Gallery
Turk's Head blade 21½"
Turk's Head blade 31", beard 5½"
This label in Italian appears on the back of this blade.
Translation:
Notice to Scythe Users
Like all superior articles, our “Turk's Head Scythe” is also the object
of many counterfeits by unscrupulous competitors.Therefore it is in the interest
of the consumer to pay attention before purchasing this scythe—that they
carry the gold seal of the Head of the Turk on the handle. Those that do not
meet such qualifications are of a counterfeit brand and should not be bought,
because genuine Turk's Head scythes are unsurpassable for workmanship, quality
of steel, edge and durability.
The Italian word “falce” (pronounce the c as ch) applies to both sickles and scythes. According to a Latin dictionary, Latin “falx” (stem falc-), from which the Italian word is directly decended, applies to all curved agricultural knives, pruning hooks, sickles, scythes and even military weapons. Virgil (probably in the Georgics, his poem about Italian agriculture) has the phrase “vitis incidere falce” (to fall on, or assault, the vines with a pruning hook).
Special thanks to B. Vinzani and M. Fishbein for the translation and attribution.
