HIGH CARBON STEEL AXE

Any steel with a carbon content of 0.55 percent or higher, or about one part in 180, is considered high-carbon steel. Pushing this content past 2 percent makes the result extremely brittle and of limited use, although this is how cast-iron products (e.g., wood stoves, cookware) are made. So as you can see, "high carbon" is a relative term.

High carbon steel properties include a very high strength, extreme hardness and resistance to wear, and moderate ductility, a measure of a material's ability to tolerate being deformed without actually breaking.

It is used in cutting tools, because of its ability to keep a very sharp edge under duress; it is also used for masonry nails, which can be pounded readily into rock (albeit not with your hands).