Axe No Longer Just A Carpentry Tool

By Sakini Mohd Said YAN (Kedah, Malaysia), June 12 (Bernama) -- To many, an axe is simply a cutting tool that is used either in logging, and carpentry or for various other purposes, such as separating meat from the bones of slaughtered livestock. The axe – made up of a wooden handle and a metal head with a sharp edge – has been used primarily for cutting purposes since time immemorial. But this traditional carpentry tool has got a new lease of life after being turned into a knife-like tool that cuts vegetables and fruits in the kitchen. HANDICRAFT The presence of Harun Sulaiman (also known as Pak Harun), a skilled maker of axe-based handicrafts in roadshows organised by the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) has never failed to fascinate visitors. At these roadshows, Harun demonstrates his deft skills, slicing vegetables and meat with an axe, as if it were a kitchen knife. "People are fascinated with the way I use an axe to slice raw food on the kitchen table. It is actually much easier using the axe instead of a kitchen knife," said Harun, who has been involved in the manufacturing of axes as handicraft items with Harga Kraf Enterprise. Recently, media practitioners visited Harun at his home here. Many are of the opinion that the kitchen axe he uses is no different from other axes, despite its smaller size. Harun is determined to commercialise his axes. With axes measuring between 12.7 cm and 14 cm, he has developed five exclusive designs that feature Malaysian flora and fauna. AXE-MAKING SKILLS The father of eight said he did not inherit the axe-making skills from anybody but acquired them over the years. "I was 50 years old and had been thinking about my future. I felt that my work as a massager was no longer suitable due to my age. Then, coincidentally, my favourite knife was taken away by one of my children. "I started making knives and later branched out into making axes," Harun explained. He spent RM2,000 (about US$636) on a bench grinder and a table saw and made plans to expand his business. As there was an abundance of conventional axes in the market, Harun began developing a type of axe that could be used to slice vegetables, fruits and meat in the kitchen. CHALLENGES As he was yet to be registered with Krafftangan Malaysia at that time, Harun started out by selling his wares at the market in Kota Sarang Semut and Kampung Berjaya in northern state of Kedah and other places. He has also been injured more than once while making his prized handicraft item. "It happened in 2009 and I received 34 stitches for the injuries sustained on my right index finger. "As a result, I cannot bend my index finger. But in 2012, the same finger was injured again during a cutting process and I got 20 stitches for that," he said. Harun registered with Kraftangan Malaysia in 2009 and his earnings have allowed him to perform the haj and umrah pilgrimages to the Holy Land, along with his wife. He said Kraftangan Malaysia has much assisted him in his ventures, including helping him acquire a machine worth RM11,000 (US$3,499). -- BERNAMA