Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Billman · 30th March 2014, 02:39 PM

Thanks for that - the tool is most certainly a cooper's knife - 'cochoir' in French (kuipermes??) - the single bevel, the blade shape, the deep fullering are all typical of certain patterns of this tool. Possibly the image of two coopers trussing a cask on the back of the blade are also a bit of a give away...

I have not found any reference to this tool in Holland, but have contacted Eric Waulput who has written a book on cooper's tool (Catalog Kuiper Gereedschaf) for help.

I have just found an image of a similar tool, dated from 1400 to 1500, in the Rotterdam Museum - it is listed as a meat cleaver, but so was the V&A tool, until I told them otherwise...

The Dutch and Belgium billhooks often have a straight blade, and they can be seen in images of carpenter's workshops, so it is likely they were also found in Dutch/Flemish/Belgium cooperages...

Images, below: top the V&A tool, bottom the Rotterdam tool....

30th March 2014, 02:39 PM	#11
Billman Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 129	Thanks for that - the tool is most certainly a cooper's knife - 'cochoir' in French (kuipermes??) - the single bevel, the blade shape, the deep fullering are all typical of certain patterns of this tool. Possibly the image of two coopers trussing a cask on the back of the blade are also a bit of a give away... I have not found any reference to this tool in Holland, but have contacted Eric Waulput who has written a book on cooper's tool (Catalog Kuiper Gereedschaf) for help. I have just found an image of a similar tool, dated from 1400 to 1500, in the Rotterdam Museum - it is listed as a meat cleaver, but so was the V&A tool, until I told them otherwise... The Dutch and Belgium billhooks often have a straight blade, and they can be seen in images of carpenter's workshops, so it is likely they were also found in Dutch/Flemish/Belgium cooperages... Images, below: top the V&A tool, bottom the Rotterdam tool.... Attached Images Last edited by Billman; 30th March 2014 at 02:57 PM.