William Hunt and Sons
William Hunt and Sons, commonly known as WHS, is a British maker of masonry tools and other edge tools, best known in archaeology for its 4-inch pointing trowel.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
William Hunt and Sons, usually abbreviated to WHS, is a British brand associated with masonry tools, digging implements, and other edge tools. Its history is rooted in the industrial metalworking district around the Black Country and Birmingham. William Hunt began as an edge-tool maker at Rowley Regis, near Dudley, in the late eighteenth century. In 1782 he acquired the Brades Estate at Oldbury and established a works known as Brades Forge, or The Brades. The site later developed into the Brades Steel Works, expanding the business beyond tool making into steel production. The firm passed through several partnership and corporate phases before adopting the William Hunt and Sons name. Around 1793, Hunt entered into partnership with W. Cliffe, trading briefly as Hunt and Cliffe. That partnership ended around 1803, after which Hunt continued independently. In 1809 he brought his sons into the business, creating the William Hunt & Sons partnership. During the nineteenth century the company grew through acquisitions, including William Edwards and Sons, which incorporated the Eagle Edge Tool Company, and the business of Bache Brothers, a spade maker associated with Churchill Forge near Stourbridge. The company also became connected with the Heaton family; George Heaton was a significant shareholder during the later nineteenth century. WHS operated within a broader British edge-tool industry whose products included trowels, spades, shovels, hoes, and related implements. Its major British trade marks included WHS and BRADES, while other names, including Eagle, Giraffe, and Pagoda, were used on some export tools. The brand's historical identity therefore extends beyond a single product category, although its modern public reputation is particularly tied to the pointing trowel. The WHS 4-inch pointing trowel became a familiar tool in British archaeological fieldwork. Archaeologists valued the traditional model for its robust, relatively thick forged blade, which was suited to cutting and lifting soil in heavy deposits. By the late twentieth century, the WHS trowel was widely regarded in Britain as a standard or near-standard excavation implement, alongside the American Marshalltown trowel. Its reputation developed through professional practice rather than through a consumer advertising campaign, and the tool became part of the practical culture of archaeological excavation. The brand also experienced a notable product-design dispute in the mid-2000s. A 2005 redesign of the 4-inch WHS pointing trowel used a thinner blade intended for construction-industry requirements. Archaeologists criticized the new version, reporting that it was more brittle and less suitable than the established model for excavation work. In response to complaints and field feedback, the company introduced a revised Archaeologists' Trowel in summer 2006. The replacement incorporated a thicker and stronger blade, greater lift for improved knuckle clearance, and a flattened tang intended to reduce handle rotation. Corporate consolidation shaped the company's later history. In 1951 William Hunt and Sons amalgamated with Nash Tyzack to form Brades Nash Tyzack Industries. The combined business subsequently took over Skelton. In 1962, William Hunt and Sons and Harrison became part of Spear & Jackson; Spear & Jackson acquired Edward Elwell in 1967, and the associated businesses were brought together under the Spear & Jackson structure by 1972. In 1985 Spear & Jackson became part of the Sheffield-based Neill Tools Group, which is identified as the continuing owner of the WHS brand. The available reference material does not establish a separate current corporate headquarters or a standalone WHS operating company.
History
William Hunt was an edge-tool maker working at Rowley Regis near Dudley in the late eighteenth century. In 1782 he purchased the Brades Estate at Oldbury, close to Birmingham, and established Brades Forge, also known as The Brades. By 1805 the site was producing steel and was known as the Brades Steel Works, giving the enterprise an industrial base for the manufacture of tools and other metal goods. Around 1793 Hunt entered a partnership with W. Cliffe. The firm was briefly known as Hunt and Cliffe, a name recorded in the company's first ledger on 9 May 1794. The partnership ended around 1803. Hunt then traded independently until 1809, when he formed a partnership with his sons under the name William Hunt & Sons. The company expanded during the nineteenth century, acquiring William Edwards and Sons, including the Eagle Edge Tool Company, and later the business of Bache Brothers, a spade maker from Churchill Forge near Stourbridge. George Heaton became a major shareholder later in the century. The company's products belonged to the wider Black Country and Birmingham tradition of forged edge tools. Its British trade marks included WHS and BRADES, while Eagle, Giraffe, and Pagoda were among names used on tools made for export. The range encompassed masonry tools and other edge tools, including implements used in construction, agriculture, and general digging. WHS became especially prominent in archaeological fieldwork through its 4-inch pointing trowel. British archaeologists valued the traditional trowel's thick, strong blade for cutting through difficult deposits. By the postwar period, WHS was one of the leading choices for archaeological excavation in Britain, competing with Bowden and later with Marshalltown. Professional commentary by the late twentieth century treated the WHS model as an established field standard, although comparisons often contrasted its robust but relatively thick blade with the sharper and more flexible Marshalltown design. The product's history included a significant redesign episode. In 2005 the company released a thinner and more brittle 4-inch pointing trowel aimed at construction users. Archaeologists objected that the new design did not perform like the older model and some field users reported breakages. Oxford Archaeology considered changing to Marshalltown, while complaints were also reported through British archaeological employment and resource channels. The company responded in summer 2006 with an Archaeologists' Trowel developed with attention to user feedback and field trials. The revised tool had a thicker, stronger blade, additional lift to improve hand clearance, and a flattened tang to prevent the handle from rotating. Corporate changes gradually integrated William Hunt and Sons into larger tool groups. In 1951 it amalgamated with Nash Tyzack to form Brades Nash Tyzack Industries. The combined business later acquired Skelton. In 1962 William Hunt and Sons and Harrison became part of Spear & Jackson. Spear & Jackson acquired Edward Elwell in 1967, and the associated companies were consolidated within the Spear & Jackson structure by 1972. In 1985 Spear & Jackson became part of the Sheffield-based Neill Tools Group, which remains the stated owner of the brand. The available material does not provide a distinct current management team, standalone website, or separate financial reporting for WHS.
- 1985
Spear & Jackson joins Neill Tools Group
[1]Spear & Jackson became part of the Neill Tools Group, which is identified as the continuing owner of the WHS brand.
- 1962
Integration into Spear & Jackson
[1]William Hunt and Sons and Harrison became part of Spear & Jackson.
- 1951
Amalgamation with Nash Tyzack
[1]William Hunt and Sons amalgamated with Nash Tyzack to form Brades Nash Tyzack Industries.
- 1828
William Edwards and Sons acquired
[1]The company acquired William Edwards and Sons, incorporating the Eagle Edge Tool Company.
- 1809
William Hunt and Sons partnership begins
[1]William Hunt brought his sons into the business, creating the William Hunt & Sons firm.
- 1805
Brades Steel Works established
[1]The Oldbury works was producing steel and became known as the Brades Steel Works.
- 1793
Hunt and Cliffe partnership formed
[1]William Hunt entered a short-lived partnership with W. Cliffe, trading as Hunt and Cliffe.
- 1782
Brades Estate acquired
[1]William Hunt acquired the Brades Estate at Oldbury and established Brades Forge, later associated with the Brades Steel Works.
Products and positioning
A heritage British edge-tool brand positioned around durable forged hand tools, with a particularly strong specialist reputation among British archaeologists for robust pointing and excavation trowels.
Masonry and archaeological hand tool
WHS 4-inch Pointing Trowel
The 4-inch pointing trowel is the brand's best-known product. Its traditional form used a relatively thick forged blade that British archaeologists valued for durability and for cutting through heavy deposits. The tool became a familiar standard in British archaeological excavation, although it has also been sold and used in masonry and construction contexts.
Archaeological hand tool · 2006
WHS Archaeologists' Trowel
Introduced in 2006 after criticism of a thinner preceding design, the Archaeologists' Trowel was developed around excavation users' requirements. Its features included a thicker and stronger blade, increased lift for additional knuckle clearance, and a flattened tang intended to stop the handle rotating during use.
Forged edge tools
BRADES edge tools
BRADES was one of William Hunt and Sons' principal British trade marks. The name was associated with the broader range of edge tools produced through the company's historic industrial operations, although the available reference does not provide a complete modern catalogue.
Forged edge tools
Export-marked edge tools
The company used additional marks, including Eagle, Giraffe, and Pagoda, on some tools made for export markets. These marks reflect the historical breadth of the business beyond the WHS and BRADES names.
Brand decisions
2006
Launch of the Archaeologists' TrowelGeneration changeBackground
The company responded to archaeological criticism of the 2005 model and used field feedback in developing a replacement.
Action taken
WHS launched a revised trowel with a thicker, stronger blade, greater lift, and a flattened tang.
Aftermath
The revised design was intended to restore the durability and handling characteristics expected by archaeological users.
2005
Thin-blade pointing-trowel redesignGeneration changeBackground
The company sought to adapt its 4-inch pointing trowel for construction use through a thinner blade design.
Action taken
WHS introduced a redesigned model with a thinner and more brittle blade than the traditional version.
Aftermath
Archaeologists criticized the product, citing reduced suitability for excavation and reported breakages. Some users considered switching to Marshalltown.
- Marshalltown — Marshalltown was identified by archaeological commentators as the principal alternative and was considered by some users as a replacement for the redesigned WHS model.
Sources1 sources
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