How to Use the Billhook on the Allotment

This is partly historical, discussing the etymology of the billhook (otherwise known as the bill), but it is really an allotment gardening video discussing modern-day use of the instrument.
#allotment #gardening #billhook

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍 Interesting. Thank you

[@AllotmentFox]

Thank you, Pete

[@KarenCotton-ex9oz]

I grew up in East Wiltshire in the 1960ies . In 1977 my neighbour , a retired ploughman roped me in to tidying up the village green for the jubilee. A Billook was for wooden branches where you used it at the joints and cut at an angle
The softer vegetation was worked with a riphook ( reephook) I think which was a short handled sickle . The technique was to bounce the flat of the blade against the ground which left a very short aftermath. The hook was then used to gather the cut foliage. I hope this helps. Incidentally before he retired my neighbour ploughed the same farm 45 times changing from horses to tractors

[@AllotmentFox]

Thanks Karen. My point is a billhook can pretty much do all the cutting jobs in your garden when a sickle can't. It's a weight thing. But it might not do it very well. I'm interested in your bouncing off the ground thing with the sickle. I can sickle grass but it never looked very good.

[@chitraprints]

Great shots of the plums and good to see that this year you actually beat the allotment plum thieves and got a crop! :) :)

[@AllotmentFox]

Thank you for eating them for me!

[@triedzidono]

I dug one of these up years back. new handle & a quick wirebrush & its incredible.
is a dream for cleaning up bamboo but as you say, does everything.

[@AllotmentFox]

I couldn’t find one for sale anywhere, even in antiques shops so I bought a German import instead. Now I find them everywhere

[@user-mp4mo4fj5u]

I heard the siren in the background and thought someone was coming to check out the warrior with the Billhook. Then you said to be careful caring dangerous things in the street in the UK without a good reason. Even bats are an issue if you do not use them in sport. Does that cause a problem for low scoring English batters :) ?

[@AllotmentFox]

We don’t play baseball here but someone with a sportsbag with a cricket bat wearing whites would not get stopped. Wandering around with a 12-inch blade is a different matter. I think it might be an issue for sport shooters trying to hit elite levels. There are gun clubs here but you have to pass a police check to get a license. There are no circumstances whatsoever to possess a handgun which would definitely affect that athletics sport that involves pistols, I forget what it is called.