Sickle

This is a kind of agricultural equipment that is used to cut crop, grass and trees or to prune branches off. It generally consists of a ㄱ-shaped and an inward-facing blade. It varies in shape and name depending on the region and purpose. A sickle is composed of the blade and the handle, which are subdivided into a tang (the handle end connected to the blade), natgongchi (the outer curved part of the blade), natgaengi (iron coiled to secure a tang to the handle), natnol (iron nail driven in to secure the tang). The length, width and angle of the blade and the handle vary considerably from region to region. In Gyeonggi Province and Yeongnam area (southeastern region of Korea), the blade crooks at a right angle while the width of the blade is relatively narrow compared to its length. Meanwhile, sickles used in Gangwon, Chungcheong, and Honam (southwestern region of Korea) have a crescent-shaped curved blade. In particular, the sickles used in the southern region of Gyeongsang Province have a longer handle end of the blade than those used in Gyeonggi Province, while those living in the mountainous areas of Gangwon Province use sickles with a wide blade that has a thick dull side, produced by inserting one end of the blade into the handle far enough to show very little of the tang. In general, a sickle with a blade that is thick and relatively long at the handle end to easily cut firewood, is referred to as wumeongnat, and a sickle with a thin blade and a short handle end of the blade is referred to as pyeongnat. The former is used to cut relatively thin trees or prune off branches, and the latter is for cutting ears of crops or grass.