adze

An adze is a cutting tool used for woodworking, characterized by a blade attached at right angles to the handle. This transverse orientation allows the user to shape wood by passing the edge across the surface with a pushing or pulling stroke. Unlike an axe, whose blade is aligned with the handle and used mainly for chopping, the adze cuts with the grain and is particularly effective for smoothing, hollowing, and defining large surfaces. Historically, adzes have appeared in every major woodworking culture. The earliest examples are ground or flaked stone adzes from the Neolithic, followed by copper, bronze, and iron variants. In many regions, the blade was attached by a tang, socket, or through a haft, and some forms used a short handle for a controlled, precise cut, while others used longer handles for heavier work such as canoe hulls, dugout canoes, or log houses. Modern adzes range from simple hand tools to specialized forms used in sculpting and cabinet making. They are still used in traditional woodworking and in woodcarving, but are often supplemented or replaced by power tools for rapid material removal. Variants include the straight-handled adze for flat work and the curved, gouge-like adze used for hollowing and scooping. The term "adze" derives from medieval sources, with roots likely in Old French or related languages.