The hay knife, as the name suggests, was the tool used to cut hay stored in the hay barn or outdoors that was compressed and so compact that it required a cutting tool. The hay knife was therefore used to cut blocks of hay to be fed to animals but also to make cuts with the aim of correctly managing the fermentation process of the stored hay.
The hay knife operated by exploiting the strength of the foot is made up of a wooden handle fixed on a large blade (arranged parallel) concave or protruding at its center and generally equipped with a metal bracket for foot support. Holding it by the handle, the blade was stuck into the hay and pressing with the foot made the cut.
The hay cutter operated by the strength of the arms is generally made up of a wooden handle on which a crescent-shaped blade is fixed, which was operated with alternating pulling and pushing movements. Less common is the hay knife made of a single metal bar, equipped with two wooden handles to allow it to be gripped, from which a serrated blade was obtained, which was operated similarly to a saw.