Cavpilot2k Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Hey folks - I haven't been on here in a while, but I've still been forging. Mostly made a bunch of knives for friends and family, but Thought I'd post my most recent project: a Bill Hook requested by the guy that is the live-in barn help at the barn where my lady boards her horse. I didn't know anybody used these anymore, and I am far more familiar with the adapted-to-a-medieval-weapon version of the Bill Hook. I found an old hand-forged example of one a friend had and used that as a pattern. Mine is made from 15N20, hidden tang, mild steel bolster plate/guard and handle is recycled oak household railing left over from a new one I installed a few months ago. I left it brut-de-forge for the most part, for looks and to help prevent rust because I know this tool will get used a lot (as intended). Handle treated with Dark Half from Real Milk Paint (part tung oil, part citrus solvent). Anyway, I am pretty proud of it and being that they are an uncommon tool, I thought I'd post it here for your enjoyment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Uncommon over here; but I think a lot more common in the UK. Perhaps some of them can give an opinion? It looks like a usable tool to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 It looks pretty good but like Thomas says it's not a common tool this side of the pond. However from my inexperienced point of view I'd like to see more finger knob thingy on the end like my machetes and cycle have. I have one cycle with a small swelling on a round handle and it's only good for really light cutting, like flower stems, grass wants to drag it our of my hand even when freshly SHARP. Have you tried it out? I have stuff I'd like to whack off that's too large for single machete whacks, dangerous silly for the ax and a chain saw is heavy, loud. If I forge one of these it doesn't really count as a step into the dark side does it? Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Folks, This thread piqued my interest. So much so that I did some research into the matter. The tool most closely resembles a 'Hampshire hurdling" bill hook. But the hook is more pronounced in C v- p 's instrument. Bill hooks come in a great number of shapes, sizes, and the type of steel can be different in various knife types. (but medium carbon is most commonly used) Check out this reference gleaned from Wikipedia, The tool is used like a machete, parang, or a kukri. It is used for cutting through brush, tree saplings etc. For more information check out Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billhook Cheers, SLAG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavpilot2k Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 Here is the (old?) one I used as a model. It is clearly hand-forged, but its age and origin is unknown. I also referenced that image SLAG posted to get an idea of the range of shapes. It works very much like a sickle, but for tougher material than a sickle can handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Thanks for the illustrations Master Slag. Most show the little knob thingy on the handle I was talking about. I know it has a name I can never remember. . . . Somebody? Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Well a knob would be a pommel, the jutting piece I don't recall a specific name for it; but I don't doubt there is one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 I like your title "knob thingy", myself, Frosty. I think it most adequately describes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 I believe the pommel is anything that extends past the hand, good for hitting people with, hammer fist style. Literally pummel them. Ah, you're just saying that because we're buds, Chris. I'll take it, thank you. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetrot Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Looks like something from the end of the movie "Braveheart"'. Moosetrot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Moosetrot, did you really have to recall that? Hurts to even remember it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 Mr. C., Were you really there with Mr. Braveheart? Funny you look a lot younger then him SLAG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 "Remember" watching the scene. And believe me, SLAG............I'm not a "lot younger" than a WHOLE lot of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Burgess Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 The last image looks to be of an Italian 'roncola' with a round wooden handle - the 'knob' on a British billhook is known as a caulk, or more properly the handle is said to be caulked... A round handle is common on double edged billhooks, and one or two regional patterns of single edge billhooks have a round handle (Kent and Devon).... More information can be found at Billhook Junkies on Facebook, or my website www.billhooks.co.uk 1st image UK caulked handles 2nd image Italian 'roncole' (pl) with integral hand guard 3rd image Dutch 'hiepen' (pl) - one of the few countries where a variation of the caulked handle is common Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavpilot2k Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 Great info - thanks! You are right that the one I modeled from looks like the Italians, but clearly without the pommel hook they all seem to have (I'm curious what its function is). Who would have thought there would have been a Billhook Junkies group... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 There's a group for ANYTHING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donal Harris Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 What would something with a blade similar to #314 above attached to something shaped a lot like an oar be called? My great granddad had one. We used to play with it when I was a kid. He was a blacksmith near Graham, Oklahoma, but like everyone at that time was also a farmer. I have no idea what he would have used it for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 How long a handle? Something like a carcass splitter or the longer scrub cutters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 I'm thinking a branch cutter, the spike might come in handy untangling vines or creepers. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donal Harris Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 It is hard to say. I was pretty little then. It was almost as long as I was tall, so probably a little longer than a baseball bat. Your guess is the most likely. He had a machete as well, so it was likely something he used for clearing brush. Now I am thinking something like it might prove to be handy in the almost inevitable, future zombie apocalypse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 Future Zombie Apocalypse? I hope to wish y'all luck from L5! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 So long as the zombie virus isn't imported by somebody L-5 would be okay. Nobody'll notice on Iforge but a 12 minute lag will make phone calls cumbersome. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 We call it a briar hook, used to cut anything up to small trees, also known as a ditch bank blade in some areas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 We call them brush hooks. Every surveyor has one in his truck. they don't get that much use here in the desert SW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 DHarris, is this what your talking about? We call them a brush knife or brush axe, here are two different hand held ones that were gifted me by customers who brought them here from their home countries, the short big one came from Mexico and the longer skinny one came from Laos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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