Pierce Tools #7 - 9 inch.
The Pierce #7 nine inch is my ultimate in a heavy bush blade.
It is descended from the halbert and was the blade of choice in these parts for generations. Every farmer and gardener, and many outdoor woodsy types would rely on the #7 and #4 Pierce

Here is my one.

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As can be seen from the picture this is a hefty enough tool made for strong men and long sunny days in late spring when the hedge rows are about to get out of hand and growth in the vegetable world is rampant.
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The blade is double edged though it may not appear to be so in our picture. I seldom use or sharpen the back edge and it has remained stained with plant juice as a result.
The crescent shaped main edge is, as its name suggests, 9 inches in length while the back edge is 5 inches.Thats my boot in the picture there just to give it a sense of scale. Both grinds are about an inch wide while blade width overall is more like 4 inches. Thickness is around 3/16 of an inch.
Its a heavy implement but if held at or a little behind the center of balance it turns into a decent short stroke chopper that requires little energy and can be used single handed. Hurried flailing around will not yield good results. Cutting should be deliberate and measured. The weight comes in very usefull if you have anything over one inch in diametre to cut and this Pierce is made for that kind of work..

Using the #7 at ground level in rocky terrain will chip the edge when the first rock hits it. It does its best work at head height in dense hedgerows of hawthorn and the heavier fushias. Its really too heavy and tiring for brambles and light stuff.

Fri Mar 12 12:55:40 2010   Last modified on 13/11/2009   Filesize: 4,332/pierce_79.html

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