Billhook rehandled

[Tinker]

It says j Harrison N0. 2 on the blade, so I assume that's who made it. I have attached a photo. I didn't do the botched handle job by the way.

 

I shall contact Peter Woods and see what he says. Thanks for that.

 

Good stuff, the existing handle looks like it is off a trowell? What is the rest of the blade like? Harrison are a pretty good make, the one you have and this one... Item 1803 here Timeless tools Billhooks 1 are typical of hooks used when making besom brooms, the hook is used to lift branches off the ground and after the branches have been gathered and banded together, the shorter back blade is used to chop all the thicker ends to the same length before the handle is fitted. I've got a picture in a book of an old chap chopping on top of a short post, which I will post in the thread if I can find it.

[coppiceer]

Good stuff, the existing handle looks like it is off a trowell? What is the rest of the blade like? Harrison are a pretty good make, the one you have and this one... Item 1803 here Timeless tools Billhooks 1 are typical of hooks used when making besom brooms, the hook is used to lift branches off the ground and after the branches have been gathered and banded together, the shorter back blade is used to chop all the thicker ends to the same length before the handle is fitted. I've got a picture in a book of an old chap chopping on top of a short post, which I will post in the thread if I can find it.

 

 

Very interesting info, thankyou. The rest of the blade looks like this:

 

It is a brilliant billhook to use, much better than a new Morris one that I bought. It is so good I think it deserves a properly fitted handle to respect the maker and previous owners.

[Stere]

Thinking on having a go at rehandling a billhook thats missing its handle.

 

 

 

 

The tang  profile is flat and it tapers down  like the one in  the picture below & just under 6" long (5.5" seems like the standard  length for billhook handles?)

 

 

I have another complete billhook and the tang end is bent over with a washer on

 

 

 

Have a offcut from a ash fork handle  thats suitable size for the handle

 

The idea was to drill & rasp out the roughly the tang shape then & burn it in to finish.

 

Atm don't have a suitable  (long enough)  drill bit  &  narrow & rasp etc to create the correct hole profile

 

 

 

Any pointers on the best way/tools etc to cut the hole  the  correct shape  to fit the tang?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Stere

[openspaceman]

Heat the tang to a dull red and straighten it. Most good billhooks seem to use a washer before bending the tang over or peening it flat.

[Billhook]

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

Heat the tang to a dull red and straighten it. Most good billhooks seem to use a washer before bending the tang over or peening it flat.

 

2 hours ago, Stere said:

Thinking on having a go at rehandling a billhook thats missing its handle.

 

 

 

 

The tang  profile is flat and it tapers down  like the one in  the picture below & just under 6" long (5.5" seems like the standard  length for billhook handles?)

 

 

I have another complete billhook and the tang end is bent over with a washer on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have me fantasising about my tang being rehandled while bent over a washer!