[AT] Corn Binding/Hay

[George Willer]

Charlie,

That sounds a bit like a beet knife if the rounded end you describe would
spear the beet to pick it up.  They were used for hand topping the plowed
out beets before the modern beet lifters were available.

George Willer

> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-
> bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of charlie hill
> Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 10:55 AM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Corn Binding/Hay
> 
> I've seen some machettes that have a round notch cut in the back side of
> the
> blade.  It's a slot about 1" wide cut at an angle into the blade with a
> rounded, sharpened end.  I've often wondered what it's true intent was.
> Could it be they were made for cutting corn or cane?
> 
> Charlie
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "George Willer" <gwill at gwill.net>
> To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'"
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 8:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Corn Binding/Hay
> 
> 
> > That mower section knife is like the one we used we used to cut the
> twine
> > as
> > the bundles were fed into the shredder after we became modernized with a
> > binder, tractor, and corn shredder.
> >
> > When the corn was cut by hand it was with a straight knife somewhat like
> > I still use for some chores around the yard.  It was a straight blade
> with
> > no curve like a machete has.
> >
> > George Willer
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-
> >> bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Steve W.
> >> Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 5:50 PM
> >> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> >> Subject: Re: [AT] Corn Binding/Hay
> >>
> >> And if you want the home made version take an old hoe handle and saw a
> >> slot on one end long enough to install a sickle bar section. Install
> the
> >> section with it at an angle. I drilled the holes for mounting so that
> >> one hole is close to each edge of the handle. You could also use a
> chunk
> >> of heavy wall conduit as the handle. To use just slide the handle down
> >> the stalk till you hit the ground and give it a sharp yank up/back to
> >> cut the stalk.
> >>
> >> Larry D Goss wrote:
> >> > If you can find one, John, use a bona fide corn knife for the job of
> >> hand
> >> > cutting rather than the machete-style knives that dealers are selling
> >> > nowadays.  It makes all the difference in the world.  You may have to
> >> haunt
> >> > a bunch of antique shops to find one, but a real corn knife looks
> kind
> >> of
> >> > like either a miniature scythe or a hand sickle on steroids.  The
> >> forward
> >> > side of the knife is serrated and you don't have to swing it to make
> it
> >> > work.  You just put the knife down low (close to the root ball) and
> >> > pull
> >> > toward you at an angle.  It slices off the stalk clean as a whistle.
> >> You
> >> > know that it's time to sharpen the knife when you start pulling the
> >> > root
> >> > balls out of the ground.
> >> >
> >> > Larry
> >> >
> >>
> >> --
> >> Steve W.
> >> Near Cooperstown, New York
> >> _______________________________________________
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