In the Mary Rose Museum, and in a collection in Edinburgh ( I think in the Castle) they have original hafts for Bills and Jedburgh Axes, and they are branch wood. Natural, cut branch of round section, with discernable shoots cut flush to the stave. Probably favoured 'cos of the continuous grain and natural spring.
Many of the shafts in Museums are 19th and early 20thC replacements, and so can not be used as exemplars.
Yari shafts are round, but Naginata's are oval...
Just my two pennyworth!
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