Toolbox Tuesday - Hay Implements

Hay Implements 

Sickle

    There were many different implements that were used to harvest hay, they include a hay knives, hay spades, sickles and reaping hooks. The hay knife was wide and heavy and had a blade on the outer edge of the knife. The hay knife did not reap hay, it was used to cut out portions from the stack. Similarly, the hay spade did the same thing although it was also used to cut pumpkins when they were used as animal food. Pumpkin stalks tended to choke animals therefore the pumpkins needed to be cut from the stock and the stocks destroyed. The reaping hook, which was designed in the late 1700's was used until sickles were created during the later half of the 1850's when the art of cutting gave way to the art of slashing. Reaping hooks were larger and the blade was smooth compared to sickles which were smaller than reaping hooks and had a serrated blade. Sickles were used with the aid of a hay crook.

 

 



Hay Fork

 

Come out to the Heritage Farm Show at the Backus-Page House on September 13th and 14th to see our antique hay implements and other farm tools featured on our Toolbox Tuesdays