>>1237488>What is the best length for an all around axe?Depends on what you consider "all around".
If it's just classical axe jobs (splitting, tree felling, hewing) get an axe that is long enough to tough the ground when you have it loosely hanging from your hand. That way, missed strikes hit the earth rather than your shin and you can get enough momentum to split logs or drive wedges.
The head should be on the light side (500-800g) to allow for finer work (for which you'd grasp the axe right beneath the head) and as broad as possible. Just search for an axe that looks like a danish waraxe.
If you're one of those posers that use an axe in place of a big knife, get a really light axe (200-300g) with a handle about as long as your forearm. Those are the most comfortable to use, but they're useless for anything other than carving and making firewood.
As for the handle, unlike most people here I'd recommend a good wooden handle, preferably ash. They vibrate far less, and if you treat them with beeswax before the first use, they'll last centuries.
In fact, I own a carpenters axe that was made in 1918 and used until 1939 (at which point the owner went into WW2 and never came back) that is still in use in it's original configuration (well, except for a freshly ground edge, since it had rusted a bit). On the other hand, the two polymer handled tools I owned so far (one axe and one hammer) both suffered broken handles after a few hours of work.
