Billhook Handles from Green Ash

[@joshuadelisle]

Great video. Thank you

[@MR-ew6uw]

Great detailed videos! I have picked up a couple of billhooks where the blades are in great shape, but they have terrible handles bodged on, which I need to replace. One of them is an old Cornelius hook, which a new handle, about 5 1/2" long, but the tang isn't completely through, so must be around 5" or less (possibly old damage). What's the best option here - do I have to treat it like a half tang, or is there a way to extend the tang back to being full tang? Guess I'll find out how much tang there is once I take the handle off!

[@anemone104]

Cornelius Whitehouse and Sons, Cannock? Made good steel, including hammers including geology hammers. Trouble with rivetted-over through-tang hooks is that every time you replace the handle, the tang gets shorter. Through-tang is the best way to go as half-tang works loose, even if you modify by inserting a rivet at the ferrule. Once the tang gets too short, you need to do one of two things: Re-forge the tang to 'stretch' it. There is often enough meat to do this where blade meets tang or even (and better) further into the tang. Beware heating into the blade and changing the temper. Weld a new section onto the end of the tang. You may have to chop off any thin section on the tang end to get a good butt weld. I have done the second more often than the first. I use a MiG welder, any old similar diameter steel that's lying around and heat both parts to be joined before welding and then heat so they cool slowly (so the weld isn't brittle). I then re-heat and forge out with the hammer so the join isn't too obvious. Then re-handle as normal.

[@MR-ew6uw]

@@anemone104 Thanks for such a detailed answer so quickly! That reassures me that I can have a full tang one way or another, and avoid the half-tang rivet problems you highlight.. Will get the old handle off and speak to my friend who tinkers with welding/smithing and see what we can do.

[@daweed4255]

You billhooks look pretty clean. What do you use to clean them? I tried Ballistol and a rag but that doesn‘t want to work that well.

[@anemone104]

Don't know Ballistol. I use a rag and light oil to maintain and when I sharpen, the stone (fine grade carborundum) gets run over the flanks of the hook to take off any accumulated resins. I do it little and often. Hook gets kept as dry as possible and in a cover (it's sharp enough to use on the shaving horse) when not in use. A very light dose of veg oil on a rag is used on the handle.

[@anemone104]

PS some of them were very rusty and have been attacked with a flap disc on an angle grinder to remove the powdery rust and the worst of the pitting.

[@queen4269]

Uncle thank you for the wisdom Thank you for teaching me Thank you for the wisdom. I was stolen from my tribe centuries ago and have had no tool teachings since then... I'm 22 now🙏🏿🙇🏿🙍🏿

[@richswain7154]

Hi from devon. Just found this, thanks for the upload, fantastic insight into handles. Roughly how long would you season roughed ash handles before fitting? Thanks in advance

[@anemone104]

Depends on the conditions they are stored in and the size of the handle (volume of wood). I have just this minute finished editing a vid on fitting a hammer haft to a forging hammer. The haft was roughed at the same time as the billhook handles and, being narrower, would dry out faster. Maybe a month or two in hot, dry summer weather for the hook handles but sooner might work with a through tang. That vid won't go up for a couple of weeks, but if you want a shufti go to kzbin.info/www/bejne/banUmIqgipZ2kLs but allow an hour as it's still loading. It's just under half an hour so you'll need a cuppa..... Thanks for the praise. Best wishes from Wareham.

[@GrizzlyGroundswell]

This is a skill that I would love to aquire. Handles seem to be a skill that is just beyond my reach here but I am hoping with a sawhorse they will be attainable.

[@anemone104]

If you want to acquire the skill, you will. When you make your first shaving horse, don't let 'perfect' be the enemy of 'do-able'. You can always use it to make another better one much faster once you have rough first and have used it a while. Also shaping your timber green is much faster and easier. Pick a handle you like to use and copy it. A pencil is handy to transfer the outline on to a rough-shaped blank. There is another vid ready to go up (end of next week is planned) that may be of interest. It walks through design elements of shaving horses and other factors to consider...

[@anemone104]

PS if you don't have ash (or hickory in the US) you can use beech or another short-grained wood for hook handles as they are not in flexure. Try it with what you have, so long as it's green, the grain is straight, knot free and it's long enough to give you long enough cleft pieces to hold onto. Same goes for making your first shaving horse...

[@GrizzlyGroundswell]

@@anemone104 Thanks for the insight! On the docket here but putting out a lot of fires keeps pushing it to the back burner. I have an old barn here that has ample timber to provide for making these devices that will make my life easier, even have some scraps set aside for the shave horse. Once the garden is settled in and piglets are all accounted for, I am hoping I can steal some time during the heat of the Summer to get these put together. I like that idea of using an imperfect first try to build a better rendition later on. So many times I have caught myself saying...If I had only built that damn shavehorse! LOL! Cleaving breaks are next on the docket after that.

[@anemone104]

@@GrizzlyGroundswell Actual fires? Or 'just' running around dealing with stuff that life throws at you? If the former, that's a worry! ATB.