(Baonghean.vn)- In Nghia Lien commune, Nghia Dan district, Mr. Phan Van Ngoc and his wife are keeping the sickle cutting profession - a unique, ancient profession.
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| According to Mr. Phan Van Ngoc and his wife, in the past, the sickle was the main labor tool of farmers, but today, when agricultural production has gradually been mechanized, the sickle is only used by people to cut grass to raise cattle and cut sugarcane leaves. However, this is still the "fishing rod" of the couple. |
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| Every day, the couple receives over 20 sickles to cut rice husks for people in the area and neighboring communes. According to Mr. Ngoc, the couple "still has a lot of business" because this profession is currently very rare. With a price of 10,000 VND/time of cutting rice husks, this profession is providing the main source of income for his family. |
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| First, the sickle is heated until it is soft, which is called a flat sickle. When it has cooled, people use a hammer to straighten the sickle. If the tip is broken or too blunt, they use special scissors to cut it to a sharp and beautiful point.Next the sickle is filed to be as sharp as a knife blade. |
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| The next step is cutting the teeth (making tiny saw teeth). This is a difficult step that requires the worker to be truly "professional", ensuring the teeth are small, even and sharp. |
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| After cutting the spokes, the sickle is sharpened with a mountain stone to remove all burrs on the spoke blade. |
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| Next comes the "tempering" of the sickle. According to the craftsmen, this job can only be done by the master craftsman. That is, to harden the sickle blade by heating it over a charcoal stove until it glows red to a level that the craftsman estimates, then dipping it into a tank.small water. I sickle is the decisive step of the blacksmith. |
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| After being "tempered", the sickle will be polished to ensure it is as sharp as a new one. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Luu, Tan Hong hamlet, Nghia Tan commune, Nghia Dan district, although they do not harvest rice like before because of machines nowadays, farmers still cannot help but use the sickle, so cutting the rice stalks is done regularly 2-3 times a month. |
Quang An
