Hafting an Axe: DIY (2020) (opens in new tab)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraxinus_excelsior#Uses:

“The resilience and rapid growth made it an important resource for smallholders and farmers. It was probably the most versatile wood in the countryside with wide-ranging uses. Until World War II, the trees were often coppiced on a 10-year cycle to provide a sustainable source of timber for fuel and poles for building and woodworking. […] Ash timber is hard, tough and very hard-wearing, with a coarse, open grain and a density of 710 kg/m3. It lacks oak's natural resistance to decay, and is not as suitable for posts buried in the ground. Because of its high flexibility, shock resistance, and resistance to splitting, ash wood is the traditional material for bows, tool handles, especially for hammers and axes, tennis rackets, and snooker cue sticks, and it was extensively used in the construction of early aircraft”

I guess ash trees growing easily and producing timber that can be used in all kinds of way also is the reason Yggdrasil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil) is an ash tree.

The wood of ash branches in particular is especially nice for this purpose. Hornbeam as well!

There are so many old American made axes for people who are interested that there is really no need to go low tech. You can pick up axes or axe head for cheap at yard sales or estate sales, follow the instruction in the article to make an axe that rivals what you can get on Amazon.