Object number
51/295
Description
A strickle horn was used for carrying sand or grease for smearing on a strickle – a piece of wood used in Wales for sharpening scythe and sickle blades in areas where there was no sandstone to make whetstones. This horn came from North Wales and its large size suggests it was probably used as a container for sand, and is probably from a Welsh Black cow. Numerous initials have been carved on it.
Physical description
1 strickle horn: cow horn; good condition
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This large sized strickle horn was used for carrying sand or grease for smearing upon the surface of a strickle (51/262) in order to sharpen scythe blades in the harvest field. In that this horn is a large sized one it was probably used as container for sand, as smaller horns, usually a sheep’s, were used for carrying grease. Sandstone does not occur widely in Wales, and in the 18th and 19th centuries it was customary for one farmer to go to the seashore or to a place where quarries existed to collect a load of sandstones, which he shared out amongst the neighbours. The stones were ground into very fine sand and used as the need arose. // This specimen originally came from North Wales, though its exact origin in that part of the country is unknown. It is a large horn, probably from a Welsh Black cow, which are very common in North Wales. It measures a total length of 22 inches. A round disc of wood, nailed at the wider end of the horn by 9 nails, acts as a bottom for the container, while at the narrow end a plug of wood fixing tightly into the cut off tip of the horn acts as a lid which can be removed when sand is to be extracted. A piece of string has been threaded through the horn at this point and one inch from the tip the horn is ringed with wire. // Numerous initials have been carved on the surface of the horn, the clearest being ‘H.E.E.’, ‘W.J. – 1867’, ‘J.H.’ and ‘H.L.’. // See 51/262.'
Production date
1867-01-01
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_172.tif - High resolution image
