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Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 9:27 pm
by Tasky
Greetings all,
I'm Tasky, another from the land of Unlawful Knives, or the UK for short!
Another member here told me about this place and suggested I hop on over to check it out, so here I am.
There's not much I bring by way of collection, though I have a couple of classics from 'ye olden dayes' before people here started banning knives of varying sorts.
Like most of my countrymen, I'm a particular fan of Wenger and Victorinox Swiss Army knives, which is about the limit of what we can carry. I do also have some interest in historical blades (both pocketknives and larger things like swords, billhooks and so on).
I look forward to chatting with you!
Cheers,
Tasky.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 11:15 pm
by Colonel26
Welcome from the great Commonwealth of Kentucky! We like most thing sharp around here: knives, axes, bill hooks, wit..
And there’s lots of love for SAKs here too. You’ll fit right in.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:26 am
by OLDE CUTLER
Welcome to AAPK,
. I am interested in knowing what a bill hook is?
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:38 am
by FRJ
Welcome to the forum.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:44 am
by Tasky
OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:26 am
Welcome to AAPK,
. I am interested in knowing what a bill hook is?
Thanks guys!
Well, in general terms, a Bill or Billhook is a European equivalent of a machete - About the same size only with a blade shape similar to a hawksbill or pruning knife, albeit bigger. It is primarily an agricultural tool, but there were also military versions that (supposedly) evolved from the peasant farming tools.
Billhooks come in all shapes and sizes, with variants from one country to the next and even from one county to the next. You had different ones for different sizes, such as the Hedging Bill, Forest Bill, and so on. The military version was favoured by the English army, being mounted on a pole about 5' long, with a long top spike and a wicked backspike.
It's basically what you'd get if an evil-minded medieval blacksmith crossed a poleaxe with one of those crazy Zombie Tactical knives!
https://royalarmouries.org/stories/our- ... se-weapon/
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 1:13 am
by Steve Warden
Welcome aboard!
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 3:25 am
by OLDE CUTLER
Tasky wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:44 am
OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:26 am
Welcome to AAPK,
. I am interested in knowing what a bill hook is?
Thanks guys!
Well, in general terms, a Bill or Billhook is a European equivalent of a machete - About the same size only with a blade shape similar to a hawksbill or pruning knife, albeit bigger. It is primarily an agricultural tool, but there were also military versions that (supposedly) evolved from the peasant farming tools.
Billhooks come in all shapes and sizes, with variants from one country to the next and even from one county to the next. You had different ones for different sizes, such as the Hedging Bill, Forest Bill, and so on. The military version was favoured by the English army, being mounted on a pole about 5' long, with a long top spike and a wicked backspike.
It's basically what you'd get if an evil-minded medieval blacksmith crossed a poleaxe with one of those crazy Zombie Tactical knives!
https://royalarmouries.org/stories/our- ... se-weapon/
Thanks for the info on billhooks. My great grandad was born near Herefordshire and came to the US in 1856.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 5:09 am
by jerryd6818
Welcome to AAPK. Glad to have you.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 5:36 am
by Oledadsknives
Big welcome from Dixieland USA. Glad to have you here on AAPK. My granddaughter was stationed in Bury St. Edmonds in the Air Force and got transferred back to the states last fall. She simply loved it there!
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 10:43 am
by Tasky
Cheers all. See you in the forums!
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:30 pm
by eveled
Welcome! I’ve spent some time watching videos of bilhooks in action laying a hedge. Pretty interesting. I’ve never seen anything like that in the US.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 2:31 pm
by Mumbleypeg
Welcome from The Republic of Texas. I have spent a good deal of time in your faire country, mostly when I was working there. The company where I worked had a factory and offices in Bedford, and more recently our oldest son and his family live near London.
On the subject of billhooks, here’s one (the remnants of one anyway) I picked up at a flea market. It has had a rough life and been modified in several ways. The hook has been ground, or sharpened away. When I acquired it someone has written “Exiter” in pencil on both sides of the blade.
It has a mark stamped into its blade which I’ve not been able to learn much about.
Ken
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 3:13 pm
by Tasky
Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 2:31 pm
On the subject of billhooks, here’s one (the remnants of one anyway) I picked up at a flea market. It has had a rough life and been modified in several ways. The hook has been ground, or sharpened away. When I acquired it someone has written “Exiter” in pencil on both sides of the blade.
It has a mark stamped into its blade which I’ve not been able to learn much about.
Exiter may be a misspelling of Exeter, a city in Devonshire, England...
However, WS with the crown is probably William Swift, a maker of agricultural edged tools from Kent since about 1850.
Some local history here:
https://www.billhooks.co.uk/app/downloa ... +Swift.pdf
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 4:33 pm
by philco
to AAPK.
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:42 pm
by 1967redrider
Greetings from the Commonwealth of Virginia! Lots of great knife information here, as well as other interests.
John
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 9:50 pm
by Mumbleypeg
Tasky wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 3:13 pm
Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 2:31 pm
On the subject of billhooks, here’s one (the remnants of one anyway) I picked up at a flea market. It has had a rough life and been modified in several ways. The hook has been ground, or sharpened away. When I acquired it someone has written “Exiter” in pencil on both sides of the blade.
It has a mark stamped into its blade which I’ve not been able to learn much about.
Exiter may be a misspelling of Exeter, a city in Devonshire, England...
However, WS with the crown is probably William Swift, a maker of agricultural edged tools from Kent since about 1850.
Some local history here:
https://www.billhooks.co.uk/app/downloa ... +Swift.pdf
Thank you for that info about William Swift. More than I have been able to find previously!
BTW it does say Exeter, not Exiter. My spell check software strikes again.
Ken
Re: Tip of the hat...
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 12:09 pm
by centennialknives
I've been here on AAPK (from Central ILLINOIS) for just a month+ and they info and knowledge has been great!