Re axe, I definitely think those who say it can’t pronounce ask. I can’t think of another reason they would say it that way. But I respect your opinion.
I wonder if they also say “taks” instead of “task”, or “maks” instead of “mask”. I had a coworker who could pronounce those words fine, but she always said “aks” instead of “ask”. Since she was above me in rank, I didn’t continue to harp on it, once I discovered that she could speak properly. She just chose not to on certain occasions.
Re: Ask vs. Aks (Axe)
My understanding is that this pronunciation has been the norm in some English dialects for hundreds of years. Nothing new or recent about it.
Moreover, the “reversal” of consonants here is a common sort of happening not only in English but in many other languages. The phenomenon is known as “metathesis” by linguists.
(Nothing to do with cancer! That would be “metastisis.”)