Oxfordshire Woodland Group

The French equivalent to the English long twybill is the bisaigue.

This is used by timber-frame carpenters to clean out and square mortices in large timbers generally whilst the timber is on the ground.

The long (4ft) handle allows the carpenter to safely apply all of his body weight onto the thrust handle whilst standing pushing down and through the wood fibres rather than chopping same with a mallet and chisel.

Ken Hume