Hay Knife, circa 1885

01

Artifact Overview

Farm families cut and cured enough grass each summer to make hay to feed their livestock all winter. Stored hay settled over time and farmers used special knives to cut out chunks for feed. Daison E. Haskell's invention added a hinged footrest to the shaft of a knife. Farmers stepped on Haskell's pedal and forced the cutting edge deeper into the haystack. This hay knife resembles Henry O. Turner's 1878 design.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Hay knife

Date Made

circa 1885

Creator Notes

Patented design by Daison E. Haskell, Cazenovia, New York

Location

at Greenfield Village in Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery

Object ID

00.4.1358

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Iron (Metal)
Steel (Alloy)

Dimensions

Width: 9 in
Length: 49 in
Depth: 5.5 in