• The Acheulean handaxe is one of the most common, easily identifiable archeological artifacts, but they are also among the oldest tools used by humankind. They were the "first standardized tradition of toolmaking of Homo erectus and early Homo sapiens."
• Heading Axe: This axe, currently housed in the Tower of London, is believed to be the original axe used to execute high-profile criminals.
• The Palstave was uniquie in that it existed for only a short period during the Early Bronze Age (1500 BC – 1000 BC). According to Gränsfors Bruk Sweden, "The characteristic of this axe type is the narrow butt, which inserts into a split wooden handle. The blade is often flared and the sides may be decorated with spiral or angular patterns. The Palstave was mounted in the split end of a wooden handle and then tied in place with leather straps."

Additional Axes

•  Gränsfors Bruk Sweden, and axe manufacturer in Sweden, offers a comprehensive history of the axe and its many manifestations. These include: the double-headed battle axe, the boat axe, the polygonal axe, Franziska, the throwing axe, the socketed axe, the broad axe, and the bearded axe.