homemade gear: an ice axe?

I was given an walking axe by John Wrench when he was clearing out Stoke on trent stores (pr something like that). Now theres been nothing wrong with it. Its an old camp one, UIAA approved. Looks bombproof. The only thing is its a little too long. Its 70cm in total. I mean I've got walking poles smaller. I could actually do with a walking axe for winter so I figured that with all the light weight models on the market sporting a slanting tubular spike, what the hell I could just cut it off?

My major problem has been the angle of cut and finding a hacksaw. I could have sworn my dad had one, which me brother also remembers (it had an orange handle). My Dad swears blind he doesn't, so after a little rooting around in one of the many sheds (my Dad collects shed I think, he has 3) I came away with the little 10cm long blade things you use when your twelve. Too work.
gone for a 45 degree angle because I don't want it to be too deadly, but still plungable in snow. I can always change it.

After what seemed like an age and cramp in my hand the little saw had managed to get through. Some filing later to remove the spikey metal and I have a 50cm walking axe. We'll see how this one fares out in the field I measured out 50cm and drew a line on the handle, which I then promptly cut off completly negating the need for a line. I then just estimated the correct lenght and carefully started sawing away. I've