[Victrix]

Originally Posted by kronckew

goosewings or axes made for planking had offset eyes, as in 9, 14, and 17 above view are terrible for weapons.

anecdote:

one of the UK 'executioners axes' was an offset carpenter's plank finishing axe, the executioner chosen for a particularly high status execution used it. while he was very experienced, the execution went badly, took him several blows. he was ridiculed and even had vegetables thrown at him in the street. he had a pamphlet printed and distributed to plead his case that the axe they'd foisted on him, not he himself was to blame as he could not strike straight with it.

it's designed for shaving wood, not chopping. a straight down blow puts a torque moment on the haft, twisting it in your hands. anyway, the pamphlet didn't help him much.

I wouldn't be surprised if the executioners took one "stiffener," or two before the job, to make the task easier and perhaps not always fair to blame the tool used?