What are the basic parts of an adze?

12th August 2021


	What are the parts of an adze?


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			Adze handle
			The handle of the adze is the part of the tool held by the user. It is usually made of strong wood, such as hickory.

			It can be long (two-handed or foot adze) or short (one-handed or hand/elbow adze).

			Adze head
			The head is the metal part of the adze that is used for shaving wood. Different parts of the head are referred to by different names, as shown below.



			Adze head eye
			The eye is the hole through the head of the adze through which the handle is attached.

			Adze heads are held onto the handles by friction. This means that the handle gets wider towards the end and the adze head is wedged onto it so that it can’t move around.

			Adze poll and pins
			The non-bladed side of the adze is referred to as the poll. This may be completely flat, in which case it is not designed to be used. Alternatively it may have a small rectangular lump (half poll), or a longer, cylinder-shaped pin (pin poll).

			A half or pin poll can be used to remove any part of the wood that might damage or blunt the adze blade, such as a tough piece of bark or twig, or a nail.

			Adze blades
			There are numerous different types of adze blade. Each is designed to perform a different job based on its size, shape, curvature and bevel.

			Flat blades Flat blades are designed to smooth wood and remove unwanted lumps and bumps. They can also be used for removing bark and turning felled trees into wooden beams for houses.

			Flared blades Flared blades broaden from the shoulder, creating a wide cutting edge. This allows the user to smooth wooden surfaces much more quickly. This kind of blade was commonly used by shipwrights to smooth large planks of wood.

			Curved blades Curved blades have rounded edges, which means the adze has a larger sharp edge that can strike wood at different angles. This type of blade is most often used for shaping chair seats.

			Lipped blades When an adze’s shoulders are curved towards the handle, it creates a lipped blade. If you looked at this blade front-on, it would resemble a letter U. Depending on the size, this type of blade is best used for hollowing out bowls or canoes, or making gutters.

			What is a bevelled edge?
			A bevelled edge is one that has been ground down at an angle. In the case of adzes, blades are bevelled until they create a sharp edge for cutting.

			Outside bevel With its outside edge ground down, an adze is good for roughly cutting off slivers of timber. It is resistant to getting stuck in the piece of wood being worked on because the weight of the handle tends to pull it back out.

			An outside bevelled blade leaves scallop-shaped marks in the surface of the wood it carves. This can be a desirable cosmetic effect on timber beams.

			Inside bevel Inside bevels allow more precise, accurate cuts than outside bevelled blades. Lipped blades with an inside bevel are harder to sharpen than outside bevelled blades, as the curve of the blade makes it difficult to make contact with a grinder.

			Inside bevelled adzes leave a smooth surface on the wood they carve.

			Combined bevel This type of blade is bevelled both on the inside and on the outside. The outside of the blade is only bevelled slightly – just enough to help keep the blade from becoming jammed.

			This means a combined bevel has all of the advantages, and none of the disadvantages, of both of the other types of blade.