Billhook Survival Knife

June 30th, 2010
by urban


After watching several videos and reviews about survival and bushcraft knives I came to the conclusion just to use an old and almost antique traditional billhook as my survival knife/tool. This blade is in the hands of my family since decades and as the video shows, there´s nothing wrong with it. This video has as well the purpose to demonstrate why using a heavy blade has advantages over carrying the small and lightweight style utility knifes labeled as “bushcraft knifes”.

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Posted in Survivial Tips and Techniques | Comments (11)

11 Responses to “Billhook Survival Knife”

  1. HomoGnosticus Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    @cheeco8

    No, it’s an old family tool. I’d like to try forging something like that, though. I still didn’t manage to find an anvil and have too much other things to do :3

  2. cheeco8 Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 8:12 pm

    Hi did you make those yourself?

  3. TheBeebopper Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 8:15 pm

    I think this probably offers greater facility for survival or tramping than does the British army ‘survival’ (read combat) knife. I cant think of a better tool (the hook) for gathering green wood for shelter building. You’ve shown it has no problem in cleaving (dry?) wood. I’d like to see more on how you use this knife with and without a pole. Any felling to do?

  4. HomoGnosticus Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 8:32 pm

    @TheBeebopper

    It’s a bit heavy hammer, could once have been used as forging hammer, don’t know the weight exactly, my estimate is about 2kg, and no I think heavier would be too unpractical, if I’m not getting along with it I’ll take the sledgehammer or a maul, but with wedges not with the billhook^^

  5. TheBeebopper Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    What’s the hammer weight you are using to drive the hook and would you go heavier?

  6. lordsummerisle87 Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 9:58 pm

    @HomoGnosticus still see em all the time in rural England.

  7. MyT01 Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 10:52 pm

    @HomoGnosticus Ah, thanx for the answer. Keep up the good work ;)

  8. klgdv Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 11:42 pm

    I have a very old billhook.Its very usefull,It works both as a machete and an axe

  9. MyT01 Says:
    June 30th, 2010 at 11:46 pm

    what is the hook for? other then that i like it

  10. HomoGnosticus Says:
    July 1st, 2010 at 12:29 am

    Not so unique as it seems, back in the day every farmer family had such a blade with a broad variety of usage from cleaning branches from logs to harvesting maize. Bill hooks are evidenced in Europe since the Bronze Age. They are the native machetes of Europe.? Thank you for commenting on my video.

  11. SECRETBOL Says:
    July 1st, 2010 at 12:49 am

    Very unique design.
    thanks.