Billhooks

[sardauker]

Found this one. It's on a US-based site but it is of presumably Italian origin so perhaps some of our Italian members can help identify it.

It is called "roncola".

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roncola_(attrezzo)

This kind is here called "pennato", even it would have to be only when on the back there's a flat blade.

Used to chop little bushes, branches or logs, confortable in the hand and reasonably heavy, it is often home-made with steel from truck suspensions

Very cheap, hard duty, sort of a cuban sugarcane machete (that has no hook, that's all).

[Nikos]

it is often home-made with steel from truck suspensions

Sounds good to me. Any idea how easy it is to track one down and what they go for?

[sardauker]

easy or easy++ in big hardware stores,
easy+++ in little towns of the Chianti
About the price... don't know... I think around 30€.
So I suppose it would be worthier (does thi word exist?) -and cooler- to find an old truck, to salvage it and to grind down the steel bar than shipping it.

(in Scarperia, a town well known for a cutlery fair -"i ferri taglienti"/"cutting iron"- there was an old artesan that could make a medieval sword replica, perfectly balanced, while you watched, grinding a suspension, hilt and all :/)

[Nikos]

Very interesting town that Scarperia... Knife museum and all... And is "officially twinned" with Laguiole. I wonder why...

[sardauker]

been there or on wikipedia?

[Nikos]

Wikipedia and the net in general. I'm planning a (quasi-)road-trip to Italy some time in the near future along with my gf but I doubt we'll make it that far north.

[sardauker]

far north?
you joking?

many, many of really northerns would be really upset to hear that (their problem, tough)

I live not 2h from rome, and nearly 4 from Milan
 
centre, that's all , and Scarperia is just on the North of Firenze.

[nuphoria]

I'm sure I'd rather be mugged by someone with a SAK then a billhook but hey, ebay know what their doing right?
Stupid funking bar stewards.... grrr..

I think you need a billhook Ms Kid, it suits you

Well I think I need one too if your buying

Neil

OK, so I need at least 4 billhooks now - one for me so I can hunt down ebay decision makers with it and show them what they still sell 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm sure I'd rather be mugged by someone with a SAK then a billhook but hey, ebay know what their doing right?
Stupid funking bar stewards.... grrr..

I think you need a billhook Ms Kid, it suits you

Well I think I need one too if your buying

Neil

OK, so I need at least 4 billhooks now - one for me so I can hunt down ebay decision makers with it and show them what they still sell 

Group buy

[Nikos]

More like volume discount.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

More like volume discount.

Time to start organising then

[nuphoria]

It's not entirely a stupid idea 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It's not entirely a stupid idea 

We'd have to get a lot more interest to make it worth it though, then find some mug to organise it

[Nikos]

Oooh I'd love a SOSAK mug... No wait... wrong thread.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Oooh I'd love a SOSAK mug... No wait... wrong thread.

Pay attention at the back

[Hedge Kid]

 it is often home-made with steel from truck suspensions

The leaf springs? That would be cool. That's about the right thickness of steel I was referring to.

How about we forget the group order and just go down the scrappy, get a couple of old and knackered leaf springs and play 

Now all we need is someone with the right equipment to play with - gas cutter and a grinding wheel anyone? 

[nuphoria]

 it is often home-made with steel from truck suspensions

The leaf springs? That would be cool. That's about the right thickness of steel I was referring to.

How about we forget the group order and just go down the scrappy, get a couple of old and knackered leaf springs and play 

Now all we need is someone with the right equipment to play with - gas cutter and a grinding wheel anyone? 

When's the next proposed meet up? 

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I like the looks of this one - Linky

[Neil]

I like the looks of this one - Linky

Does that make it just a Bill? <you may groan now>.  Got to have the hook me.

Neil

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I like the looks of this one - Linky

Does that make it just a Bill? <you may groan now>.  Got to have the hook me.

Neil

Yep got to have the hook , 1) to clear the brush and 2) to look a bit more sheeple friendly

Thanks anyway mate

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I like the looks of this one - Linky

Does that make it just a Bill? <you may groan now>.  Got to have the hook me.

Neil

Yep got to have the hook , 1) to clear the brush and 2) to look a bit more sheeple friendly

Thanks anyway mate

Have you looked at the rest of their offerings? - Looky

[sardauker]

 it is often home-made with steel from truck suspensions

The leaf springs? That would be cool. That's about the right thickness of steel I was referring to.

How about we forget the group order and just go down the scrappy, get a couple of old and knackered leaf springs and play 

Now all we need is someone with the right equipment to play with - gas cutter and a grinding wheel anyone? 

Yep. We call them "balestre" (crossbows) by their shape.

No gas cutter here, sorry

[Nikos]

<derailment>
"balestre" from the Greek "βαλλίστρα", feminine form of "βαλλιστής", from the verb "βάλλω" which means "to throw", so balestre translates as "she who throws"...
</derailment>

[Gareth]

I like the looks of this one - Linky

Does that make it just a Bill? <you may groan now>.  Got to have the hook me.

Neil

Yep got to have the hook , 1) to clear the brush and 2) to look a bit more sheeple friendly

Thanks anyway mate

Have you looked at the rest of their offerings? - Looky

I'd forgotten about the Woodsmith's Store.    I've never dealt with them personally but I seem to remember hearing good things.

[sardauker]

<derailment>
"balestre" from the Greek "βαλλίστρα", feminine form of "βαλλιστής", from the verb "βάλλω" which means "to throw", so balestre translates as "she who throws"...
</derailment>

the singular is balestra

(hence the word balistica - "ballistic")

etimologia applicata

[I'm Still Bison]

 It's not a billhook,but it's a nice looking hickory handled brush hook.Lehman's was founded to serve the Amish community.Their catalogs are full of non-electric goodness,and a fun read.
http://www.lehmans.com/store/Tools___Farm___Hand_Tools___Steel_Brush_Hook___12200432?Args=

[ringzero]

<derailment>
"balestre" from the Greek "βαλλίστρα", feminine form of "βαλλιστής", from the verb "βάλλω" which means "to throw", so balestre translates as "she who throws"...
</derailment>

the singular is balestra

(hence the word balistica - "ballistic")

etimologia applicata

Thanks guys - I love etymology.

Didn't realize the term was Greek - probably would have guessed it was Latin.

Most technical (and many, many non-technical) words in English come from Greek or Latin.

.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I like the looks of this one - Linky

Does that make it just a Bill? <you may groan now>.  Got to have the hook me.

Neil

Yep got to have the hook , 1) to clear the brush and 2) to look a bit more sheeple friendly

Thanks anyway mate

Have you looked at the rest of their offerings? - Looky

That Morris looks pretty sweet

And look who's nearly a no lifer

[nuphoria]

How to mix sharp and shiny with cunning linguistics - only here!

Superb   

English is indeed full of Greek and Latin at its core but is about 1/3 Germanic in origin in it's current incarnation. Throw in thousands of words from many other languages and here we are... talking utter smurfe in it!

[ringzero]

How to mix sharp and shiny with cunning linguistics - only here!

Superb   

English is indeed full of Greek and Latin at its core but is about 1/3 Germanic in origin in it's current incarnation. Throw in thousands of words from many other languages and here we are... talking utter Colorful Enunciatione in it!

True, but the worst influence by far was the toxic French pollution of the hapless English language after the Norman Conquest. ;>

After that English was screwed up beyond any hope of repair:  bizarre spellings, crazy irregular verbs, and lots of other non-standard stuff.

.