# Identify this weird metal thing (farm implement) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639 "2009-05-26T02:11:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/1 "2009-05-26T02:11:36Z")
Hi again everyone. I’m back again. And in the meantime I’ve been crawling about underground! Specifically, I’ve been teaching near Mammoth Cave, and have been going down on a lot of the tours, including the “wild” cave tour. And that’s where I found this [weird metal thing](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uGBC9UGth3yPAi0cTu8y8Q?feat=directlink). It’s wedged into a crevice in some rocks nearish to Cathedral Domes. Since that’s a migrating sinkhole, it’s likely that, whatever this thing is, it was washed down from the surface. Someone else on the same trip noted that the hole to the right looks to be square, which is usually done for some particular reason, since it’s not exactly the easiest feature to machine. So, any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/2 "2009-05-26T03:00:26Z")
Looks to me like it’s the end piece from a sickle mower. See [here](http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/3%20Mower/IMG_1046.jpg), for example. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/3 "2009-05-26T03:04:55Z")
some variant on a [chisel plow](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=Uu7&um=1&q=%22Chisel+plough%22&sa=N&start=54&ndsp=18)? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/4 "2009-05-26T05:31:53Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Looks to me like it’s the end piece from a sickle mower. See [here](http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa5/jameslloydhowell/John%20Deere%20Equipment/3%20Mower/IMG_1046.jpg), for example. I think you nailed it. The shape is not symetrical and your picture matches it. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/5 "2009-05-28T04:19:55Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I think you nailed it. The shape is not symetrical and your picture matches it. Yes, that looks pretty much exactly right. Something I’d never have guessed, since I don’t think I knew such a thing even existed. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/6 "2009-05-28T04:38:59Z")
> [@Mathochist](#): > > Someone else on the same trip noted that the hole to the right looks to be square, which is usually done for some particular reason, since it’s not exactly the easiest feature to machine. It looks cast, not machined, to me. I concur that it’s from a sickle mower. ---
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-weird-metal-thing-farm-implement/497639/7 "2009-05-28T20:29:28Z")
Guard from a sickle mower.