A common pickaxe can be used for a number of common tasks. The spiked end is ideal for breaking up surfaces, such as concrete or hard ground. When equipped with a flat end on the blade, the pickaxe can also be used to slide under an object and pry it away from the surrounding area. When the chiseled prong is included in the design of the hand tool, the pickaxe becomes an ideal choice for cutting through roots as part of the removal of a tree stump.

There is evidence that the pickaxe is one of the oldest tools known to humanity. Its use is generally tracked back to prehistoric civilizations, and has over the centuries used for everything from cultivation to war. The sheer simplicity of the design along with the easy use of the tool make the pickaxe an ideal addition to just about any collection of tools.