51/59

This sickle was found in Postslip barn near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, in about 1930. It has a serrated edge known as a ‘saw edge’. The sickle was the earliest tool for reaping corn, with this shape dating to Saxon times, and was in common use until 1870. The reaper stooped and, grasping a bunch of corn in one hand, curved the sickle round it and cut the straw by drawing the sickle towards him.

1 sickle: metal; wood; good condition

MERL list / description [Massingham Collection, October 1989] – 'ACC. NO.: 51/59 // NAME: SICKLE // NEG NO.: 35/61 // STORAGE: ', Object history research, December 2022 - 'How can this object be described? This sickle has a curved piece of metal with a serrated inside edge and pointed tip. The metal is attached to a smooth wooden handle. // What was this object used for? The sickle is a hand tool for reaping corn. The reaper stooped and, grasping a bunch of corn in one hand, curved the sickle round it and cut the straw by drawing the sickle towards him. // How old is it? This type of tool was in common use until 1870, so probably dates to 1850 to 1899. // Which other objects in the collection relate to the sickle? This is a crook stick [MERL 51/185]. Instead of taking hold of the corn with his hand, and sawing through it with the serrated edge of the sickle, the reaper drew the stalks towards or away from him with the crook stick and slashed through them. // The workers in the postcard ‘In the busy days of harvest‘ [MERL D71/29/151] are using sticks and reap hooks to cut corn.'

Wood, Metal