Scythe vs Sickle
Agriculture is a primary factor in the development of civilization. Through farming and the domestication of animals, man learned to stay in one place rather than lead nomadic lives in search for food and sustenance.
This was made possible by the invention of agricultural tools that helped man cultivate the land on which his crops were planted. One such tool is the sickle, an agricultural tool with a curved blade and a handle.
The earliest civilization to have used the sickle predates the Neolithic Era. In Mesopotamia, sickles made of flint were found; they had jagged edges and were straight not curved. It was later developed into a curved tool to enable the user to swing the blade against the base of the plant.
The sickle can be used freely wherein it is swung away from the user or by holding the plant in a bunch in one hand and the sickle in the other, swinging the sickle towards the user. There are several types of sickles: grass hook, swap hook, rip hook, slash hook, reaping hook, brishing hook, and bagging hook.
A tool which is an offshoot of the sickle is the scythe which is still very widely used today. Its distinction from the sickle lies in the length of its handle which is usually 67 inches long and made of wood, metal, or plastic.
The handle or snath can be straight or curved with two handles, one in the middle and another in its upper end near the curved blade. The edge of the blade is always pointed towards the user.
In ancient times, the scythe was used for cutting grass but was later used to reap crops replacing the sickle which compelled the user to stoop or hunch. The right way to use it is to hold it with both hands, the left holding the top and the right holding the center while swinging from right to left.
Since both the sickle and the scythe are ancient tools, they are no longer used very often today. They have been replaced by animal drawn tools and machines such as tractors. Still, they have been very important tools that led to the development of the modern farming tools being used today.
Summary:
1.A sickle is an agricultural tool with a curved blade which can be used freely or by holding the plant in the other hand while a scythe is an agricultural tool with a curved blade that does not allow the user to hold the plant in his other hand.
2.A sickle is made with a short handle while a scythe is made with a long handle.
3.There are many ways of using the sickle; it can be used left or right handed swinging away or towards the user while the scythe can only be used by swinging from right to left.
4.The user of the sickle has to stoop because of its short handle while the user of the scythe can stand upright while working because it has a long handle.