Handles for tools (c35,000BC) – 1000 Inventions and Discoveries
Attaching a wooden handle to a blade may not sound like a breakthrough, but it was. People could not hit things very hard with a tool held in their hands because it hurt.
Nor could they swing the tool very quickly because their arms were too short. A handle, or haft, helped them to overcome both these limitations, protecting their arms from impact and increasing the length of their swing.
Hand axes could be used to clear away bushes, but axes with hafts could be used to chop down trees.