“D”-shaped adze

Although adze-type tools—small tools with short, straight, or slightly curved handles—are commonly used across the Indigenous cultures of Alaska and the Far North (Inupiaq, Yup’ik, Inuit) for woodworking, the “D”-shaped adze—so named for its shape, which cradles and protects the craftsman’s hand—was used from southwestern Washington State to, approximately, the northern tip of Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland of British Columbia among the Haida and Nuu-chah-nulth peoples.

Held with the cutting edge pointing downward toward the woodcarver, it is used to smooth surfaces (much like a plane). It is mainly used for finishing and precision work, such as shaping totem poles or building and finishing traditional cedar canoes.

The shape of our adze resembles a bird—probably a seabird like a puffin or a guillemot.
These seabirds, typical of the North Pacific, are often depicted because of their massive beaks. The profile of their large heads fits perfectly against the wooden rest on which the carver rests the palm of his hand (on the bird’s back) to increase the force of his stroke.

Linking the tool used to build the boat to a seabird was a magical and spiritual act: it imbued the newly built vessel with the bird’s qualities (buoyancy, speed, navigational skills, and protection from the dangers of the ocean).

Historically, Indigenous carvers made their blades from stone or scrap iron (from shipwrecks). With colonization, they began obtaining blades typically from commercial axes that had been filed into two narrow pieces
The forged iron blade stamped “SEATTLE” was likely obtained through trade, originating from the city of Seattle, south of Vancouver.