On 24/07/2013 00:38, Christina Websell wrote:
"David Hill" wrote in message
...
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.

Mine has a curved J blade and a square blade on top. Now very sharp, just
need a handle for
it to make it easier to use.

The person who sharpened it moaned about the rust but did a really good
job and I have to be very careful otherwise I might lose my fingers.

Tina

The handle end of the blade should taper to almost a point.
This was inserted into the handle then the sprig that was protruding
from the back of the handle was hammered over to fix it

On 24/07/13 09:37, David Hill wrote:

The handle end of the blade should taper to almost a point.
This was inserted into the handle then the sprig that was protruding
from the back of the handle was hammered over to fix it

Most slashers' heads are forged so that a skirt is formed on the bottom
end, into which socket the handle is fixed.

The type with the tang through the handle is *very* weak, and the wood
must be capped at the blade end with a ferrule.

--
Rusty Hinge