A billhook, or bill hook, is a versatile cutting tool used widely in agriculture and forestry for cutting woody material such as shrubs, small trees and branches, and is distinct from the sickle. Its use as a cutting tool goes back to the Bronze Age, and it was commonly used across Europe in an important variety of traditional local patterns; it was also developed independently elsewhere, such as in the Indian subcontinent, and was introduced regionally to the Americas, South Africa and Oceania by European settlers.
Facts
Introduced When (Circa) OriginIron Age billhooks have been found in pre-Roman settlements in England, France and Germany, where the tool is called Hippe or Sechsle, and in Switzerland, where it is called Gertel. 1 Introduced era (class) Connections
Used In
Source Billhook (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Era Of Origin
Also in History Atlas: the era this subject comes from.
Sources
1. Billhook (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationMain text, paragraph before Styles section
The billhook's use as a cutting tool goes back to the Bronze Age, and a few examples survive from this period, for example, found in the sea around Greece.
Main text, sentence following the Bronze Age reference
Iron examples from the later Iron Age have been found in pre-Roman settlements in several English counties, as well as in France and Germany, where it is called "Hippe" or "Sechsle", and Switzerland, where it is called "Gertel".
Lead section
A billhook or bill hook is a versatile cutting tool used widely in agriculture and forestry for cutting woody material such as shrubs, small trees and branches.
Used In: Woodworking, History
In the Netherlands they were often used in a carpenter
View the Source 2. Dictionary.com: Billhook definition
Dictionary.comDefinitionQuote, Definition
a cutting tool with a wooden handle and a curved blade terminating in a hook at its tip
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