Overview
A vintage crank-necked hand sickle featuring a forged steel blade and a turned wooden handle. This piece has been uniquely modified with hand-painted sigils on the blade and white tally marks on the grip…
Preliminary identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
A vintage crank-necked hand sickle featuring a forged steel blade and a turned wooden handle. This piece has been uniquely modified with hand-painted sigils on the blade and white tally marks on the grip…
Story
For millennia, the sickle was the most essential tool in the human struggle for survival, representing the thin line between a successful harvest and winter starvation.
Maker / Origin
The underlying tool is a mass-produced agricultural implement, likely from a mid-century hardware firm such as True Temper or a regional forge.
Condition & Value
The blade exhibits significant surface rust and pitting, which is expected for its age. The wooden handle shows some paint loss and wear. The hand-painted markings are relatively well-preserved, though their modern nature suggests they were added long after the tool's original manufacture.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Regional auction
· Jun 2024Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
$1,280
Dealer archive
· Mar 2024Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
$1,450
Marketplace sale
· Jan 2024Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
$980
Estate platform
· Oct 2023Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
$1,150
Auction result
· Aug 2023Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.
$1,375