On 23/07/2013 19:08, Christina Websell wrote:
I dug one up in my garden a while ago, very rusty and with no handle.
I got a kind friend of mine to sharpen it on her grindstone and have it back
suitable to slash anything in its path. Just need a new handle and watch
out those brambles ;-) My friend says if I can get a new handle, she will
cut the top stop off and put it on for me.
Here we call them "hedge splashers"
Mine has a top blade too.

They are an amazing price to buy on the internet:
http://www.timelesstools.co.uk/billhooks3.htm

Tina


Those are collectors items, I suggest you try a google search for Bill
hooks they start at around £15 on ebay.
The shape depends on where they come from, and thus their use.
I seem to remember that the Norfolk bill had a flat spine so that the
blade was used to cut hazel or willow pieces used to hold the thatch on
a house whilst the back (Spine) was used to hammer them into the thatch.
Whilst the Sussex bill was used to cut Hazel the curved blade whilst the
back was a straight blade used to cut the hazel to length for hurdle making.
At one time there were well over 100 different patterns in use across
the UK.