Turf cutting axe

Axe with large, heavy and thick (approx. 5 mm), rectangular (approx. 40 cm by 10 cm) or crescent-shaped (1) iron blade that is connected to a long (approx. 100 cm) curved stem. The cut of the blade and the tip of the stem form an angle of about 45 °.

The turf cutting axe serves to cut through the sod - with tough roots - in superficial peat extraction, but also, for example, where a trench will be dug with the spade to lay drainage pipes (see drain ladle and pipe layer). When cutting turf to protect dikes or embankments, a turf axe is also often used to divide the area of the meadow into long strips, which are then cut across with the garden spade and then loosened with the paring spade (2).

Such an axe is also sometimes used as a dung axe, to cut through the caked manure of the stable.

See also the flauchter spade and sod cutter. [MOT]

(1) Eg. DEBY from DAVID 1975: 140.

(2) Eg. FRICK & CANAUD: 508.