Bill Ranseen wrote in
:

In article , Salty Thumb
wrote:


I could never tell the difference between a mattock and a maul, but I
once used an axe (30" haft) break apart a 2-3 inch diameter stump and
sever some main roots. Then I pried it out with the wide curved end
of a maul (or mattock?). If you paulbunyan the stump with the axe, I
suppose you don't need the maul and can just pick the pieces out.

wear safety glasses and keep away from toes, of course.

-- Salty

A maul, like an axe, has a blade in line with the handle. The head is
heavier and thicker than an axe, and the tool is used for splitting
wood. A mattock has the blade perpendicular to the handle and the tool
is used for digging, rooting, grubbing, etc. Mattocks are usually made
with another blade opposite: pick mattock has a pick on one side and
mattock on the other, axe mattock an axe and a mattock.

Thanks for those descriptions. The thing I was using had a small square
blade parallel with the handle on one side and on the other side was a
slightly curved blade (4-5x the length of the square part) perpendicular
to the handle I guess it could be used for hacking at wood, but it
doesn't have very good balance for that (plus it was very old and had
lost it's edge) but the curved end was very good for digging and breaking
up soil. Does it sound like an axe mattock to you?

- Salty

P.S. frogleg - sorry for hijacking the thread ... sounds like if the
digging (curved end) of your mattock is sharp, it would work well for
knifing out small stumps. The one on mine is dull like the axe-head.