Best Billhook Guide

Best Billhook for Survival Guide man using a billhook machete

The billhook is a relatively unknown preppers tool that will do many survival tasks and is often the preferred "larger Knife' being able to do the heavy duty survival work that is often needed with ease.

This "big knife" was traditionally used as a basic cutting tool on farms to trim bushes and hedges before the introduction of the powered hedge trimmers.

But it has many uses as a survival tool and is an essential prepping item to add to your bug out kit and survival equipment.  


Billhook Design

The design dates back many centuries but the overall shape has remained the same over the years, as is the blade and handle materials.

double edged billhook

The blade is generally made from a medium graded carbon steel of different weights and lengths, but on average you find most blades are  200 to 300mm in length. With the handle being between 120 -160mm long. This can give a potential overall length of some 460mm which is a pretty powerful weapon in anyones hands.

Generally the blade is only kept sharp on the inside of the curve, but you can also get a double-edged billhook which has another bladed edge on the back. 

The blade is relatively thick as they used primarily for cutting thicker timber and woody vegetation. The end of the blade or 'nose' is quite often thickened so as to move the sweet spot much further forward.

The shaped design of the blade forms a hook at the very front of the blade. The idea here is to make it more efficient to trim smaller branches when stripping them off a larger branch and also the rounded end makes chopping easier and more effective when a chopping rounded object like a tree trunk.


The Billhook give you a nice large cutting surface and the curved hook certainly does help when your cutting and billhook trimming timber baranchtrimming small branches. You can also use it more like a standard survival knife for smaller, more fiddly, finer detailed trimming and shaping.


Of course there are some tasks that aren’t good for it. The number one is splitting wood, because there is no wedge shape as such, like you see on an axe, you will ruin the cutting blade edge due to being so much thinner than an axe.

If you try to use a double edged type, you will, of course, completely wreck the edge and the blade.!!

Choosing the right Billhook:

to help in your choice use the arrows to reorder each item to you specific needs;

  • Description with links to more information
  • Price 
  • Blade length
  • Overall length
  • Handle type
  • Edge type
  • Overall value for money score


click link to view
more information
Blade Length
Overall Length
Stihl Genuine Swiss Bush Hook

25350430LeatherSinglefive stars
Bill Hook, Double Edged 10"

25255404WoodDoublefour stars
Spear & Jackson Bill Hook

25255405WoodSinglethree star rating image

10300400LeatherSinglethree star rating image
Fiskars FibreComp Brush Hook

Singlefive stars
Bulldog Premier Billhook Double Edge

40230410WoodDoublethree star rating image



Hopefully, this Best Billhook Guide has helped you in your choice for a survival tool that suits you and becomes an essential part of you survival kit.