Ax - A sharp edged tool for chopping, usually made from a hard tough stone. Indian axes averaged from 1 to 6 pounds in weight, but some were as heavy as 30 pounds. Often made from a wedge shaped rock, sometimes grooved for attaching the handle, the Indian's ax was most effectively used for chopping wood that had first been charred. When Europeans introduced the iron ax, the Indian quickly adopted it in preference to the stone one.