Mary Fisher writes

"Oz" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher writes

I'd like to know more about flint sickles.

It was a travellers journal I once read that stuck in my memory.
Apparently the locals preferred their flint sickles because:

1) They were much cheaper than steel ones.
2) They were lighter and easier to use.
3) They only needed 'sharpening' once every few days.
4) They cut better.

The date was about 1902.

If all the above is right why aren't they still used?

I don't know, it was unstated. However maybe the crofters were in fact
very poor and this was a good enough excuse or that the ability to
quickly knap perfect flint flakes was lost in following generations.

And how did they get a piece of flint big enough?

The flint sickles I have seen have been a wooden frame with the flakes
set in it. I can believe this would work quite well, remember modern
combine sections for cereals are serrated - plain ones do not work very
well.

The only result of your reply is to make me even more curious!

Unfortunately I have no more information. I remembered it because the
reasons seemed plausible. Certainly I have seen skilled people use flint
tools to butcher a carcass and the cutting ability and retention of edge
of flint is quite extraordinary. Not crude tools at all.

--
Oz
This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious.
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