The smooth-edged sickle was used to cut grain or grass. The curved blade made the process more efficient, allowing the farmer to exert less energy.
In January 1830 long grass at Brickendon, particularly by the riverbank, was cut by mowers such as convicts Paget, Burrows and Welch, and then unloaded to the fodder stack (Diary of William Archer, 15 January).
