirt and a blade rounded at an angle of about 30 °. The characteristic features of this particular ax are its weight: 1200 - 1300 g. And the sharpening angle of the blade, which is rather thin in cross section, is 20 - 30 °.

The last parameter is chosen independently by the user, based on the tasks that this tool will help solve. The 30° angle is more versatile and allows both hewing wood and splitting not very hard wood. A sharper angle brings the carpenter's ax closer in its functionality to a carpenter's ax, a more blunt one - to a cleaver.

Also, the carpenter's ax has a completely massive butt, which allows you to additionally attach a rather weighty sledgehammer to it during splitting operations.

All this fully applies to axes, which are considered universal. But it’s still worth paying attention to individual carpentry axes, directly and figuratively sharpened under the hand of the master.

The first is easy to sand and remove thin chips from wood, the second is clearly for hewing trunks, and only for right-handed people, even though in the photo the person holds it with his left hand. The third (Norwegian) is convenient for removing knots and cutting out recesses in the trunks for various purposes - the same cups of log cabins.

Cutting cups of log cabins

Gransfors Bruk carpentry axes from Sweden partially retained Scandinavian historical forms, but the first is lighter and more functionally closer to carpentry axes, and the second is a classic European carpentry ax.

Other well-known tool brands: Husqvarna, Fiskars and others, produce axes with a claim to versatility, but with more pronounced functions for chopping firewood.

carpentry axes

These axes have a traditional "Slavic" appearance, they are very similar to carpenter's axes, but they are lighter (from 600 g to a kilogram) and more often have a straight blade sharpening with angles of 18 - 25 °.

Above the blade, such an ax also has a fairly thin section. Yes, and he also does not need a massive butt, because his main task is to remove thin chips or hew boards (and not tree trunks). Sometimes such axes are sharpened like razors, but if they have to remove large enough layers of wood, then the effect of sticking the blade in it may occur. The master himself chooses the method and nature of sharpening.

The Evenki (one-sided) method of sharpening is very interesting. It is especially justified precisely when hewing thin-barreled frozen wood.

Sharpening an ax for left-handed and right-handed.

Cleavers

Splitting axes stand apart in the model range of axes. Their pronounced utility dictates completely individual forms of execution and sharpening angles. And the most common "Soviet" cleavers, and the Husqvarna, Fiskars mentioned above and the Gardena comrades who joined them are a vivid example of this.

The characteristic shape and sharpening of the cleavers, and indeed the name itself, testifies to the basic principle of the operation of this tool as eloquently as possible. The sharpening of the blade rather indicates the place of the future chip and sets its direction. The shape of the ax blade immediately after it enters the wood tends to widen the fibers, and the mass contributes to the inertia of this process. Therefore, most varieties of such axes differ not in mass, but in the length of the handle. The mass should be sufficient - 2.5 - 3 kg.

It is clear that for chopping wood long handle will be more productive, but in terms of performing universal functions, and most of the trendy axes clearly claim them, a short one is more convenient. Such an ax often becomes quite touristic if the campaign involves frequent and not childish logging. Here you can’t swing the right amount with a light tourist hatchet.

The shape of the cleaver has remained unchanged for centuries, but structurally this ax had a number of engineering solutions, and some, such as spring wedges, are still used in individual models of cleavers.

Tourist axes

But it is these hatchets that have the greatest variety of forms, because, as practice shows, paraphernalia for tourists is of no small importance, and this tool, in addition to a purely utilitarian function, can completely take on some of the symbolic ones. Of course with an interesting form.

But, nevertheless, the utility of the tool in the campaign is often much more important than for household needs at home. The more functions such a tourist ax can take on, the less things you will have to carry on a long journey. After all, if it is also a powerful knife - minus 300 - 400 g of cargo, if an ice ax - even down with almost the same weight, and sometimes even more. Also, the function of a hammer and a nail puller in certain situations (when rafting down rivers, etc.) can become indispensable. And the handle of a real tourist hatchet can also become a convenient storage for small, but such necessary things on a hike.

And where can we go without the notorious Fiskars in a tourist version

Sometimes tourists bring their tourist ax to the required conditions on their own: they drill holes in the handle to be able to mount it on their hand when chopping ice, make cutouts to reduce excess weight, sew comfortable and safe covers, attach functional attachments, etc.

Ax sharpening

Virtually non-existent universal way ax sharpening. After all, there are a great many of them, ranging from various forms, with its blade radii, angles and sharpening shapes, and up to ways to achieve the best result.

These are special machines for one particular ax, as well as devices that provide the desired sharpening angle, involving the use of standard power tools: sharpener, belt grinder, grinder.

We have selected a video with manual sharpening techniques for a carpentry (universal) ax that is suitable for most other cases.

Partially, we have already recalled the sharpening angles, emphasizing their individuality, but there are still general trends.

There are also sharpening features for some specific axes, such as a meat axe.

It would seem that there is something special in it, but there are features, and we will tell a few words about them, because. the household must have a separate hatchet for chopping meat.

So, if we talk about meat, then the blade of such an ax should be long and sharpened under a razor, with a wedge concave inward. But chopping bones with such an ax is very bad: the blade gets bogged down in the bones, quickly becomes dull, and sometimes chipped. Bone is easier to chop with an ax sharpened with an oval sharpening - under a lens (a kind of swollen cone) and with a blade sharpening angle of 40 °. The tasks are almost mutually exclusive.

But only in part. So they make such axes with a forging shape for a razor, and the blade itself is sharpened under a lens.

The “dull” blade splits the bone, and the razor shape of the ax contributes to good penetration into the flesh. Yes, and weight - from 3 to 3.5 kg - that help. By the way, the same was important for battle axes.

Dear readers, if you still have questions, ask them using the form below. We will be glad to communicate with you;)

Axe the most essential tool in economic activity man, used since ancient times.

Already in the Shellic era, the first and only tool (the so-called coup de poing) was adapted for use as an axe. It was a boulder, roughly hewn on one or both sides, in the shape of an amygdala, with sharp, cutting, often serrated edges and a more or less thin point. Such a projectile was at the same time a hammer, and a chisel, and a scraper, and a cutter, and a weapon. It was with him that the first Cain killed the first Abel: half a century ago, the archaeologist Leakey found in the Olduvai Gorge in Kenya the skull of an ancient poor fellow, pierced by a stone. Before us is a turning point in the entire world history, in fact, its beginning: a primitive tool brought the proto-human out of the influence of natural laws, in particular, the ban on intraspecific murder.

However, if we admit that there is no ax without a handle, then our invention will immediately become much younger - after all, the ax handle is only some 30 thousand years old. The ax is the first two-piece tool in history. Connecting the two elements was a difficult engineering challenge. At first they were tied with animal veins or strips of skin, but the design was fragile. It would seem, why is it easier to insert one element into another? But then they did not know how to make a hole in the stone, and the tree cracked easily. Therefore, as soon as people learned to melt metals, they began to make copper ax handles. “Blades” for a long time in the old fashioned way were made of stone, and this suited everyone, because flint or slate surfaces could be sharpened to extreme sharpness. The eyelet was originally made in an ax handle.

South American Indian stone ax

Towards the end of the Neolithic period, axes with drilled holes for the handle begin to come across. Drilling was carried out with a bough or hard bone, using sand and water.

An ax with a hole for the ax handle, located as in modern axes, begins to come across in some places (Italy) by the end of the Bronze Age, in others (Austria), even iron axes were first made on the model of bronze ones. Double (double-edged) axes made of bronze, without a handle, come across very rarely, and double copper axes date back to the Iron period.

Ax weapon

Since ancient times, the ax has served not only as the most important economic tool, but also as a weapon, and therefore has long been a symbol of power, strength, and wealth. Its social significance was convincingly demonstrated by the American anthropologist Lauriston Sharp, who studied the Australian tribe of Yir-Yoront. Stone axes - the most valuable tribal property - were kept by the elders and were given to the younger members of the clan for rent. When Christian missionaries distributed iron axes to everyone, the structure of social relations within the tribe simply collapsed.

With an ax in his hands, the formidable Akkadian king Naramsin (2254-2218 BC) is depicted on his triumphal relief. On other reliefs, Egyptian, pharaohs strike enemies with axes. Hatchet was a sign of state powers in Ancient Rome- it was worn by the lictors, the bodyguards of the consuls. In many mythologies, an ax is an attribute of the gods. So in Hinduism, Shiva hands this weapon to Rama, and he becomes Parashurama, that is, Rama-with-Axe. With his help, he "cleansed the earth from kshatriyas three times seven times, filling five lakes with their blood." The ax played a huge symbolic role in the Cretan-Mycenaean culture: even the famous Labyrinth, according to Plutarch, got its name from the sacred ax, labrys - its images were found on the walls of the Knossos Palace.

When the expanding Roman Empire seriously clashed with the Frankish tribes, the famous Francis was the weapon of choice. These hatchets already had a perfect, time-tested form and were used both in close combat - Frankish warriors were known for their ability to cut off limbs and cut skulls - and as a kind of artillery. Before the two armies converged shield to shield, a full salvo was waiting for the enemy. Rotating axes, crashing into the ranks of the enemy, smashed and maimed, broke the line, stunned with blows from ax handles and butts.

Francis. The ax was the symbol of the French warrior. He never parted with him during his lifetime and went to the grave with him - they laid him on the feet of the deceased.

In Russia

In Russia, berdyshes appear in the first half of the 15th century, and later become widespread as a weapon of archery troops and city guards.

The blunt part of the blade, designed to be mounted on the shaft, like axes, is called the butt, the edge opposite the blade is blunt, and the end pulled down is called a pigtail. The shaft is attached to the iron by means of a butt, a braid, rivet nails and straps. The ratovishe is driven into the butt, nailed with rivets through the holes in the butt. Such wells were usually made from 3 to 7. The pigtail was attached to the shaft with two or three nails and wrapped in several rows with a thin strap or rope. Sometimes the strap was nailed on every turn. At the lower end of the ratovishka, an iron tip (inflow) was mounted to stop the reed into the ground both when firing from guns (squeakers) and during the parade. Sometimes a lot of small holes were made in the canvas of the berdysh, into which rings were sometimes inserted. The berdysh of equestrian archers and dragoons were made smaller than those of the infantry and had two iron rings on the pole for a running belt.

Berdysh was a weapon of the archery troops and served not only as an additional edged weapon, but also as a stand - a bipod (bipod) when firing from heavy matchlock guns. The reasons for the rare use of the ax by the feudal nobility and princely warriors lie not so much in the disdain for it as a weapon of the common people, but in the tactical features of equestrian combat. The ax is a traditional infantry weapon. characteristic feature early berdysh of the 16th century is the forging of the upper end into one point - obviously, the berdysh was also designed for an injection. In the 17th century, the upper ends of the berdysh began to be forged into two shorter points. The planes of the berdysh were often covered with carved ornaments, either in the form of simple dots and schematic leaves, or in the form of complex designs depicting unicorns fighting dragons, various chimeras and colors. .

The ax was the main weapon of the Novgorodians. With him, the Russian peasant defended his home from enemies, rose to a dashing rebellion for freedom. The ax also served as a tool. It was "puffed": in the center - high-alloy steel, and along the edges - softer iron. During the battle of the Novgorodians against the Germans (and some battles lasted up to three days), the ax did not become dull, but became even sharper, splitting the German armor like nuts.

Of course, when moving from one culture and one area to another, the appearance of the ax could change greatly. At first, the so-called ax-klevets became widespread - with a narrow elongated rectangular blade oriented across the ax handle. A tool that combined the functions of a hoe and a pick arose in the 4th millennium BC. e. in Mesopotamia and spread throughout the Middle East. In Akkadian, it was called "pilakku", a word borrowed by the emerging Indo-European language even before its division into "Indo-" and "European". However, having borrowed the word, the Indo-Europeans drastically modified the subject that it denoted. For example, the Cretan ax had two expanding and rounded blades at the end.

Despite all that has been said, it must be admitted that in ancient times the ax was not very popular. The situation changed after the 8th century. The "barbarian" civilization of Europe began to develop rapidly, there was a need to clear vast territories occupied dense forests(In the Mediterranean, such problems never arose).

Before, almost everywhere the blade was inserted into the handle. Then the blade began to be forged from an iron plate, which was bent in half when hot, leaving a hole (eye) in place of the bend. Finally, it became possible to insert the ax handle into the blade, and not vice versa. This allowed us to experiment with the form. The effectiveness of an ax depends on the ratio of parameters such as the center of gravity, the center of impact and the line of direction of impact. Medieval people intuitively found the ideal formula. First, the blade was given a beard shape, then its width was increased, and the "beard" was reduced. So that the hand does not experience strong recoil, the center of impact should fall on the handle. In ancient times, this was achieved by beveling the blade. In the Middle Ages, they thought of a curved handle. This made the ax very popular with both lumberjacks and warriors - formidable weapon spread first among the Vikings, and then throughout Europe. The ax that pierced knightly armor dominated the battlefields for a long time.

The production of axes was put on a mass basis in the 1830s in the United States of America, where they faced the same "logging" problem as a thousand years earlier in Europe. Axes of the Collins brothers, in which the weight of the blade was equal to weight ax handles reigned supreme until the 1880s, when they were finally replaced by a mechanical saw.

During the excavations of Slavic settlements, small bronze axes-amulets and children's toys-axes were found. The most ancient finds on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin are stone battle axes 2 thousand BC As for the ax as a weapon, it has not lost some sinister appeal to this day, although it has lost its former social status. As the convicts told Raskolnikov: "To walk with an ax is not a master's business at all."

The ax is one of the oldest tools invented and used by man. For many years he regularly served him both in the household and in the war. And to describe the whole history of the evolution of the ax in such a short article is simply impossible. Therefore, let us dwell on the main turning points in its development.

If we assume that the first ax is just a pointed stone in the hand of a primitive man, then he is about 500 thousand years old. Well, if we consider the history of the ax from that moment, a handle was attached to the stone, then it is much younger, it is only 30 thousand years old. The homeland of the ax cannot be precisely determined. This instrument is truly international, it has no geographical or cultural boundaries. Picking up a stick and a stone from the ground, and connecting them could be in any part of the world. Although in those years it was considered an almost impossible task to connect stone and wood together, and therefore, as soon as people mastered the secret of melting metals, they began to make ax handles from copper. Imagine: a stone ax with a copper ax handle.

Therefore, the ax was not very popular among primitive people. The development of the ax began during the development of Europe. It took a tool to clear large areas of forest thickets. By the way, in ancient times, in the Mediterranean, where there are few forests, there was also no great need for an ax. The development of blacksmithing in the Middle Ages led to the appearance of forged axes, axes began to be made with a butt, where an ax handle could be inserted. And now, after long experiments, people finally came to the ideal shape of an ax. They realized that the effectiveness of the ax depends on the ratio of parameters such as the center of gravity, the center of impact and the line of direction of impact.

In order for the hand not to experience strong recoil, the center of impact should fall on the handle. At first, this was achieved by beveling the blade. And then they began to make a curved handle. The ax became the main tool for lumberjacks, and as a weapon it spread first among the Vikings, and soon throughout Europe, where it has long been one of the main types of weapons.
Another impetus for the further development of the ax as a tool was the development of America. Here, the colonialists faced the same problem as Europe faced a thousand years ago - extensive forest thickets. Axes, improved by the Collins brothers, were the ideal tool for American lumberjacks(their blade weight was equal to the weight of the ax handle), and were produced in huge quantities until 1880, when they were replaced by a mechanical saw. What about the tomahawk, you ask? It turns out that the homeland of the tomahawk is not North America, but France. And when the French brought this kind of axes to America, the Indians very quickly found the use of axes in military affairs, although before that they were armed only with bows, arrows and knives.

If you do not take into account military affairs, where the ax, as a weapon, quickly outlived itself, then in all ages the main task of axes was logging and wood processing. The function of the ax has not changed much today. He did not go to gather dust in museums. And today there are: a carpenter's ax - with a wide, thin blade and with a sharp toe; artisan and joiner's ax, one-handed - small; an ax turning, chopping or buckling - even smaller in size; a man's ax - small and thick; hatchet barrel, turning - half as much, one-handed.

The technology of making axes today has become more advanced and differs significantly from the medieval one. Today, axes are made by forge welding, solid forged and with the ax body connected to the blade with rivets, sometimes drilling an eyelet in a solid metal billet was used. The average weight of a modern ax is 1.8 kilograms, and an ax handle is no more than half a kilogram. The ax is usually made from a young, straight-layered, healthy and not fragile birch, from its butt part. In order to make the ax easy to hold in hand, the ax handle is made in a slightly curved shape.

And now the ax should always be at hand. It often becomes necessary at home, and in the country, and on a hike, and at a picnic. This tool is ready to help at any moment.
What kind of ax should a zealous owner have?

If you are not a professional carpenter, then it is best to have an all-purpose ax at home. This will be the most economical option for you. A universal ax must be selected “according to the hand”, so that you feel comfortable when working. If you are a hiker, then it goes without saying that you will also need a hiking axe. Well, if you are a butcher, then you just need a butcher's ax - the largest, widest and heaviest. To split firewood in the country, you need to purchase a cleaver, and to participate in tomahawk throwing competitions (if you suddenly decide to participate in them) - a sports tomahawk.

The ax is one of the most ancient and, of course, the most useful inventions of mankind and the first step towards its invention. ancient man probably did when he picked up a sharpened stone. Such a tool served simultaneously as a hammer and a chisel and a scraper and a weapon. The next step in the evolution of the ax was the replacement of the hand with a stick. The hatchet repeatedly intensified the combat and working actions of the ax. In primitive times, there were two ways to attach an ax to an ax handle. In one case, a hole was pierced in the middle of the stone, into which a stick was driven, in the other, the stone was inserted into a horn and wrapped with veins.

In ancient times, flint or bones of large animals served as the material for the strikers (chopping part of the ax).
The workpiece was sharpened by sharpening, with the development of blacksmithing, axes began to be forged from iron. When hot, the plate was bent in half. And in the place of the bend, a hole was made for the eyelet, a similar technology made it possible to change the shape of this tool. The ax was mainly used in woodworking, but also combat properties were no less important. Axes were used not only in close combat, but also as throwing weapons. Already in ancient times, the ax acquired and symbolic meaning. Becoming one of the attributes of gods and kings.

In Egyptian reliefs, pharaohs strike their enemies with axes. One can also recall the Cretan-Mycenaean culture, where the double ax "Labrys" was one of the main universal symbols. On ancient Greek vases, a double-edged ax was depicted as the weapon of Zeus the Thunderer. The ax of Zeus is schematically depicted with curved lines, which can be interpreted as an image of lightning.

In ancient Rome, a double ax stuck in the bundles of twigs of Fassa served as a symbol of consular power. The ancient Scythians and Persians used the battle ax sagaris. The "Sagaris" had a long, thin handle and an elongated blade with a massive butt with pointed or curved shapes. With a similar ax, he almost killed Alexander the Great, a Persian commander, at the Battle of Granik in 334 BC. From the nomads, the battle axes of the sagaris came to Russia. And in the form of coins spread in Central and Northern Europe. The coin was a light hatchet with a hammer on the butt. These hatchets were mostly status items, so they were distinguished by their special quality and unique beauty. The coinage of Andrei Bogolyubsky has survived to this day; it is trimmed with black gold and silver.

A new era of the peaceful ax began with the development of Western civilization. Starting from the 8th c. The population of medieval Europe began to grow. There was a need to develop new lands occupied by impenetrable forests. The ax became the main assistant of the tillers and pioneers. After many centuries, a similar problem will arise before the European colonialists. North America. The axes, improved by the Collins brothers in the 1930s, will serve as the ideal tool for American lumberjacks. And in such a forested country as Russia for many centuries, the ax was also the main tool with which everything was done from a spoon to the fortress walls. Although Peter I was a carpenter himself, in noble Russia the ax was perceived exclusively as a peasant tool. So in Dostoevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment" the convicts say to Raskolnikov: " It's not a master's business at all, to walk with an ax".

In medieval Europe, the Vikings were the first to glorify the battle ax, their names eloquently tell us about this. For example, Eric is the son of Harold Finevolosovo, nicknamed "Bloody Axe". The Norwegian king Olaf the Holy was the owner of an ax with a very expressive name "Hel" (the goddess of death among the ancient Scandinavians). Axes and medieval knights were also popular. The ax was more powerful weapon than a sword and could pierce knightly armor. That is why most European knights were armed not only with swords, but also with axes. The sword could break in battle, but the ax is reliable. The battle ax met both one-handed and two-handed, one-sided and two-sided. Battle axes are widely used throughout the world. And in all regions, its modifications were different. For example, the famous "Halberds" were in service with the infantry of some European countries from the 13th -17th century, and in Russia in the first half of the 15th century, analogues of the "Halberd" "Berdyshi" appeared. These were axes with a curved blade, in the likeness of a crescent, impaled on an elongated shaft. Later, these "Berdyshi" became widespread, primarily as a weapon of the archery troops and city guards. And they went out of use only at the beginning of the 18th century.

With the advent in Europe firearms interest in the combat qualities of the ax fell accordingly. And battle axes of various modifications were replaced by ceremonial and ceremonial axes. At the same time, remarkable hybrids began to appear. different types weapons, such as an ax a pistol, in which the muzzle is located at the end of the blade, and the ax handle served as a handle and barrel. At the same time, battle axes appeared in America, where the Indians immediately appreciated their quality. Having changed their clubs for axes, they learned to throw them with extraordinary accuracy, at a distance of up to 20 meters. So in all likelihood, the Tomahawk appeared. And the very word "Tomahawk" originally meant a war club with a stone on the pommel. The Indians tried to make their tomahawks unique by trimming them with beads, furs, inlays and carvings. Symbolic objects were often used in decoration.

There were special tomahawks combined with a pipe. Such tomahawks were used in diplomacy as a gift. It was, in fact, a universal symbol for any negotiations. On one side is the pipe of peace, and on the other side is the ax of war.

Today, peaceful axes, carpentry and joinery continue to successfully carry out their service. And the battle axes of the "Halberd" can only be seen with the Swiss Guards in the Vatican.