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A modern pickaxe with opposing chisel
A pick, also known as a pickax or pickaxe is a hand tool for digging and breaking up hard or rocky ground. They range in size from about one to four feet (30cm to 120cm) long with a perpendicularly mounted striking head. The head has a sharp spike on one side and the other side may be a chisel, hammer, or another spike. The spike may be slightly curved toward the haft. Primitive picks have only the one spike. The haft is usually made of stout wood but can also be crafted from metal or bone.
As with most tools, the pick was adapted for war and often combined with a hammer head on the back. The heavy spike could pierce plate mail, often too well, becoming stuck in the target.
Picks intended for use as weapons are:
Reconstructed Celtic pickaxes
