Pickaxe dimensions

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by rob love

I have always differentiated the British pick from the US pick by the extra shank on the pick axe head for the US one, vs the no shank on the British one. As Lynn mentions, the British one has the metal reinforced handle at the head, and a ring on the bottom. The US handle is all wood and larger diameter.

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

Hanno, The (later)WWII handle did not have the band at the grip end. The pick head end will have the steel sleeve, to go with the head shown. (at least, I've never seen one that didn't) The logic is that the long hole in the American one stabilizes the handle in the head, whereas the smaller and shorter hole requires the steel sleeve to stabilize the head on the handle.

I've been wondering about the what you meant with the "extra shank on the US one vs. the no shank on the British one". Remember I am not a native English speaker.

Doing a picture search combined with Lynn's remark about the "long hole" I think I now have a grip on what the US pick looks like.

Note: the Oxford Dictionary of English states that both "pick" and "pickaxe" have the same meaning, that being a tool with a long handle at right angles to a curved iron or steel bar with a point at one end and a chisel or point at the other, used for breaking up hard ground or rock.

Pickaxe.jpg