One "Head Axe" and the others I don't know.

LindaJ

LindaJ

Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Messages
89
This is the Head Axe. http://www.geocities.com/research_images/HeadAxe.jpg
It actually appears in my copy of "A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor." I have a 15" ruler alongside it.
It's a bit wobbly on the handle which is short, the top part of the handle is wrapped in what look like old bambo. It is pitted but has a nice patina to it. No makers marks.


This is unusual, have no idea what it is called. http://www.geocities.com/research_images/English.jpg
Rather severe looking. It has on one side "Made in England" and on the obverse "Elwell Forge Wednesbury Cast Steel Warranted 2" Is this real?
Can't be that old. A 15" ruler is alongside it.


The last one here is my personal favorite http://www.geocities.com/research_images/Axe1.jpg
The handle is from an old piece of limb and has metal brads in it probably to provide a better grip by. It's an Axe *and* a Spear. It has weld points alongside where the blade goes and I think this one may be an old prop from somewhere. No makers marks. It just "feels good" to carry around.. nice balance.
 
A couple of those give me the willies . The last one you can mail to me for appraisal . There will be a small fee . I cannot promise the return of articles submitted for xcrutiny . L:O:L
 
The middle one looks kind of like a form of bill hook. Maybe part of the blade broke, so it was rounded off and sharpened.

Very interesting collection.

mike
 
The middle one is indeed a Billhook. Wednesbury is a small town in the 'Black Country' to the north of Birmingham. It is called the black country because it was a big industrial area full of coal heaps and everywhere covered in black dust. The 'Elwell' is a river, so I guess the forge was on it and may well have been water powered like Finch Foundry in Devon (I have been there).

A billhook is for laying hedges around farmer's fields. Small sapling trees are partially cut through and laid parallel to the ground. Have a look at this website. The man in the yellow shirt is using a billhook. Different areas used different patterns. Yours is very broad, but it makes splitting the stakes easier. http://www.lingfieldreserves.org.uk/laying_hedges_1999.htm

Number 3 is a Halberd. Another bit of British history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberd
http://members.aol.com/dargolyt/TheForge/halberb.htm

Number 1 looks a bit small for removing human heads. Chickens maybe? Comparing the ruler to the axe head, the blade is only 4" wide. The long spike on the back is for 'parking' the axe in the chopping block which is usually a slice of tree.
 
I believe in days of old (middle ages) the bill hook was also used to lay people (open that is). If my memory serves me correctly (and it doesn't always do so) it was used much like the halberd. (as a pole arm) I think in these circumstances, it's called an English Bill.

mike
 
Yes, you are right.

bill (plural bills)

A cutting instrument, with hook-shaped point, and fitted with a handle; -- used in pruning, etc.; a billhook. When short, called a hand bill, when long, a hedge bill.

(Weapon) A weapon of infantry, in the 14th and 15th centuries. A common form of bill consisted of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, having a short pike at the back and another at the top, and attached to the end of a long staff.

Quotations
1786: In the British Museum there is an entry of a warrant, granted to Nicholas Spicer, authorising him to impress smiths for making two thousand Welch bills or glaives. — Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons
 
Kevin the grey said:
The last one you can mail to me for appraisal . There will be a small fee . I cannot promise the return of articles submitted for xcrutiny . L:O:L
Click to expand...

ROFL hmmmmm i'm sure you would like #3 but it's got my name on it!
(hopefully).

The Bill Hook to me looks like something the guy on the chopping block would swing. Reminds me of some old black and white movies. The "Made in England" stamp softens the blow could this have been a prop? How old is this one you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halberd I had looked at the Halberds in my Glossary of Arms and Armor but was not sure if #3 fell into that category being it was not as ornate and graceful looking as the ones at the above URL.

I painfully see I need even more books..
 
I don't think that is a common pattern today,there were over 60 different billhook patterns in the past.That may be a two handed billhook judging from its size.
 
Good morning all! Yeah it is a large one and quite serious looking. I'm still poking around to see what they go for. Its interesting that their use has ranged from flaying people to trimming hedges ,, heh but I guess one adapts the old uses of tools to new uses as they come along. There's actually a few old bill hooks on ebay.
 
In the interest of education and more information I was contacted
by Billhooks.co.uk who told me:

"Hi Although billhook in shape this was actually made as a sugar cane knife (possibly Mauritius pattern, if my memory serves me) - it is listed in old (and the reprint) Elwell catalogues."

image of the Billhook in question..

Cool huh?
 
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