Sickle

Sickle

A sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for hay. The inside of the curve is sharp, so that the user can draw or swing the blade against the base of the crop, catching it in the curve and slicing it at the same time. The material to be cut may be held in a bunch in the other hand (for example when reaping), held in place by a wooden stick, or left free. When held in a bunch, the sickle action is towards the user (left to right for a right-handed user), but when used free the sickle is usually swung the opposite way. Different types may be referred to as a grasshook, swap hook, rip-hook, reaping hook, brishing hook or bagging hook. Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... This article is about the instrument. ... Grain redirects here. ... For other uses, see Hay (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Reaper (disambiguation). ...

Using a sickle

The blade of a sickle is often cranked to one side, to make it easier to keep the blade closer to the ground; this makes it right- or (more rarely) left-handed. Sickles used for reaping are usually serrated. Image File history File links Sickle user From the book The Clip Art Book, 1980, compiled by Gerard Quinn The Clip Art Book is a compilation of illustrations that are in the public domain. ... Image File history File links Sickle user From the book The Clip Art Book, 1980, compiled by Gerard Quinn The Clip Art Book is a compilation of illustrations that are in the public domain. ... Look up crank in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hay bales after harvest in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In agriculture, harvesting is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. ...

The sickle was largely superseded by the scythe, which is more comfortable and efficient to use for many purposes, but it continues in use in many parts of the world, and for certain uses where a scythe is not convenient. The most noticeable difference between a sickle and a scythe is the length of the handle Рa sickle is a one-handed tool with a short handle, used while bending down to the ground, while a scythe is a two-handed tool, used standing up, with a long, often curved haft, and a much longer blade. A traditional wooden scythe A scythe (IPA: , most likely from Old English si̡e, sig̡i) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing and reaping grass or crops. ...

A blade which is used regularly to cut the silica-rich stems of cereal crops acquires a characteristic sickle-gloss, or wear pattern. When this pattern appears on ancient stone tools, it can indicate early use or development of agricultural use. The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2. ... Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ...

Ancient Egyptian ceremonial sickle used for religious purposes rather than actual field work. New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII, c. 1479-1425.

In Greek myths, the sickle was used as a weapon by Cronus and Perseus. The maximum territorial extent of Egypt (XVth century BC) The New Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BC and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt. ... The Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, New Kingdom. ... Not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ... Perseus with the head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, completed 1801 (Vatican Museums) Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas (Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας), the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths...

Additional uses

• The sickle is used as part of the well known symbol of the hammer and sickle, which is the symbol of Communism or Revolutionary Socialism. The sickle represents the agricultural working class or peasantry in this symbol.
• Sickle is a fictional unit of money in the Harry Potter series.
• SS-25 Sickle is the NATO reporting name for the RT-2PM Topol intercontinental ballistic missile.
• Tacitus reports that golden sickles were used in Druidic rituals.

For other uses, see Hammer and sickle (disambiguation). ... The former Weights and Measures office in Middlesex, England. ... In the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling, a fictional system of currency is used by the wizards of the United Kingdom. ... NATO reporting names are unclassified code names for Soviet and Chinese military equipment. ... // Overview The RT-2PM Topol is a mobile intercontinental ballistic missile designed in the Soviet Union and in service with Russias Strategic Rocket Forces. ... ICBM redirects here. ... For other uses, see Tacitus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Druid (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Hammer and sickle
• Scythe
• Sickle-sword
• Kama
• Sickle probe

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Sickles