I'm about to buy an axe for winter walking and am wondering what's best - straight or slightly angled shaft? Are the angled shafts as good for self arrest?
The ones I'm looking at are the DMM Cirque and also the Black Diamond Raven/Raven Pro.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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 Slightly curved shafts supposedly make plunging the shaft easier on steep uphills and give more clearance when using the axe as an axe as opposed to a walking aid on more technical routes. I can't say for certain if this is case as I've never used a straight shafted axe. I can say that I think my DMM Cirque is wonderful. It works well on a wide range of stuff, is well balanced, tough, good for self arrest and best of all can often be found for around the 45 quid mark.
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 For general walking use, I wouldn't get too hung up on the shape of the shaft. Climbing axes have a pronounced curve for knuckle clearance, but too much curve on the shaft can compromise all-round use, though that's not going to be an issue with something like a Cirque.
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 Traditional walking axes have straight shafts and are longer than the current trend for short, climberesque axes. If you have a traditionally-sized walking axe (hovers near or just above your ankle bone when held downwards), you'll appreciate it if you use it when walking. Otherwise you'll be stooping a lot to make secure contact with the ground. Of course, trendier short-axe folk will disagree but I'm grateful for the length of my axe when traversing slopes. I don't ice climb and never intend to.
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Ha! It depends on how steep the slope is - ice axe length I mean - I prefer something around 50cm for steep slopes given that you plant the axe with your uphill hand, but on easy-angled terrain and ridges, longer axes are arguably easier to use, then again, on easy-angled terrain, you can argue that you don't really need to plant the axe anyway. I don't think there's owt trendy about a shorter axe, Glenmore Lodge has been suggesting 50cm-ish axes for years now, but then again, the assumptiont there is that you will be on steep ground in the northern corries of the 'gorms, where it makes perfect sense. Longer axes also good for tapping your boots to dislodge snow balled up on crampon points if you don't have anti-balling plates, then again you can do that quite happily with a short axe too 
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"Longer axes also good for tapping your boots to dislodge snow balled up on crampon points if you don't have anti-balling plates, then again you can do that quite happily with a short axe too" ...depends how much arthritis you* have in your** back, Jon...  *me **my
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 The Cirque is better for hacking at snow than the Raven Pro (making bucket seats, trying to make snowholes etc.) because it's a bit heavier and has a wider adze head, but the Raven Pro is a really good compromise between weight and functionality, I'm very pleased with mine. It helps that mine's 5cm longer than my Cirque, so is better for me once I've put my poles away, because I can use it in place of the poles to an extent. I'd have a play with both of them and see which one you prefer. DMM stuff is Welsh, which is a big bonus for the Cirque 
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If you do go for a curved shaft, it's worth noticing/knowing that Grivel recommend that such axes always be held with the pick facing the slope so that the curve goes towards the mountain. This is different from the UK 'pick facing backwards' practice. They've got a flash site, so I can't post the direct link, but goto www.grivel.com then Ice axes then Synoptyc Table then Nepal S.A.
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I don't think trendiness really comes into it, NPC, although one does like to look at one's best at all times  I think length comes down to how you use it. Oooerrr. I don't use my axe as a walking stick but as an aid on steep ground. The axe is quite a bit further uphill than I am, and a longer one would be unwieldy. As with most things you (one) won't know until you try. I based my choice on what I thought would give me the greatest versatility without any major compromises. Edit to add: Jeez, I type slowly 
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I don't use mine as walking stick either...the soles of my boots are somewhat lower down than my calf But in the last few decades, axe lengths have been getting a bit shorter for walkers.
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For mountain walking -> Straight... about hacking, some state that curved ones are better for that, but that's not true. Straight axes are a bit longer than curved models, because of their longer length the speed of the impact on the tip of the axe is higher than with a short axe (with same stroke force). Hence better impact. Straight axes preform better for anchoring because of their length and shape.
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I don't reckon it matters that much whether the axe shaft is straight or gently curved for winter walking. Weight is probably more significant, because even in a hard winter like we've just had it will probably spend more time on your pack than in use. On that basis I'd go for the Raven Pro -- not that either of the others would be a bad buy.
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Thanks for all your comments folks...all good to know. There seems to be some differing opinions but all in all the angled (or not) shaft issue doesn't seem to be that crucial.
I was leaning towards the Cirque but may take a look at the Raven again.
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Straight axes are a bit longer than curved models, because of their longer length the speed of the impact on the tip of the axe is higher than with a short axe (with same stroke force). Hence better impact. Straight axes preform better for anchoring because of their length and shape.
A slightly longer shaft gives greater mechanical advantage because the load is further from the fulcrum. 
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Straight for walking I would say. There's a danger you might get seduced into buying a more technical axe than you need - some of those on display in outdoor shops are very tempting!
After carting a relatively heavy walker's ice axe around for years I've just got a Petzl Charlet Snowscopic, a traditonal walker's ice axe with an extendable carbon-fibre pole, making a good compromise between axe and pole. The axe shaft is light but strong aircraft grade aluminium, and it promises to be great. The snow has all but gone from the Peak District, however, so it will probably remain unused until next winter.
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