Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

A sickle is an ancient tool, consisting of a curved metal blade and short wooden handle, used to harvest wheat, barley, hay, other cereal crops and grass. Due to the short handle, it forces the user to use it in a squatting position, making the harvesting process painfully slow. The inside of the blade curve is sharp so that the user can swing or draw the blade against the base of the crop. The edge catches and slices through the stem in one simultaneous motion. The stalks may be held in a bunch by the opposite hand. Sickles are still in use today all over the world because of the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the tool. Originally sickles were made of animal bone and clay, later they were made with bronze or copper alloys, and today they are made with different ranges of steel depending on the task.