Sickle Study Group

[Jason Taylor]

I love the suit. Awesome.

Sickle Small.jpg (67.69 KiB) Viewed 1067 times

Here's the sickle trainer I'm planning on using. I wound my Seymour grass hook in about 8 layers of electrical tape (to fill in the serrates and keep them from pressing through), then slit a piece of garden hose to put around the end and taped that, then a tip piece, then one or two more tape layers just for good measure. It may be overkill, but I didn't have a grinder, and I don't think it's possible to have too much between me and sharpened metal.

Anyway, I'm fairly happy with the results. Less ugly than I had anticipated, and it should be plenty workable for working through the plates.

Brian--I think we should both have one of these and one clean sickle for test cutting. That's a lot easier than jigsawing wood, plus the weight, balance, and handle will all be right.

You can also see the forward-sweep from this photo--is that the profile yours has? It seems a little further forward than I expected, though I don't think it really matters for historical technique. After all, it's not like sickle were standardized back in the day or anything.

Jason

[Myles Cupp]

Sicklers might be interested in this new video by the MEMAG:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuuM_Ctv ... ture=feedu

[Jeremy S.]

Did you guys ever find an acceptable sickle trainer?
Reason I ask is it'd be fairly simple to make one of of round steel stock and make it reasonably safe for contact, either by going with the rubber hose route or a more high class method with leather (think of the dussack simulators).

http://www.machetespecialists.com/sistma.html
There's also this site

[John P]

Any one live near some Amish I grew up near one of there communities and they still use both long and short sickles as a daily tool. Watching them work might show some insight. They are pacifistic so they might not be that thrilled about the fighting.

[John Harmston]

Might I suggest a name for your study group?

Kron's Sickle Cell

[RJ McKeehan]

Hahaha I love it! Clever.

[Jason Taylor]

Thanks for the machete specialists site. Really good source, it looks like.

John--I like it. It's now a contender with the Sinister Sickle Syndicate, and, of course, the classic and elegant Kron Sickos.

Jason

[Myles Cupp]

A few months ago I was sitting in the waiting area at a music store. In the bin of toys I saw something really strange... a plastic sickle.
I have finally gotten around to googling it and I think I found the same kind but I wish it said how long it was:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HALLOWEEN-TOY-KNI ... 0444613560

The handle is a bit awkward (its not angled exactly right relative to the sickle blade itself) and of course its light but you can't ask for anything much safer.

You can buy also buy (for a mere $5) the blood stained blade variant...:
http://www.officialcostumes.com/88292200.html

I don't know if 18'' is correct for a sickle or how that is measured but come on... how can you argue with the idea of training with a blood-stained sickle?


PS
I can already see the trailer for the most amazing horror movie of all time...

"Night-Mair on Elm Street"

[chuck wyatt]

Hi All,

If anyone is coming to Longpoint 2012 please come check out the Sickle class I'm giving.

The first half will be guards, strikes and blocks found in his plays. The second half will go through 6 of his plays (1, 4, 5, 14, 15 and 16).

If you don't have a practice sickle I have about 15 wooden kama's for trainers, 2 rebated and 2 of the Purple heart Trainers.

Thanks and maybe I'll see you there!

Chuck