Vintage Axes and Garden Equipment

[Will C]

The tang on my hook has been peened over but I can’t comment on if that is correct

[sime42]

I've rehandled a few Billhooks over the years, and don't recall one ever working loose. You drive the tang into the handle hard, (the collet helps to stop splitting), and then friction just seems to keep them in place.

 

For balance; I've also seen some old hooks where the tang sticks out the end of the handle and has then been peened over against a washer.

 

[openspaceman]

40 minutes ago, Will C said:

The tang on my hook has been peened over but I can’t comment on if that is correct

Yes the few I have  the tang pokes through the handle and the tang is either bent  or passed through a washer and them peened. I also have two blades where the tang has broken short (one I welded a threaded rod on and secured with a nut.

 

The long handles one have side cheeks and two rivets through the handle.

 

When we used Yorkshire style long handled slashers, before chainsaws became ubiquitous, they also had a collar that was driven down the side cheeks before the rivets were driven IIRC, it was a long time ago.

 

I could take some pictures tomorrow if wanted?

[sime42]

10 hours ago, openspaceman said:

Yes the few I have  the tang pokes through the handle and the tang is either bent  or passed through a washer and them peened. I also have two blades where the tang has broken short (one I welded a threaded rod on and secured with a nut.

 

The long handles one have side cheeks and two rivets through the handle.

 

When we used Yorkshire style long handled slashers, before chainsaws became ubiquitous, they also had a collar that was driven down the side cheeks before the rivets were driven IIRC, it was a long time ago.

 

I could take some pictures tomorrow if wanted?

 

Yes please to photos. I think you're talking about socketed handle fitting, but I'm not sure.

[organic guy]

On 21/05/2024 at 12:48, roys said:

As an update, my mate has turned a bit of hickory to make a new handle. 

Very smart.

Did it have the old handle on, to me that looks too long for the billhook, more like the length of the Yorkshire pattern where they usually have two straps down the side of the handle which I assume is for strength to counter the long handle.

Still very smart.

[spudulike]

I have a kindling axe/knife -  bit like a small meat cleaver and that has a hole through the handle and the tang so it stays in but guess much works on the same basis as a file and is an interference fit on to the handle. Most of my garden trowels and small trowel forks use this method successfully. 

[openspaceman]

11 hours ago, sime42 said:

 

Yes please to photos. I think you're talking about socketed handle fitting, but I'm not sure.

Second attempt at posting.

 

@organic guy mentioned straps which I think mean two straps of metal on opposite side of the handle, I take a socket to be a frustrum of a cone attached to the blade. Ours were an incomplete socket formed by two cheeks of metal extended from the blade and folded around to form a  socket as in the slasher marked 1 in the attached picture. You will see a ring of steel has been driven down this incomplete socket ant then rivets fitted to hold it all in place. Our work ones were the same but the head was a double bladed yorkshire style. You would see these in many agricultural shops until everyone had a chainsaw.

 

Hook 2 is a round handle and you see the tang is peened over a washer to hold it.

 

Hook 3 was my goto billhook given to me for coppice work, when the tang broke I added a bit and it looks like I brazed the nut on. I prefer these caulked handles.

 

Hook 4 was the hook I used when picking up and dressing PSR material that was going to be peeled, it has measurements  filed on the back for checking top diameters and a hook filed in the beak so it was used as a pickaroon until the tang broke. After 1987 I never got involved with softwood first thinning and caulked handles are expensive, my carving skills mean this never got repaired.

 

The others are various swap hooks showing the peened tangs and one where the washer has rusted away and the tang is pulling out of the rotten wood.

 

[Peasgood]

I wouldn't like to use a billhook in anger without the tang being fastened to the handle in some way. As said, this is normally by peening it over a washer or by riveting through. 

They are particularly prone to slipping out during use, especially if the handle gets dried out.

I recently bought a new handle off Ray Isles and iirc it even came with the washer.

Mine too was a bit short so I carefully heated the tang and drew it out on the anvil, I have welded a bit of rod on if necessary in the past.

[roys]

59 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

Second attempt at posting.

 

@organic guy mentioned straps which I think mean two straps of metal on opposite side of the handle, I take a socket to be a frustrum of a cone attached to the blade. Ours were an incomplete socket formed by two cheeks of metal extended from the blade and folded around to form a  socket as in the slasher marked 1 in the attached picture. You will see a ring of steel has been driven down this incomplete socket ant then rivets fitted to hold it all in place. Our work ones were the same but the head was a double bladed yorkshire style. You would see these in many agricultural shops until everyone had a chainsaw.

 

Hook 2 is a round handle and you see the tang is peened over a washer to hold it.

 

Hook 3 was my goto billhook given to me for coppice work, when the tang broke I added a bit and it looks like I brazed the nut on. I prefer these caulked handles.

 

Hook 4 was the hook I used when picking up and dressing PSR material that was going to be peeled, it has measurements  filed on the back for checking top diameters and a hook filed in the beak so it was used as a pickaroon until the tang broke. After 1987 I never got involved with softwood first thinning and caulked handles are expensive, my carving skills mean this never got repaired.

 

The others are various swap hooks showing the peened tangs and one where the washer has rusted away and the tang is pulling out of the rotten wood.

 

Good info and picture, what do you mean by “caulked handle” I am guessing it is the flatter profile rather than round but as I say only a guess?

[openspaceman]

4 minutes ago, roys said:

Good info and picture, what do you mean by “caulked handle” I am guessing it is the flatter profile rather than round but as I say only a guess?

The shaped one, a bit like a pistol grip, the oval section also give one a feel that the orientation of the blade to the target is right.