Unknown large sharp metal thing

[woodwalker]

After a recent visit to my grandmother, I returned the proud of one of the these.

Unfortunately, despite having already started to put the edge back on it (the silver bit on the picture) I do not actually know what it is. Does anyone else?

woodwalker

 

[Phil562]

That be a billhook, unfortunately I do not know what type

 

[steve a]

Yorkshire pattern if I'm not mistaken

 

[led]

Not a Yorkshire, but a Suffolk pattern billhook. Yorkshire's have a much longer handle and double sided blade.

 

[steve a]

Stand corrected
some info here
http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/section/271

 

[bushtuckerman]

That's a very interesting article. My dad's from kent and he has my grandfather's one which looks like a southern counties one.

 

[benjamin.oneill]

Interesting link, thanks!

Ben

 

[torjusg]

Intresting

In my area we seems to have been using identical ones to the Bristol and West Country types. Quite a distance away from those areas, but I see no difference at all.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[bushtuckerman]

hmm, interesting
torjusg, do you mean you see no difference in use or in how they appear? I've generally found any billhook i've used to be pretty limited, but then they aren't mine and are therefore by default totally blunt, which is disappointing, but i'd prefer a decent axe for anything i'd otherwise use a billhook for.

 

[Salix]

The bil hook is generally used in conjunction with an axe for hedge laying and coppicing work, the bill hook being better for "nicking" the smaller twigs and branches into the pleachered body of hedge. Quite a good explanation here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billhook

Mark

 

[torjusg]

They are exactly the same in appearance. They were until quite recently used for taking branches off the trees to feed the livestock. I have found them to be excellent for this purpose, but not for anything else.

The advantage of the billhook over the axe is that the narrower blade allows you to take off a branch with one chop much easier. Also, the hook can be used in a pulling motion to drag the branches towards yourself.

The branches were bundled (into whast is called kjerv in my dialect) and and tied with another branch. Very easy and quick. Quite effective way of gathering fodder for your sheep.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[woodwalker]

thanks for the great response guys - I would never have discovered that on my own. I can't wait to get it all sharpened up to try it out. I assume you use it in a similar way to an axe?

woodwalker

 

[monkey_pork]

I use my Devon bill' for lots of jobs - I find it's an excellent alround tool, especially for use around camp - I own a little GB hatchet, but the bill comes out with me 100x more often - I use mine more like a big knife than anything, and that includes splitting reasonibly broad rounds of wood, down to quite fiddly jobs (although it's not quiet upto spoon carving tho ).

It's not a felling tool, nor will it cope with stuff a splitting maul is called for, but those jobs aside - it's a very versatile creature.