Axial Hafting

A form of axial hafting, or chisel hafting, for felling large trees has been described in detail by Best (12, p. 129). A double-bevelled implement page 187termed a toki ngao tu or poki, about five or six pounds in weight, was attached to the end of a spar which had been cut to form a flat upper surface with a shoulder for the butt of the tool. The lashing consisted of transverse turns and the cutting edge of the implement was held horizontally. For details of the cross bow arrangement and supporting scaffold, see Best. The implement cut across the grain of the wood and was used to make two deep grooves. The wood between the grooves was cut out by a heavy implement with one bevel termed a toki ngao pae which was hafted to a spar in a similar manner to the axe implement. The implement was wielded without a scaffold by two or three men, the axis of the cutting edge being held vertical. Fire was used to aid the deepening of the scarf. This technique is unique for Polynesia and was probably inspired by the larger forest trees of New Zealand. A special form of haft and lashing was devised for certain nephrite adzes.