More BS. Adze hafts are a slip fit with the haft being driven down hard from the top, not driven hard from the bottom up and then wedged. Apples and oranges. The reason adze hafts are fit this way is so the haft can be removed easy by driving the haft out the top. And the reason you need to remove the adze head is so you can sharpen it on a peddle or hand crank grindstone. Adze blade is perpendicular to the haft, you can not get the bevel on the grindstone with the haft in the way. The axe on the other hand, because the the axe bit bevel is parallel to the haft, can be sharpened on the grindstone with the haft fixed tight. This system with axe and adze sharpening goes as far back in history as metal tools and the invention of the wheel. Any old guy (this includes me) who grew up using axes and adzes should know this. Now about the term "adze eye" as used on wood handled hammers. The term is used to define the rectangular shape which helps when driving and especially when pulling nails.
The haft swell below the axe eye has nothing to do with style. The swell is necessary to make the transition from a comfortable haft shape to the shape of the axe eye. The reason that, on factory made hafts, the swell is so large and the tongue so long is simply to fit the largest variety of heads. This is good business for the factory made hafts. When axe hafts were hand made, there were never large swells or long tongues. Look at old axes with what appear to be original hafts, and you will see this. I have, and have used, many early axes. I have inspected the exhibited and non exhibited axe collections at the Smithsonian Institute, Colonial Williamsburg, and Mercer Museum. In no way is the swell below the axe eye to prevent the head from sliding down the haft on to the users hand. You may have noticed that I always criticize leaving a unnecessary haft swell below the eye. My reasons are:
* If you use an axe hard, all day long, you want to be able to slid your right hand (if you are right handed) all the way up under the head as you swing the axe. This helps support the weight better and prevents fatigue. There are also times when, for control, you want to use your axe for close work and place your hand, or both hands, right under the eye.
*You do not want a fat swell of wood below the eye. Extra wood below the eye can hit, and splinter, by hitting your work piece. All that is necessary is a tapered slight swell just below the eye. You have three choices--Use a rasp or four in hand to remove the extra wood and seat the head down where the factory haft swell is (this will shorten the haft some) ; If you want the full factory length then use the four in hand to remove enough of the factory swell (move it up) to allow you to use the full length of the factory haft; If you have already hung the haft with the swell too low or to fat, just carefully remove it and do not bugger up your four in hand on the already mounted head. If you dont know what to do with the removed hickory, ask Quinton what he does with his hickory scraps.
*Last- It's ugly.
