The bill is a polearm weapon used by infantry in medieval
Europe. The bill is similar in size, function and appearance to
the halberd, differing mainly in the hooked blade form. Other
terms for the bill include English bill, bill hook or bill-
guisarme. Derived originally from the agricultural billhook, the
bill consisted of a hooked chopping blade with several pointed
projections mounted on a staff. The end of the cutting blade
curves forward to form a hook, which is the bill's
distinguishing characteristic. In addition, the blade almost
universally had one pronounced spike straight off the top like a
spear head, and also a hook or spike mounted on the 'reverse'
side of the blade. There were many types of bill. English bills
tended to be relatively short, with broad chopping heads, while
Italian bills (ronche) often had very long thrusting points. The
English distinguished between several varieties of bill,
including the black, brown, and forest bills, but the
differences between them are currently not fully