Identification help - old farm doodad

[gocards1177]

I inherited a bunch of rusty old farm collectibles from a recently deceased uncle. This is the only thing I can identify. The oval shaped gray piece is some sort of stone so I thought maybe a sharpener of some kind? I can make out "McCormick-dee....chica" but the plate is covered by some sort of crusty material.
Thanks!

 

[Egon]

Grindstone for sickle bars.

 

[davesl708]

Grindstone for sickle bars.

Are you sure?? Looks like a thing-a-ma-jig. :confused3:

 

[RickB]

Are you sure?? Looks like a thing-a-ma-jig. :confused3:

Yeah, he is sure, and I am, too.

 

[gocards1177]

Ah very cool and thanks! Man, sure does make me appreciate modern tools. I don't think I would have made it very far back when men were men, women were men, and children were men.

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah it's a sickle sharpener. The V face of the stone allows two edges to be sharpened at once.

Not sure how this one was driven?? All I saw were electric motor driven. This one is designed to be clamped to a bench. But can't figure out the drive system??

Edit: Forgot to mention, I believe this company was in Chicago. Thus the letters "chica" visible on the case.

 

[Egon]

Hand crank.

[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=hand+cranked+sickle+bar+grinder&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-ca&client=safari#imgrc=OoQe93h4ua_kpM:[/video]

 

[bcp]

Bruce

 

[mikeman1]

cool. thanks for sharing the video.

 

[6thgpSF]

that video is friggin neat ! russ