Tip of the hat...

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Tasky
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Tip of the hat...

Post 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.
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Colonel26
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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.
“There are things in the old Book which I may not be able to explain, but I fully accept it as the infallible word of God, and receive its teachings as inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
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OLDE CUTLER
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by OLDE CUTLER »

Welcome to AAPK, ::welcome:: ::welcome:: . I am interested in knowing what a bill hook is?
"Sometimes even the blind chicken finds corn"
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FRJ
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by FRJ »

Welcome to the forum. ::nod::
Joe
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Tasky
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by Tasky »

OLDE CUTLER wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 12:26 am Welcome to AAPK, ::welcome:: ::welcome:: . 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/
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Steve Warden
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by Steve Warden »

Welcome aboard!
Take care and God bless,

Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000

But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
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OLDE CUTLER
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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, ::welcome:: ::welcome:: . 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.
"Sometimes even the blind chicken finds corn"
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jerryd6818
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by jerryd6818 »

Welcome to AAPK. Glad to have you.
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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!
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Tasky
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by Tasky »

Cheers all. See you in the forums! ::nod::
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eveled
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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.
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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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. ::shrug:: It has a mark stamped into its blade which I’ve not been able to learn much about.

Ken
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Tasky
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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. ::shrug:: 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
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philco
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by philco »

::welcome:: to AAPK.
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1967redrider
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by 1967redrider »

Greetings from the Commonwealth of Virginia! Lots of great knife information here, as well as other interests.

John
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!

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Mumbleypeg
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post 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. ::shrug:: 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! ::handshake::

BTW it does say Exeter, not Exiter. My spell check software strikes again. ::facepalm::

Ken
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If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.

When the people fear their government, that is tyranny. When government fears the people, that is freedom.

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centennialknives
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Re: Tip of the hat...

Post by centennialknives »

I've been here on AAPK (from Central ILLINOIS) for just a month+ and they info and knowledge has been great!
Robert
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