The 'Ideal' Sickle

Since the age of mechanized reapers is not going to dawn so soon in DB, I did some background research on what is the best sickle around. So far, using a traditional sickle (not the chinese ones - but the ones which have been in use since Bronze age), the ideal ergonomic design based on a study sponsored by ICMR but conducted by National Institute of Occupational Health in Ahmedabad seem to indicate that following is best specs for reducing biochemical stresses so that human performance can be improved

(i) sickle weight - 200 g;

(ii) total length of sickle - 33 cm;

(iii) handle length - 11 cm;

(iv) handle diameter - 3 c cm;

(v) radius of blade curvature - 15 cm;

(vi) blade concavity - 5 cm;

(vii) serrated sickle: tooth pitch - 0.20 cm and tooth angle - 60 degrees;

(viii) ratio of the length of cutting surface to chord length - 1.20.

Now I should try and grab two sickles from DB and try and benchmark against these numbers. Will be interesting to see how the new and old ones score.