Elmer Roush, Billhooks

A billhook designed to further reinforce the birdlike nature of the blade. The addition of a useful hole to hang up the blade out of harms way gave me the opportunity to do some metal carving to produce the hooded eye of a winged raptor which gives this 'hook a new and unique personality. I have chosen a size and weight that will satisfy the committed user but please enquire if a smaller or lighter version would be more suitable.

Overall length 15.5" handle 5" weight 1.75 lbs.

Hand forged in its entirety from high carbon steel with brass riveted handle.

$ 185.00

Some History ....

Called a hook in the English countryside since ancient times, the hand held reaping sickle used for cutting grass and brush wood became a 'billed hook' (to describe the bird's beak like addition to the end of the blade) as it was developed into a marvellous tool for hedging and hurdle making on farms. Eventually giving rise to the name billhook pronounced with a silent 'h' it has proved to be a multipurpose tool that has been used for practically any purpose that a sharp edged implement can be put to and is still used throughout Europe today.

The object of the 'bill' is to stop the blade running up springy wood as it is cut and because of the clean and efficient way it can remove unwanted woody growth it has also been called a pruning hook and smaller examples have been mounted on long poles for work in orchards. The 'bill' makes a very useful addition to pull down a thin branch or gather and pick up brushwood and it is handy for cutting quickly through buried roots. Another use for the main blade is splitting wattle and hurdle material as the depth of the blade and shaping of the handle combine to give good control.

Before World War ll no farm hand would have been without a billhook of some description and a hundred years ago the range of shapes and sizes was extraordinary, practically every blacksmith and foundry producing their own version each with its own name like the Northwich or the Suffolk reflecting the place of origin. English billhooks seemed to have favoured the carved handle fitted to each side of an extension of the blade whereas the French seemed to go in more for a turned handle perhaps reflecting different attitudes towards handle replacement and the occasional demand for a longer handle.