If you ever wondered how farmers used to work when farming was still done manually, then you have heard of scythes. This is a tool that is used for cutting down grass. It is also known as a hand-held sickle and it looks like a curved wooden blade with a handle at the end of it.
You are not alone when you ask yourself what is the difference between Scythe and Sickle. Although they are similar at first sight, scythes are used to cut grass while sickles are used for harvesting crops. Sickles are also known as hand-held tools that can be used to dig up plants and weeds.
In this article, we will discuss the differences between Scythe and Sickle. We will also look at the possible causes for their differences as well.
Summary Table
| Scythe | Sickle |
| A scythe is a farming tool with a long blade. | The sickle is a farming tool with a short blade. |
| Scythe has two prongs that enable it to cut through the grass. | Sickle has only one prong that is curved. |
| The scythe is primarily used to cut down vines and plants in fields and gardens. | The sickle is primarily used to cut down crops and grasses |
Definitions:
Before we move on to the difference between scythe and sickle, let us first learn what the two tools are. Let’s look at the similarities between the two tools, the definitions, and the features of the two tools.
What is a scythe?
Scythe is a tool which has a long blade and a curved handle. It is used to cut the grass or weeds in the field.
It is also used to cut wheat, oats, rye, barley, flax, clover and other kinds of crops. The blades of scythes are generally made of steel.
The blade of scythe can be fixed at an angle on the shaft so that it can be adjusted for cutting different types of crops. The handle of scythe varies in length and style according to the country where it is used. There are two kinds of scythes, straight-bladed and curved-bladed scythes.
What is a sickle?
Sickle is a tool which has a short blade and an elongated handle. It is used to cut stalks from cereal crops such as wheat, oats, rye and barley as well as flax etc. This tool cuts across the stalk rather than from side to side or top to bottom like that of a scythe. The sickle consists of two parts; namely hoe and blade or spike with which it cuts the stalk by slashing through it vertically. The sickle can be made from metal or wood.
Similarities between Scythe and Sickle
Scythes and sickles are two tools which have the same purpose of cutting stalks of crops from the ground. The two tools have similar features and designs. Here are some similarities between scythe and sickle:
- Both the tools have two blades, which are curved at the top and meet at a point at the bottom.
- Both the tools have a handle which is attached to one blade and used to hold and guide the other blade.
- Both the tools have a single sharp edge on one side of each blade.
- Both the tools have two rows of holes, one on each side of the blade.
- The blades of both the tools are made of metal.
- The blades of both the tools are sharpened at the edges.
- The blades of both the tools are made of metal.
- The handles of both the tools are made of wood.
Differences between Scythe and Sickle
Now that we have discussed the similarities between the two tools, let us move on to the differences between scythe and sickle.
- General Definition
A scythe is a farming tool with a long blade. The sickle is a farming tool with a short blade.
- Features
Scythe has two prongs that enable it to cut through the grass. On the other hand, the sickle has only one prong that is curved. A scythe can be used to harvest crops, while a sickle can be used to cut down vines and plants. In addition, the blades of both tools are curved in different ways to facilitate the harvesting of crops and cutting down plants.
- Uses
Both tools have been used in many countries around the world, such as France, Germany, and Spain. Scythes and sickles have both been used in these countries to cut down grasses for grazing livestock and crops. However, there are differences between the two tools in terms of their uses. For example, the sickle is primarily used to cut down crops and grasses while the scythe is primarily used to cut down vines and plants in fields and gardens.
- Origins
Scythes and sickles are derived from the same tool that was used in ancient Greece. The Greeks used a scythe for cutting down grasses, while they used a sickle to cut down vines and plants. However, they had two different types of scythes and sickles. One was called the Labrys, which was a double-bladed tool with a curved tip.
The other type of scythe was called the Themiscyra, which was single-bladed with a straight tip.
- Types
Scythes and sickles have been made in different shapes and sizes. Some of the most common types of scythes are wooden, stone, iron, and steel. However, there are also other types of scythes that include a straight blade and a curved blade. There are also many different kinds of sickles that include sickle blades with different lengths and curved blades. In addition, some sickles have hooks on the blade for easier harvesting of crops or cutting down plants.
- Symbolism
Scythes and sickles have been used as symbols of war, death, power, and agriculture. Scythes have been used as symbols of war because they were primarily used in battles during ancient Greece.
For example, soldiers who fought during the Peloponnesian War in ancient Greece used scythes to cut down grasses and plants that grew on the fields that they were defending.
On the other hand, sickles have been used as symbols of death because they are used to cut down living things. For example, many people use sickles to cut through their fingers when harvesting crops or cutting down plants for farming purposes. However, some people also use sickles to cut through their bodies when committing suicide. Sickles are also commonly associated with other symbols such as power because it is a tool that can be used to harvest crops and cut down plants in many different ways.
