billhook experts heeeeeelp!

[Angst]

just got given these 3 today by a lovely old boy ive got to know recently....so far hes bought me bags of antler.....home brewed sloe gin.....damson wine....and of me hes had honey from a beekeeper i know, eyelets/rivets to use on his home brew set-up and a firesteel i capped for him with some of the antler he gave me. so much nicer than the relationships i have with sainsburys, bt, southern electric etc lolol.

anyway....this is my first post in edged tools and i need a bit of help if poss....i've not seen the likes of the one in the middle before and would like to know more about it....it appears to have a makers mark....the straighter edge of it is the cutting edge....it seems to be more roughly finished than the others and the one i already own....and it feels real nice in the hand.....the old boy used to use this to cut up his meat.....not the sorta pensioner you want to burgle lol!

any info appreciated.....the righthand one says harrison 1941 i think and the one on left doesnt appear to have any info on it at all....

 

[launditch1]

The one in the middle has a look of a European type Cleaver.Im pretty sure its not made in this country.
Nice ww2 Harrison hook.

 

[Angst]

hi...yup i thought a cleaver too....its not really billhooky.....now gonna have a look on timeless tools, see what i can find....

a

hmmmmmmmm......timeless tools slashers section has items with 'similar' shape.....

The one in the middle has a look of a European type Cleaver.Im pretty sure its not made in this country.
Nice ww2 Harrison hook.

 

[Wildgoose]

I think it is for hedging, the notch at the end is to move branches into place without touching them.


Edited....when I say without touching, I mean with the hand not the tool!

 

[Adze]

hi...yup i thought a cleaver too....its not really billhooky.....now gonna have a look on timeless tools, see what i can find....

a

hmmmmmmmm......timeless tools slashers section has items with 'similar' shape.....

You might not find that on any websites - the closest I remember seeing was on an episode of 'Out of Town' with Jack Hargreaves - I think it's a pig killer's cleaver - apparently they were rare when he made the programme in the 1970s / '80s so will likely be far more so now.

 

[woodspirits]

it looks very much like the yorkshire pattern hook which shows up in a lot of old catalogues, but i dont recognise the cutlass makers mark?

 

[woodspirits]

ok angst think i have it

its french, from the forge of E. Leborgne & co, from a pattern of the 'de saone-et loire' region. and featured in their 1920 catalogue, it could of course have been around much longer.

 

[Angst]

aaaaaaaaaaah..........cutlass yes.....dude youre a genius.....and how did you find out the rest smartypantz?......

ta for your efforts....i'm now hitting google lol!

ok angst think i have it

its french, from the forge of E. Leborgne & co, from a pattern of the 'de saone-et loire' region. and featured in their 1920 catalogue, it could of course have been around much longer.

 

[woodspirits]

ha! i must have good google fu today, ok try this link allowing for wear i think yours is in there somewhere, but i suspect its an earlier model.

 

[Angst]

hi...yup found that....had a good look through.....i mean its gota be cos of the cutlass....and as you say, wear on top of may be an earlier model.....but....looking thru that catalogue i dont see anything that it could be....theres nearish, but not close....what dya think? unless of course there is a LOT of wear.....or maybe even had a part ground off? snapped?

ha! i must have good google fu today, ok try this link allowing for wear i think yours is in there somewhere, but i suspect its an earlier model.

 

[Angst]

ok just found their 1911 cat....

http://www.forgesmoulins.com/index.php?option=com_flippingbook&view=book&id=3

pages 16/17....bottom left corner......now thats get closer than nearish....or nearer than close.....or nose clearer......hang on.....maybe thats what its for.....dealing with congestion.

 

[woodspirits]

hmm, if you look at their logo on the 1911 cat' its different, i think yours is somewhere in between. you could give it a scrub up with a fine flap wheel and see what else shows up maybe.

 

[Angst]

yo...yup i was gonna do a bit of work on it but for now i'll leave it pending further investigation....if this is rare/valuable i'll return it to the owner.....i've pinged the pics across to timeless tools and have emailed a couple of other billhook specialists....i'll post any findings and thanks for your help m8....appreciated!

a

ps the french in the catalogue translates as ''kitchen knife'' or ''butchers knife'' so a well done and thanks to adze too!

 

[Adze]

Found the Out of Town episode... it's Rakemaker, Episode 12 on Volume 4 of the DVD's. There used to be a version available on Youtube, but it's been deleted for copyright reasons, apparently.

Here's a pic I've just nicked from the DVD I've got though - not exactly the same, but similar dimensions. Much like billhooks, I expect there was a very wide variety of cleavers available, at one time probably one variety for every village blacksmith the World over.

Cheers!

 

[Stew]

If you pop to British Blades, Billhook Man should be able to help.

 

[Angst]

ta for that guys, been an enjoyable hunt....i'll try download the episode....i may well do that stew....ive had email from glen at timeless tools....hes not sure either but he has identified it as french so thats looking promising and with woodspirits cutlass i.d too......kool. ok so now honesty time....is it a rarity? because as i said, i'll return it if so.

a

 

[macem]

Hi Angst try looking on.... a load of old billhooks, lot's of info on there, hope it help's

 

[bikething]

Hi Angst try looking on.... a load of old billhooks, lot's of info on there, hope it help's

I take it you mean this site ?

 

[macem]

That's the one, thank's bikething.

 

[Billman49]

The middle one is probably Austrian (possibly Italian) - the maker's mark looks more like that of an armourer than an edge tool maker - you may find out more by joining and posting on the Ethnograhic Weapons site at Viking Sword. This pattern of square blade with a raised back is found in the mannaia and mannaressa of Italy - a general purpose block billhook that can also used as a meat cleaver...