<![CDATA[I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now.]]>I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. Please help!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/92a212b5-03d6-4f86-a018-b9fac7b6101d/i-am-looking-for-a-manual-of-forestry-garden-tool-sharpening-and-maintenance-published-in-the-20th-century-in-the-uk-ideally-pertaining-to-billhooks-scythes-etc.-the-internet-search-is-useless-now.RSS for NodeSat, 24 Oct 2026 11:11:55 GMTWed, 21 Oct 2026 17:03:40 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:41:21 GMT]]>@MossyQuartz @catuscay oiling is a good point, that and cigar stone being the best thing to use for anything sickle size or bigger. I cannot really put into words how to do this.... Hence my advice to just try it as I am suspicious how well a book could explain it.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/hicksy2/statuses/117485317727615129https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/hicksy2/statuses/117485317727615129Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:41:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:21:08 GMT]]>@hicksy2 @catuscay Yes, what hicksy2 said is same as what I remember my father said his father told him. I also remember something my grandfather did after cleaning and sharpening his tools; he kept them in a bucket of a mixture of sand and oil in the cellar during the off-season, winter.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/MossyQuartz/statuses/117485238244799962https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.vivaldi.net/users/MossyQuartz/statuses/117485238244799962Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:21:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:57:05 GMT]]>You might want to look into older publications by the Rural Industries Bureau, as they often produced detailed practical guides on maintaining tools like billhooks and scythes in mid-century Britain.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117158652297159063/statuses/117483728092811844https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/117158652297159063/statuses/117483728092811844Thu, 22 Oct 2026 08:57:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:50:25 GMT]]>@catuscay Of course the excellently titled website "Talking Billhooks" is a load of billhooks (and slashers), but not sure it includes tool care advice. https://www.billhooks.co.uk/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://cosocial.ca/ap/users/116312577443346016/statuses/117481342588802741https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://cosocial.ca/ap/users/116312577443346016/statuses/117481342588802741Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:50:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:29:53 GMT]]>@catuscay but I would be mildly impressed by anyone with a hand tool manual on their coffee table. More impressed by anyone with hand tools and a cigar stone on their coffee table.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/hicksy2/statuses/117480789987798341https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/hicksy2/statuses/117480789987798341Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:29:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:25:02 GMT]]>@catuscay in all seriousness, buy a cigar stone and just do it! You will learn more from actually holding the stone and tool in your hands than you will from a book.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/hicksy2/statuses/117480770921373045https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/hicksy2/statuses/117480770921373045Wed, 21 Oct 2026 20:25:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:35:12 GMT]]>@catuscay
Is it a specific book that you know exists, or are your criteria components of an search for something you're uncertain exists?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/neverbeaten/statuses/117480103141379487https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mas.to/users/neverbeaten/statuses/117480103141379487Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:35:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:29:53 GMT]]>@catuscay You are probably wanting a copy of BTCV's Tool Care Manual - eg: https://www.nhbs.com/toolcare-a-maintenance-and-workshop-manual-book

BTCV, now called TCV, still have their practical handbooks available online, though I think they are rebuilding their website https://www.tcv.org.uk/news/tcvs-conservation-handbooks-online-now/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://cosocial.ca/ap/users/116312577443346016/statuses/117480082178143461https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://cosocial.ca/ap/users/116312577443346016/statuses/117480082178143461Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:29:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I am looking for a manual of forestry/garden tool sharpening and maintenance, published in the 20th century in the UK, ideally pertaining to billhooks, scythes, etc. The internet search is useless now. on Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:14:15 GMT]]>@catuscay Just a tip: Follow the gardening group and ask those questions there - you'll reach more people.

@ gardening@fedigroups.social

(without the blank)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/Irisfreundin/statuses/117480020710199469https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://troet.cafe/users/Irisfreundin/statuses/117480020710199469Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:14:15 GMT