Editing Hand axe (section)

===Soft hammer finish===
[[File:Hand axe spanish.gif|thumb|{{center|Hand axe probably roughed-out using a hard hammer and then retouched using a soft hammer.}}]]

Some hand axes were formed with a hard hammer and finished with a soft hammer. Blows that result in deep [[conchoidal fracture]]s (the first phase of manufacture) can be distinguished from features resulting from sharpening with a soft hammer. The latter leaves shallower, more distended, broader scars, sometimes with small, multiple shock waves. However, marks left by a small, hard hammer can leave similar marks to a soft hammer.

Soft hammer finished pieces are usually balanced and symmetrical, and can be relatively smooth. Soft hammer works first appeared in the Acheulean period, allowing tools with these markings to be used as a {{lang|la|[[Terminus post quem|post quem]]}} estimation, but with no greater precision. The main advantage of a soft hammer is that a flintknapper is able to remove broader, thinner flakes with barely developed heels, which allows a cutting edge to be maintained or even improved with minimal raw material wastage. However, a high-quality raw material is required to make their use effective. No studies compare the two methods in terms of yield per unit weight of raw material, or the difference in energy use. The use of a soft hammer requires greater use of force by the [[Knapping|flintknapper]] and a steeper [[learning curve]], although it offers more flakes for less raw material.<ref name=hayden/>