It doesn’t get much simpler than an adze, a sharpened piece of metal attached to a wooden handle and used to carve and shape wood. It’s been used since ancient times to do everything from creating wooden beams out of tree trunks to hollowing out bowls. Modern adzes are now used not only for woodworking but also for gardening. In fact, the head of an adze can be found on Halligan bars, a firefighter’s favorite tool after the good, old-fashioned ax.