I never saw a bill hook like this before

[mr dazzler]

This is a recent ebay purchase (cornelius white house bill hook)

What is unusual is the way the handle has been fitted. Its a bit loose and needs replacing.

The tang end is not peened as is usual, its threaded with a nut, I dont know yet if the tang itself has been threaded or if it has had a welded on extension as the handle seems quite long. But what I have also never seen before is the rubber washer (it looks at first like a section of gas pipe, but actually it is a square of rubber cut from a tyre) Is it some sort of shock absorber? Has any one any ideas about this, or seen or used a sinilar arrangement? The hook looks to have been well cared for, it may be some old hedgers attempt to reduce shock impact? The edges are going to come up lovely, several minutes with my new favourite thing diamond card sharpener should see it right
Cheers Jonathan

 

[Jared]

I guess that handle isn't original.

Normally the handle would flare out to help stop it sliding out the hand. I guess thats the reason for the piece of rubber.

Another Whitehouse with original handle..

 

[mr dazzler]

Hi Jared
I knew the handle wasnt original. This shows how it was puit together

I was wrong about the washer being tyre rubber. Its actually a very thick (and still qute supple) piece of harness leather. I still cant really tell if the tang has been re-drawn out by a smith and then threaded for a nut (metric!) or if an extra section was forge welded on to extend the length, Davey Budd might know better. The ferule is ropey as you can see, the handle is just a scrap of ash. When I said it had been well cared for I was meaning more the way the steel had been fettled and sharpened, it has real nice convex bevel's and a well maintained blade shape. I have a smaller 2 sided hook, I intend to remove the flat "axe" side and convert it into a spar hook for doing hazel rod's (riving).
Looking again, maybe a piece of bolt was welded onto the tang if it had been snapped off or otherwise reduced in length, hard to tell though

 

[Jared]

How you going to fit a new handle on it?

Did pick up a Whitehouse spar hook several years ago for 50p at a car boot. Nice, but a little to small & light for my liking and gave it away.

 

[Gearpac]

I think you might find that its acutally an old man at arms Bill Hook - re-acement weapon that has been modified.. hence the back blade..

Usually mounted on a 8' or longer haft and hence the very long tang. Designed to be pushed into blocks of pike men and swept back hooking/slicing legs/tendons etc..

A brutal and efficient weapon easily made by village black smiths as it was basically a simple modified agricultural tool.

The back blade may have originally been fashioned into a spike/spear point with edge to use to thrust as well as chop.

 

[spamel]

That seems like a fine way to fix the handle on though, I can't see it failing at all. You could re-fix a new handle, but put a nice brass bolster on the end to screw it all tight. That'd look pimped!

 

[Jared]

Its unlikely it was a made as a weapon, it would have been riveted onto the pole rather than tanged.

Back blade billhook patterns are fairly common, as they're more favoured for hedgelaying and the like.

If I remember correctly Corneluis Whitehouse was born in the 1820s. The manufacturer of the billhook "Corneluis Whitehouse & Sons Ltd" of Cannock continued to the 1940s I think.

I would be reluctant to take off the back blade. Why not save the effort and get a Morris spar hook instead?

http://www.woodsmithstore.co.uk/shop/Products/Tools/Billhooks/Product/Morris+Spar+Hook/

 

[EdS]

it looks like a Staffordshire pattern bill hook.

 

[mr dazzler]

It isnt the one in the photos that got modified (it is a much smaler harrison one and the job was done this afternoon in fact) I cut the back off with the angle grinder, cleaned up with grinder and sanding disc, then fitted a stubby quite fat little flared handle made of oak which suits me as my hands are badly messed up from working in factory's (arthritis, carpel syndrome etc) it just needs a washer and the tang end peening over tommorrow to finish.

The whitehouse one in the pictures is bigger and heavier. I wil not be removing the back blade on it. I havent fully decided what to do yet, but may well in fact retain the nut and leather washer, but with a fresh piece of leather, and might actually use electrolysis to clean the blade first. It needs a new and more substantial ferrule, and again as with the harrison, a flared handle.

In any case the whitehouse hook is a hedgelayers or coppice hook, its not a reanactemnet weapon, although who knows maybe one dark night it was used to do someone over, you never know )

 

[mr dazzler]

That seems like a fine way to fix the handle on though, I can't see it failing at all. You could re-fix a new handle, but put a nice brass bolster on the end to screw it all tight. That'd look pimped!

Thats given me a brainwave there spamel lad, a leather handle might work, like on older estwing hammers. They still make billhooks in France and Italiy that have built up leather handle's. Might be an idea to use a nyloc locking nut so it wouldnt keep loosening as you used the hook.

 

[commandocal]

title reminds me of a song, and im sure that Billihook is for the removal of heads?

 

[Hedgehog]

it looks like a Staffordshire pattern bill hook.

Yes that is indeed a Saffordshire (or Leicester/Warwickshire ) Bill Hook

The strait blade is also for using on a cutting block & the curved for splitting etc.

More info here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billhook