machete or axes waht you working with??

[GaryBeaner]

Dave,
Just had a look at your web site and i see you actually make Billhooks (praise be!). I usually use a Morris 'Newton' for coppicing which does the job just fine. But...and a big but... I've always wanted a handmade Billhook, something that'll stay with me for a long time. Could you tell me, is the outlay worth it, obviously apart from having something nice to sit and smile at?! I'll pretend your advice is un biased !
Thanks.

[dave budd]

is it worth having a handmade billhook over a factory made one? Well I s'pose it depends on the individual but I prefer to use my own one to those mass produced hooks I own from a practical POV.

A handmade one can be infinitely better than a mass produced hook, but it does depend on who made it and how it was made.

The two things that modern billhooks fail on is geometry and edge retention. Old hooks irrespective of the edge retention (a factor of steel quality and heat treating) had good geometry and tapered handle to tip and back to edge, so they cut through things easily (not having the thick mass directly behind the edge) and had plenty of mass in the back to aid in the whole balance and efficiency of the swing. Modern hooks tend to be cut from sheet or at best (like Morris') only have one of the two tapers (the distal taper), so allows good balance but doesn't have the edge clearance. Also the mass heat treating means they tend to be tough but don't hold a great edge, they also always need regrinding to make them work at all!

Some folk who make billhooks (i can think of at least one smith, who sell 'professionally handmade tools' and does this)cut them from sheet and do a reasonable job of heat treating, so hold an edge better than a mass produced one, but may not work as well as an old factory made hook because of the geometry. in other words you will be better off buying an old billhook and doing it up or a new factory one and sharpen more often.

The hooks I make are made to the same geometry as the old ones (they start thick at the handle and taper down towards the point and down to the edge) so work very well, but they have the added benefit of modern steel and modern heatreating done on an individual scale. So you can get the best possible quality tool that works efficiently (by design) and hold a great edge without being brittle. Then you need to decide for yourself whether the cost of the thing is worth it to YOU. Sure it works better than any modern factory hook and holds an edge better than any old or new one, but it will cost more like £100 than £30

personally I coppice with a chainsaw and sned with a billhook, but that's just me

horses for courses.

[Metal mug]

If you don't mind doing a little sharpening you can get good old quality axes on ebay.

[JEEP]

Either a Øyo Small Viking axe or a Strømeng 8" leuku.

I prefer the leuku. But, due to the legislation here in Denmark, I only bring it out when I am going to less overrun places. It is unclear whether a big knife like a leuku actually at all can be carried legally on camping and hiking here in Denmark. As it is not - as the law is interpreted by the police - a specialized tool like a kitchen knife, a fishermans filet knife or a craftsmans big whatever-knife. Machettes aren't legal, but an axe can be carried with no problems.

[comanighttrain]

Got to say from my limited experience i found the machete to be easier for cutting than the small axe ...

[OKBushcraft]

I have a nice old Boy Scouts of America hand axe clone.At least 50 yrs old. Wonderful steel, sharpens very nice(I can shave with it-back of my hand any way-the beard stays)
BUT!!! Most of my shrafting has been done with my Ontario 18" machete`. I have used it for shelters, fuzz sticks, fire wood-within reason on thickness, drawknife use, snake whacker, vine cutting for water, harvesting wild edibles, cane and bamboo cutting , and camp clearance-I know not very "leave no trace" but I am on private land. Would be hesitant using it to clean fish or butchering deer.
The axe-cutting fire wood, shelter poles, fuzz sticks, cracking nuts, driving tent pegs, I would be comfy with cleaning fish or butchering deer with it.

Here is an odd consideration-the Cold Steel Spetznaz shovel clone-sharpens nice, have built shelters with it (using it as a hand axe) digs nice too-(cat holes, Lakota holes,roots and tubers) splits small fire wood, fuzz sticks when real sharp, cracks nuts, driving tent pegs. I would like to try cleaning fish with it. This is a less leathal looking tool. It may be more acceptible for the more strict carry laws.

[fish]

i have a gransfors wildlife hatchet and its a dream to own.ive built bivi's with it and butchered deer with it.

[CanadianMike]

GB Small Forest Axe and Cold Steel Kukri machete for me, just yesterday dug out the machete and reground the edge (came with a crappy one 5 years ago when I got it, used a file to make it better but still foun it wanting), it now has a 16 degree Scandi grind for the 5" of blade in front of the handle, and the rest of the blade is a short bevel convex grind, similar to what it had before, but is thinner now. Might get out back to do some test chopping today. Am designing a thicker heavier bush knife to make in the next few months, rather like a small machete/golok I guess, 12" blade, 5" handle, multi-edges, etc.

[ghost]

I'm another who uses a bill hook, I have found it fills the spot between a pocket knife and a large axe very well!

[OKBushcraft]

I'd like to see that blade you are thinking of. I have something going on in my thoughts about 10" long, a cross between a golok and a Nessmuck maybe stretched to 12" but not sure yet. Keep us posted on how it turns out. Ah shucks, as it goes through the process from start to finish if that isn't asking too much.