- (Images: Design: Ami Drach and Dov Ganchrow; 3D scanning: Leore Grosman and the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem; 3D printing: Stratasys/Objet; Photography: Moti Fishbain)
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The hand axe is arguably the most popular tool of all time, with its use spanning over 1.4 million years and four major continents. It has an iconic teardrop or almond shape and is worked from both sides into a symmetrical form with sharp edges.
What explains this tool's unusual prominence? Some say that making this kind of shape is a hard-wired human instinct, like a spider that builds a specific web shape. Or it may simply be that we like the hand-axe because it's just so useful. It is a multi-tool that can be applied to many important tasks.
As a modern design experiment, Ami Drach and Dov Ganchrow created their "man-made" series of hand-knapped flint stones and paired them with 3D-printed handles. From spears and digging tools to holstered throwing rocks, each tool is customised for a particular use – even for displays of courtship.
The design featured above emphasises how grip and left or right-handedness influence a personalised hand axe for the modern world. The image below speaks for itself.
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