Post by macmex on Aug 20, 2021 15:33:01 GMT -6
Well, the Noborigama Billhook has really got me excited about this kind of tool. So much so, that when talking with my son, who was busily cutting Mongolian Black Berries from his yard in Washington State, I recommended it to him. I did more than recommend it. I decided to get one for him, but looking, I discovered that there were few of them available, and some were running over $100 for a single tool. I thought, surely there has to be a billhook out there that is really good but also economical.
Over the course of a few days I researched, discovering that billhooks are used in a wide range of cultural settings. I was especially surprised to find that they are traditional tools in the north of England, used for managing hedges, a skill they call pleaching! Here's another video from the 1940s on hedging in England. I hunted around on Ebay and the internet, looking for sites which might offer billhooks. It turns out, just like in England where there is a wide diversity of styles, according to regional preference, so it is in the entire world. How did I miss this amazing tool for so long?!
On account of the way I've used my Noborigama billhook I have concluded that the best billhook for me is one with an actual hook, and that, on the same side of the blade with any straighter cutting edge. I've found that I use the tool far more with a pulling motion than a chopping motion, though chopping is sometimes necessary. I simply adore this tool for cleaning out fence lines, which is often what I do when I've gathering forage for my animals.
I had concluded that I wanted to get a billhook for my son and was investigating options. The most hopeful option I found was a IMACASA billhook machete, made in El Salvador. To top things off, it was CHEAP! I found them for just over $16 each, so. I ordered one for my son and one for Ron, who had helped me so much cutting up the trees we had cut down, a few weeks ago. Ron and I have very similar tastes in tools, so I just knew he'd like one of these.
This billhook is STURDY. In fact, the main doubt I had, when I first examined it, was that perhaps the handle might be too fat. Another thing to consider is that, just like most machetes I've purchased new, in Mexico, it came with a factory edge which is about as sharp as a butter knife. Examining it, when it arrived, I was confident that the dull edge could be remedied. The comments written on the stickers (in Spanish) gave me even more confidence. They read something along the line of "Sharpen before use. Do NOT (PLEASE) don't sharpen dry. USE LOTS OF WATER when sharpening. This is because most folk sharpen on an emery wheel, something which most knife enthusiasts abhor. It's way too easy to ruin an edge this way. Not only does it take off too much metal, too quickly, it also heats the metal, ruining the temper.
I spent a bit of time researching technique for honing billhooks. The main difficulty is with the actual curve in the blade. I'm already challenged, as I struggle with not clearly perceiving angles. I found that there are a number of opinions about how to sharpen one of these, and I concluded I needed to build off of what I already do with grass sickles. I purchased a half round file and already possessed a scythe hone (The oblong hone in the wheelbarrow with the billhook, above). It took me three or four days, working sporadically, to get the bevel just right, using the file. Then, when it felt right, I used the scythe hone to finish the edge.
I took this billhook on a forage hunting foray and quickly discovered that it works really well! Using it two or three days, I found that I could use it exclusively, as it works nearly as well as a grass sickle, on grass, and super well on briers and saplings. I even cut kindling from a fallen limb of maple, using the straight portion of the blade, just as if it were a regular machete. It worked wonderfully well! The only drawback to this type of machete is that I cannot imagine how to make a practical sheath for it.
Here's a link where one can obtain this machete (Billhook) It's called a "Imacasa 10 Inch Calabozo Bill Hook." Presently they are out of stock. The same tool can be found on Amazon, though for about $10 more.
Over the course of a few days I researched, discovering that billhooks are used in a wide range of cultural settings. I was especially surprised to find that they are traditional tools in the north of England, used for managing hedges, a skill they call pleaching! Here's another video from the 1940s on hedging in England. I hunted around on Ebay and the internet, looking for sites which might offer billhooks. It turns out, just like in England where there is a wide diversity of styles, according to regional preference, so it is in the entire world. How did I miss this amazing tool for so long?!
On account of the way I've used my Noborigama billhook I have concluded that the best billhook for me is one with an actual hook, and that, on the same side of the blade with any straighter cutting edge. I've found that I use the tool far more with a pulling motion than a chopping motion, though chopping is sometimes necessary. I simply adore this tool for cleaning out fence lines, which is often what I do when I've gathering forage for my animals.
I had concluded that I wanted to get a billhook for my son and was investigating options. The most hopeful option I found was a IMACASA billhook machete, made in El Salvador. To top things off, it was CHEAP! I found them for just over $16 each, so. I ordered one for my son and one for Ron, who had helped me so much cutting up the trees we had cut down, a few weeks ago. Ron and I have very similar tastes in tools, so I just knew he'd like one of these.
This billhook is STURDY. In fact, the main doubt I had, when I first examined it, was that perhaps the handle might be too fat. Another thing to consider is that, just like most machetes I've purchased new, in Mexico, it came with a factory edge which is about as sharp as a butter knife. Examining it, when it arrived, I was confident that the dull edge could be remedied. The comments written on the stickers (in Spanish) gave me even more confidence. They read something along the line of "Sharpen before use. Do NOT (PLEASE) don't sharpen dry. USE LOTS OF WATER when sharpening. This is because most folk sharpen on an emery wheel, something which most knife enthusiasts abhor. It's way too easy to ruin an edge this way. Not only does it take off too much metal, too quickly, it also heats the metal, ruining the temper.
I spent a bit of time researching technique for honing billhooks. The main difficulty is with the actual curve in the blade. I'm already challenged, as I struggle with not clearly perceiving angles. I found that there are a number of opinions about how to sharpen one of these, and I concluded I needed to build off of what I already do with grass sickles. I purchased a half round file and already possessed a scythe hone (The oblong hone in the wheelbarrow with the billhook, above). It took me three or four days, working sporadically, to get the bevel just right, using the file. Then, when it felt right, I used the scythe hone to finish the edge.
I took this billhook on a forage hunting foray and quickly discovered that it works really well! Using it two or three days, I found that I could use it exclusively, as it works nearly as well as a grass sickle, on grass, and super well on briers and saplings. I even cut kindling from a fallen limb of maple, using the straight portion of the blade, just as if it were a regular machete. It worked wonderfully well! The only drawback to this type of machete is that I cannot imagine how to make a practical sheath for it.
Here's a link where one can obtain this machete (Billhook) It's called a "Imacasa 10 Inch Calabozo Bill Hook." Presently they are out of stock. The same tool can be found on Amazon, though for about $10 more.
