Billhook

Date Added: 15 February 2007 Contributor: Heritage North Year of Photo: 1943 Picture No: 54

This one is a Yorkshire bill. It is a two handed type. Many of the English counties had their own type, reflecting the sort of agriculture they were designed to be the main utility tool for. The main use of big ones like this was hedging. They became adopted by FC as they were so useful for cutting woody vegetation, removing branches and most commonly marking trees for thinning. Other similar tools were 'slashers'. These were lighter but also two handed and were known locally in some places as hedge knives. Many foresters used to carry one at all times. The slasher was such an iconic forestry tool that it was chosen as the name of the FC newspaper which I think began before the war. The 'Slasher' is still going and appears about twice a year. Thanks to Malcolm Wield.

Groups: Tools, equipment and clothing

1 Comment

A similar tool to the one shown above was used to trim the mature thorn hedges on Lour estate in the late 1950s, it was a two man job one either side of the hedge and spaced well apart, as I remember the shafts of these hedge bills were much longer to give more power in the swing, also a hole was drilled in the end of the shaft with a leather lace for around your wrist for safety. Comment left on 06 July 2016 at 21:26 by Leslie Phillip

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