Vintage Signed PA Dutch Amish Sickle or Hand Scythe

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This is a rare signed sickle or hand scythe from an Amish farm in Lancaster County Pa. Blade is handforged and marked IS No. 3. Blade is 14 inches across. Simple but original wooden handle. Dates to the early 1800's. Excellent condition. A sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crops before the advent of modern harvesting machinery. It consists of a curved blade with a short, one-hand handle attached. The inside of the curve is sharp, so that the user can swing the blade against the base of the crop, catching it in the curve and slicing it at the same time. It is sometimes referred to as a 'grasshook'. A similar tool is the scythe. The most noticeable difference between a sickle and the scythe is the shape of the blade a Scythe blade is more linear was a sickle blade is more in the shape of a C with a point at the top. A blade which is used to cut the silica-rich stems of cereal crops acquires a characteristic sickle-gloss, or wear pattern. When this pattern appears on ancient stone tools, it can indicate early use or development of agricultural use. In Greek myths, the sickle was used as a weapon by Cronus and Perseus. The Sickle is used as part of the well known symbol of the Hammer and sickle, which is the symbol of Communism or Revolutionary Socialism. The sickle represents the agricultural working class or peasantry in this symbol. SS-25 Sickle is the NATO reporting name for the RT-2PM Topol intercontinental ballistic missile. Tacitus reports that golden sickles were used in Druidic rituals. Amish information: The Amish are an Anabaptist Christian denomination and Swiss-German ethnic group found primarily in the United States and Ontario, Canada, that are known for restrictions on the use of modern devices such as automobiles and telephones. The Amish separate themselves from outside society for religious reasons; they do not join the military, draw Social Security, or accept any form of assistance from the government, and many avoid insurance. Most speak a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch (or Pennsylvania German), which the Amish call Deitsch ("German"). The Amish are divided into dozens of separate fellowships. This article primarily discusses conservative Old Order Amish fellowships with restrictions on dress, behavior, and technology. T are many New Order Amish and Beachy Amish groups that use electricity and automobiles, but still consider themselves Amish. In 2000, Raber's Almanac estimated t were 198,000 Amish in the United States. With an average of seven children per family, the Amish population is growing rapidly, and new settlements are constantly being formed to obtain sufficient farmland. In 2000, t were Old Order communities in 21 states; Ohio has the largest population (55,000), followed by Pennsylvania (47,000) and Indiana (37,000). The largest Amish settlements are in Holmes County, Ohio; LaGrange County, Indiana and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Some Beachy Amish have relocated to Central America, including a sizable community near San Ignacio, Belize. Most Old Order and conservative Amish groups do not proselytise, and conversion to the Amish faith is rare. The Beachy Amish, however, do pursue missionary work. Like the Mennonites, the Amish are descendants of Swiss Anabaptist groups formed in the early 16th century during the radical reformation. The Swiss Anabaptists or "Swiss Brethren" had their origins with Felix Manz and Conrad Grebel. The name "Mennonite" was applied later and came from Menno Simons (1496-1561). Simons was a Dutch Roman Catholic priest who converted to Anabaptism in 1536 and was baptized by Obbe Philips after renouncing his Catholic faith and office. He was a leader in the Lowland Anabaptist communities, but his influence reached gradually into Switzerland. The Amish movement takes its name from that of Jacob Amman (c. 1656 - c. 1730), a Swiss Mennonite leader. Amman felt that the Mennonites were drifting away from the teachings of Simons and the 1632 Mennonite Dordrecht Confession of Faith, ... read more

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