Indian? Decorated serrated sickle (worth a look)

Atlantia · 8th January 2010, 01:19 AM

Bump to see if anyone has any further thoughts

Billman · 24th February 2011, 06:43 PM

Yes this is an an Indian sickle - modern ones are sometimes found in the UK, presumably exported as samples along with cheap Indian made billhooks etc..

Modern ones are often made with a thin blade with a serrated edge (c.f. a wide hacksaw blade) rivetted to a mild steel spine (c.f. the rivetted English scythe blade, as compared to the original 100% forged ones).

Yours appears very ornate, but still a working tool, rather than ceremonial... Indian women often used ornate tools. The fine serrations indicate it is probably for rice, gather in the handful and sliced off to avoid losing the grains during harvest... European and Moroccon sickles have coarser serrations, but achieve the same effect...

They can be found listed on many Indain tool manufacturers' web pages, e.g. http://www.esuppliersindia.com/products/sickles.html or http://www.indiamart.com/ganpatimeta.../products.html

Similar (same??) tool called a royal sickle on http://defenceforumindia.com/showthr...?t=7479&page=2

VANDOO · 25th February 2011, 01:28 AM

FUNNY THIS CAME UP NOW I HAVE A FEW PICTURES WAITING.

1. PHILIPPINE IFUAGO, LUZON , RICE SICKLE 10IN. LONG, FIGURAL HORN HANDLE
2. RICE SICKLE AND HOLDER, NEPAL
3. RICE HARVESTING SICKLE, VIETNAM, NOTE THE LONG PROTRUSION IT REMINDS ME OF THE PHILIPPINE PIRAS WITH LONG PROTRUSIONS ON THE HANDLE.

Billman · 25th February 2011, 07:06 PM

Ref the Vietnamese rice sickle - these are often sold on eBay.fr as Cambodian - but I guess a similar shape is found throughout the region...

Last time I looked there were about 20 from the same seller - all reasonably priced - search for 'faucille à riz'

The Nepalese sickle also often turns up - probably brought home as a tourist souvenir. What I really want is to find some Nepalese billhooks - larger heavier tools of a similar shape, but for wood, not rice (and no I don't want a khukuri)

Sajen · 25th February 2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

FUNNY THIS CAME UP NOW I HAVE A FEW PICTURES WAITING.

1. PHILIPPINE IFUAGO, LUZON , RICE SICKLE 10IN. LONG, FIGURAL HORN HANDLE
2. RICE SICKLE AND HOLDER, NEPAL
3. RICE HARVESTING SICKLE, VIETNAM, NOTE THE LONG PROTRUSION IT REMINDS ME OF THE PHILIPPINE PIRAS WITH LONG PROTRUSIONS ON THE HANDLE.

Hello Barry,

the Ifuago one is very very similar with indonesian rice knifes (called ani ani). Here two examples, one from Madura, the other one is Dayak.

Regards,

Detlef

Jenny Ida · 25th February 2011, 08:08 PM

I have a similar sickle to Vandoo's Luzon one that I picked up off a lady who had been a school teacher in various SEA countries before wwII. Interestingly the hooked dragonny pommel is gone from mine, and I've read that this is the ritually important part, swapped from blade to blade perhaps for generations (and thus possibly not gifted to the curious foriegn school teacher?). It has small serations on the blade as does my plain lightweight Japanese sickle, and is cetainly a working tool, with the connection of blade and handle showing rapairs and adjustments with nails and pitch. I have another heavy Indian sickle with copper inlays in the bolster/shaft area between handle and blade, a bit fancier that we'd associate with farm tools in N America. Apparently rice harvesting is traditionally an event of major ritual importance in Asia.

24th February 2011, 06:43 PM	#2
Billman Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 129	Indian sickle Yes this is an an Indian sickle - modern ones are sometimes found in the UK, presumably exported as samples along with cheap Indian made billhooks etc.. Modern ones are often made with a thin blade with a serrated edge (c.f. a wide hacksaw blade) rivetted to a mild steel spine (c.f. the rivetted English scythe blade, as compared to the original 100% forged ones). Yours appears very ornate, but still a working tool, rather than ceremonial... Indian women often used ornate tools. The fine serrations indicate it is probably for rice, gather in the handful and sliced off to avoid losing the grains during harvest... European and Moroccon sickles have coarser serrations, but achieve the same effect... They can be found listed on many Indain tool manufacturers' web pages, e.g. http://www.esuppliersindia.com/products/sickles.html or http://www.indiamart.com/ganpatimeta.../products.html Similar (same??) tool called a royal sickle on http://defenceforumindia.com/showthr...?t=7479&page=2 Attached Images Last edited by Billman; 24th February 2011 at 07:08 PM.

25th February 2011, 01:28 AM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	FUNNY THIS CAME UP NOW I HAVE A FEW PICTURES WAITING. 1. PHILIPPINE IFUAGO, LUZON , RICE SICKLE 10IN. LONG, FIGURAL HORN HANDLE 2. RICE SICKLE AND HOLDER, NEPAL 3. RICE HARVESTING SICKLE, VIETNAM, NOTE THE LONG PROTRUSION IT REMINDS ME OF THE PHILIPPINE PIRAS WITH LONG PROTRUSIONS ON THE HANDLE. Attached Images

8th January 2010, 01:19 AM	#1
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Bump to see if anyone has any further thoughts

25th February 2011, 07:06 PM	#4
Billman Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 129	Ref the Vietnamese rice sickle - these are often sold on eBay.fr as Cambodian - but I guess a similar shape is found throughout the region... Last time I looked there were about 20 from the same seller - all reasonably priced - search for 'faucille à riz' The Nepalese sickle also often turns up - probably brought home as a tourist souvenir. What I really want is to find some Nepalese billhooks - larger heavier tools of a similar shape, but for wood, not rice (and no I don't want a khukuri)

25th February 2011, 08:08 PM	#6
Jenny Ida Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 12	I have a similar sickle to Vandoo's Luzon one that I picked up off a lady who had been a school teacher in various SEA countries before wwII. Interestingly the hooked dragonny pommel is gone from mine, and I've read that this is the ritually important part, swapped from blade to blade perhaps for generations (and thus possibly not gifted to the curious foriegn school teacher?). It has small serations on the blade as does my plain lightweight Japanese sickle, and is cetainly a working tool, with the connection of blade and handle showing rapairs and adjustments with nails and pitch. I have another heavy Indian sickle with copper inlays in the bolster/shaft area between handle and blade, a bit fancier that we'd associate with farm tools in N America. Apparently rice harvesting is traditionally an event of major ritual importance in Asia.