In the past, billhooks, axes, slashers and miscellaneous cutting tools came in a wide assortment of styles. The edged tool industry has now amalgamated into a few big firms, which have tended to standardise local tool types. Billhooks, for example, have been reduced to only four basic styles from the variety that was once made (see below).
Some hedgers still rely on the traditional hedging tools: the axe, billhook and slasher. Others, and particularly professional contractors, use the chain saw for nearly all cutting operations, from preliminary trimming of brush, laying or coppicing medium and large stems, through to final trimming of stakes. Loppers are also widely used by professionals and novices, as they are easy to use, make a clean cut, extend one’s reach upwards or into the hedge, and can be used in confined spaces.
Cutting tools must be good quality, with well maintained handles and sharp edges. Novices will be quickly put off by having to use poor tools. Where billhooks are used, choose a suitable weight tool for the job and the worker. Repeated hacking at a stem is neither good for the hedge plant nor the wrist, and repetitive strain injury can be caused in this way.
Tools are available from agricultural merchants and local ironmongers. Spear and Jackson billhooks and slashers are probably the best make which are widely available. Jafco specialise in tools with fibreglass shafts, including slashers, which are extremely durable and 10 times stronger than hickory. Alec Morris and Son are makers of high quality edged tools, and are able to make billhooks and slashers to any pattern as required, if the customer supplies a cardboard template. See here for addresses of suppliers.
It’s worth looking out at auctions, car boot sales and so on for old tools, especially billhooks and other tools in designs which are no longer made. Some of the steel used in past years was of better quality than is used today. Before buying edged tools, check that there is still sufficient of the tempered edge remaining, as the rest of the tool is of soft steel which cannot be sharpened without re-treatment. Don’t buy second-hand power or hand tools from sources which might be suspect, as theft of tools and re-sale through car boot sales and other outlets is a major problem.
Billhooks
Every county, and some areas within counties, once had their own type of billhook. The four patterns which are still manufactured today, Yorkshire, Stafford, Newtown and Southern Counties, have kept their local names, although their use and availability is not confined to these areas. They are available from The Conservation Volunteers. Some of the older patterns are also shown, as some are still in use, or may be available second-hand.
Regional patterns
Midlands hedgers use a one-handed, double-bladed tool with a short handle. In the past, Leicestershire- Warwickshire and Stafford patterns were manufactured, but only the latter is now available. The patterns were similar, although it is claimed that the Leicestershire- Warwickshire type was better balanced, due to its larger handle, oval in cross-section, which gave good grip.
Most hedgers use the curved side for general and heavy cutting, and reserve the straight blade for final trimming, topping of stakes and other light work which will not damage the razor edge. A few workers develop a preference for the exclusive use of one side or the other. Some Midlands hedgers use the Yorkshire billhook, a heavier, long-handled tool which can be used either one or two-handed.
The ‘hedge grip’, the notch at the end of the Llandeilo’s blade, is a feature of west Wales billhooks, as well as those from a few other scattered parts of the country. It enables the worker to push and prod pleachers and brash into place using the billhook rather than the hands.
South Western hedgers use billhooks designed primarily for other woodland work. The preference is for single- edged tools, ranging from heavy-duty brashing types with a weighted nose, to unweighted coppice hooks and the small, light spar hook.
Tool sizes and handles
Billhooks were once made by the local blacksmith to the user’s specifications. Now sizes and types are standardised, and listed according to name, blade length and handle length. The blade is measured from the top of the ferrule or socket to the extreme end of the blade.
Billhook handles may be caulked/pistol grip or rounded.
Evaluation
Probably the best hedging billhook currently available for laying optimum size stems is the Staffordshire billhook. It is not too tiring for the wrist, but is more versatile than a single-edged tool. The curved blade is useful for trimming and laying small stems, as the curve helps prevent thin whippy twigs from sliding off the blade. When used near ground level, the hook protects the main blade from being blunted by earth or stones. The flat blade can be used for sharpening stakes on a block.
The heavier Yorkshire billhook probably evolved to cope with the Yorkshire style of hedge laying, in which the hedge shrubs may be left to grow up to a greater size than for example the Midlands hedge. Many skilled workers like a Yorkshire for its weight and speed of cutting larger stems.As many hedges being laid today are beyond the best stage for laying, a Yorkshire is often the best billhook for the job.
A single-edged tool is safer and easier for the beginner to use, as there is only one blade to be wary of. It is also easier to sharpen than a double-edged tool.
Slashers and brushing hooks
Long-handled two handed trimming tools come in many shapes. The heaviest is the heavy-duty double-edged Irish slasher, which has a broad blade like a Yorkshire billhook. Hedgers may carry either a slasher or a curved brushing hook for preliminary cutting out of excess brush, and for freeing the tops of tangled pleachers before laying them. The names of these tools vary from place to place.
Any of these tools are suitable, provided they are really sharp. While the intermediate types with a definite but not extreme curve are most popular, some workers strongly prefer the straighter blades.
In Wales some hedgers carry short-handled hooks, known locally as ‘gorse hooks’ or ‘furze hooks’, for use as trimming tools. Elsewhere, these heavy duty tools are generally called trimming hooks. The similar grass hook is a lighter weight tool for use only on grass. These hooks have a flat blade, ground on both sides, and can be used either right or left handed. They get little use on the average hedge, although they may be helpful for final trimming or light annual brushing of trimmed hedges as well as for cutting gorse.
Axes
Whether or not an axe is used depends on individual preference, and the age and size of the hedge plants. Many hedgers will use a chain saw in place of an axe.
Where an axe is used, choose from the range of felling axes, which have a thin blade for cutting across the grain of the wood. Wedge or splitting axes have thicker heads, and are used for splitting wood with the grain, as when splitting firewood. Various names are also given according to the shape of the head and the length of the cutting edge, as shown below.
For beginners, a 2.5lb (1.1kg) to 3.5lb (1.5kg) Canadian type felling axe with a 30” (760mm) handle is recommended for most hedging work. This can be used one-handed, once the initial pleaching cut has been made, leaving the other hand free to guide the pleacher down. This small axe should be supplemented, when dealing with thick stems, with a heavier axe or bow saw, since it is slow to use by itself on larger trees.
For skilled workers, or as a second axe to supplement the small one, a 4.5lb (2kg) to 6lb (2.7kg) axe with 31-36” (800-900mm) handle should be suitable.
