Question about a Machete (not sure what else to call it)

Ziptie · #1 03/31/14, 08:51 AM

So, someone posted some old time videos. In one of the videos it shows an farmer cutting down corn stalks with ..not sure what to call it..a machete..never seen one so long? It was nice that he could cut the stalk with one had while holding on to the corn stalk with the other without bending over. It looked like it was only sharp at the bottom.

I would like to find something like that to cut down the sorghum and sunflower stalks. I don't think the scythe I have would be strong enought esp on the sunflower stalks. Plus it takes two hands.

Any ideas on where I could buy something like this or make something like this? I am about 5'10 so it needs to be relatively long or if I could acutally get my hubby to help he is 6'3.

elkhound · #2 03/31/14, 09:01 AM

depending on who answers..they are called hand sickles or hand scythes...around here they just say a corn cutter...there are several types too...some are lighter weight as they were used to cut grasses and wheat where as the ones used on corn and cane are much heavier bladed.i even have one that has a serated blade.

ETA:zip...if you are referring to that first old video i posted in that thread...i looked it is a corn knife.....i never seen them around here.

elkhound · #3 03/31/14, 09:10 AM

i was searching for ones to show you and i ran across what they call a corn knife...i have never seen one of them before...and never seen one in all the old farm auctions around here..all the corn we cut and corn i seen cut here was done with sickle type...it could be a regional thing....is this what you are talking about?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Farm...item51bb604ae2

7thswan · #4 03/31/14, 09:19 AM

We use a corn knife, an old one. My corn patch is near the cow's paddock. They get everything when finished. Our corn knife has a straight handle and a blade that goes off like the letter L. I will try to go find it and post a picture( If I get lost out there in dh's barn, don't worry , he'll be home at 5.)

elkhound · #5 03/31/14, 09:24 AM

one of the old ones i have from my grandfather he put a metal handle in it....that thing will wear ya out....lol..he got tired of replacing the wooden handle in it...lol

Ziptie · #6 03/31/14, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhound

i was searching for ones to show you and i ran across what they call a corn knife...i have never seen one of them before...and never seen one in all the old farm auctions around here..all the corn we cut and corn i seen cut here was done with sickle type...it could be a regional thing....is this what you are talking about?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Farm...item51bb604ae2

Maybe that was it. Though it looked a little longer and the blade skinner. I think you posted the video that I was talking about. Maybe I need to find it again. Thanks

elkhound · #7 03/31/14, 09:36 AM

yea the one in video was longer and thinner.

Ziptie · #8 03/31/14, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elkhound

one of the old ones i have from my grandfather he put a metal handle in it....that thing will wear ya out....lol..he got tired of replacing the wooden handle in it...lol

It's got to be better than the hedge clippers I used last year to cut the stuff.

7thswan · #9 03/31/14, 09:38 AM

Wood handle and a serrated edge on blade.Handle is 16 inches long.

Ziptie · #10 03/31/14, 09:41 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=MD4wFq0NX1E

A little after 3:09 in the vid you can see it when he swinging it at the boy. It looks pretty long and thinner that the e-bay posting. Do you think it is called a corn knife what he is using in the vid?

kkbinco · #11 03/31/14, 09:48 AM

This looks close...
http://coronatoolsusa.com/ma-62040-c...ife-18-in.html

7thswan · #12 03/31/14, 09:55 AM

This is one from Lenhamans , out of stock.

Ziptie · #13 03/31/14, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7thswan

Wood handle and a serrated edge on blade.Handle is 16 inches long.

Have you used that thing? I would think the straighter one would easier to use. Less bending, though I could be wrong.

elkhound · #14 03/31/14, 09:59 AM

keep in mind zip...many tools back then were made regionally with what materials were available to them and many things were "mass" produced on what now would be considered artisan or custom as in the total numbers produced were so small compared to now.

Ziptie · #15 03/31/14, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkbinco

This looks close...
http://coronatoolsusa.com/ma-62040-c...ife-18-in.html

That looks more like it but how does one make it longer? I think for my hubby it would be too short. If he doesn't have to bend over he might be more apt to help.

7thswan · #16 03/31/14, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ziptie

Have you used that thing? I would think the straighter one would easier to use. Less bending, though I could be wrong.

Yes, but a longer handle can't be easly used because you are in the rows, it would be in the way on the back swing. There is only so much room in there.
Here is a link to many images. Some are incorrect, I see a hand scythe and even a hay saw being called a corn knife. But that's ok, just info.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...es&FORM=IQFRML

7thswan · #17 03/31/14, 10:05 AM

Most of the time when using, one grasps the stalk with the left hand and "hacks" with the right.Yes, there is slight bending, but you are relived right away when carrying the stalk (s)(whatever your hand can wrap around)out,because it is hard to drop the entire stalk on the ground. It would be easy, if your rows were 4 feet apart.

In thinking, I guess one could do an entire row and then go back and carry an entire armful. I don't, because I can't handle an armfull , only enough that when throwing it over the electric fence, I don't get zapped. Belive me-you don't want to get zapped with a 100 mile elec fence charger.

whiterock · #18 03/31/14, 10:06 AM

IN my youth there were times the sunflowers got so big in the grain sorghum and some of the cotton fields that I was sent in with an axe.

After we got the roasting ears out of the corn, we would go through and hold a hoe in one hand and corn stalk in the other until we cut a pickup bed full of corn to throw out to the cows, a sharp cotton hoe didn't blink at a corn stalk.

elkhound · #19 03/31/14, 10:07 AM

monkey see monkey do...7thswan did and elkie do too.....lol...i went dug out a couple..couldnt find the seerated one....you can see my grandaddys famous metal handles...i thought only one had metal but two do....theres more but they are buried in all the piles of tools.....he had many....when you recruit the entire areas kid slave labor you gotta be able to outfit them with tools to work with....lol....i have 2 scythes..one has a wheat cradle on it.

elkhound · #20 03/31/14, 10:10 AM

7thswan i never even seen a hay saw till i was an adult.