A Load of Old Billhooks
If you have reached this page I guess you are also interested in, or have a query regarding, billhooks or other edge tools. This new site is being regularly updated, and new information added. You may be able to find pages from the previous site or the original site hosted on Freeserve by using Wayback Internet Archive.
The site is managed by Bob Burgess, from Heytesbury in Wiltshire (UK), the owner of a private collection of over 5000 billhooks and numerous other edge tools. Of the billhooks, approximately 60% are from the UK and the other 40% from Western European countries, but there are some are from other continents. Some parts of the site may be biased towards French tools, but this is only because I have a limited grasp of the language, and am thus able to research French websites,
The aim of the site is to inform, educate and share - as well as the collection of tools I also have a large (and equally uncatalogued) archive of images as well as source material such as copies of manufacturers' catalogues. I am always looking to extend this archive and if you have any old photographs, papers, catalogues relating to edge tools in general, or billhooks in particular, I would be pleased to receive copies. I am particularly looking for information on the smaller regional or village makers.
As this site develops I hope to be able to show examples of tools made by some of the smaller makers and create a list of makers. I have done this for France, using some French annuaires and almanachs from 1830 to 1937 and discovered over 4800 makers of edge tools - and each year still find tools from makers that are not yet on the list.. I suspect that the situation was similar in the UK until the beginning of the 20th century...
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me by e-mail and if you have a specific query please attach an image if you have one . If you just want to comment on the site please use the guestbook.
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