Talk:Billhook

message: I've removed a lot of links where the sites were purely commercial (catalogues, manufacturers which make many other tools) or where the link to the topic is tenuous at best (a single image where a billhook is featured as part of a group shot buried 3 links deep) or completely non-apparent (historical society pages which do not have any mention of billhooks anywhere). I know the links were put there in good faith but they should be direct examples that further the reader's understanding. -- 89.240.103.111 11:23, 15 June 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Hmmm! Problem with removing links is that it takes way the opportunity for readers to follow them - some of them may have been tenuous, and others may still be able to be found via those links that do remain - but at least there was an option to follow them or not (without having to go back into history to view earlier pages). Billhooks are not just a tool still used by hedgelayers and conservation groups, but are an historical artifact that links many different disciplines: Anthropology, Agriculture, Metallurgy, History, Geography, Design, Ergonomics, Manufacturing, Sociology etc. Different readers may thus be searching for different viewpoints - the whole point of Wikipedia is to spread knowledge - not restrict it... BillhooksUK 11:54, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Links pruning 

message: I've removed the above text - I've got a bill and a machete and they are the same thickness! :-) The difference between the two I've got is the shape,size and type of cutting edge. The bill is a Wilkinson Sword import of a Fiskars model, the machete is my dad's old one from the 50s - maybe from his days in the commandos but not sure. --mgaved (talk) 16:54, 11 January 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I've got both as well and my billhook is  much thicker than the machete - I don't doubt that yours may not show this difference but "typically" a billhook will be thicker.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Trewornan (talk • contribs) 00:39, 21 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: "(much thicker than a machete for example)"

message: I see no mention of the sickle, but the two seem very similar to me. Some text about the differences would be nice. --Palnatoke (talk) 06:52, 18 July 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sickle vs. billhook? 

message: Billhooks are one of the numerous farming implements that were pressed into use during rebellions or by peasants seant off to fight en masse in emergencies. It is probably this that led to the later adoption of bills as purpose-made weapons. A billhookcan be every bit as lethal as any other type of agricultural blade: machete, parang, cleaver, bolo, etc. They were not uncommonly used as murder weapons; it was difficult for the poor to obtain real "weapons" like swords, but pitchforks, billhooks, cleavers, axes, clubs, hammers were all widely available, and found to be very effective, both in combat and in murder (hence so many of these having later purpose-built military adaptions made of them). Some of this mayh seem self-evident, but it'd be nice to touch on it anyway, how semingly mudane and clumsy things like billhooks saw their moments of fire and blood.
Idumea47b (talk) 11:46, 6 December 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Use as weapons