A kaiser blade is a heavy, hooked, steel blade at the end of a 40-inch (100 cm) handle that is usually made of hickory. It is used to cut brush, briar, and undergrowth. [1] The blade is double-edged, and both sides are usually kept sharp. Other common names for this tool are ditch bank blade, briar axe, and surveyor's brush axe.
In the movie Sling Blade, main character Karl Childers (portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton) recounts an incident from his childhood in which he killed his mother and her boyfriend with this tool. He admits to committing murder with "a kaiser blade." Karl says, "some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade." [2]