Pickaxe

Pickaxe on the ground

A pickaxe is a hand tool with a hard head attached perpendicular to the handle.

Some people make the distinction that a pickaxe has a head with a pointed end and a flat end, and a pick has both ends pointed, or only one end; but most people use the words to mean the same thing.

The head is most commonly made of metal, and the handle is most commonly wood or metal.

The head is a spike ending in a sharp point, may curve slightly, and often has a counter-weight to improve ease of use. The stronger the spike, the more effectively the tool can pierce the surface. Rocking the embedded spike about and removing it can then break up the surface.

The counterweight nowadays nearly always is a second spike, usually with a flat end for prying.

The pointed edge is most often used to break up rocky surfaces or other hard surfaces such as concrete or hardened dried earth. The large momentum of a heavy pickaxe, combined with the small contact area, makes it very effective for this purpose.

The chiseled end, if present, is used for purposes including cutting through roots.

Originally used as agricultural tools as far back as prehistoric cultures, picks have also served for tasks ranging from mining to warfare. The design has also evolved into other tools such as the plough and the mattock.

In prehistoric times a large deer antler was often cut down to its shaft and one tine and used as a one-pointed pick.

Pickaxe handle

A pickaxe handle, without the head, is often used as a baton, for example it is an official issue baton used in the British Army.

A pickaxe handle has been known to be used while scuba diving to fend off sharks.

A pickaxe handle is about a yard long and is sometimes used for measuring.

The phrase "with a pickaxe handle" has been used metaphorically for "in a rough aggressive manner".

See also

• Pick
• Ice-pick
• Maddox