This wasn’t always meant to look like a modern tool. Up until I imported the FBX file into Substance Painter, this was going to be what you’d expect of a typical axe model: wooden handle, metal head.
…but then I remembered you could have a lot of fun with alphas and faking height information, and my plans for a more traditional axe were abandoned in favor of a more modern one.
(Can’t decide which looks better: this one, or the next one. I made the more orange-y version first, then took a break…)
(…and this is the result of further color grading, post-break.)