A sickle cutting apparatus includes double finger knife guards where the ledger surface of each guard finger has a width at an imaginary line joining the apexes between the rear edges of the blades which is greater than a spacing at the imaginary line between the first side edge of the ledger surface of each guard finger and the second side edge of the ledger surface of each next adjacent guard finger. The first and second side edges of the ledger surfaces of each of the guard fingers extend to a position behind the imaginary line so as to be free from any trash bar connecting each to the next in front of said imaginary line. The hold down fingers are all individually adjustable so that the double hold-down have two adjustment screws which can be individually operated causing flexing of the bridge between the double fingers.

A sickle cutting apparatus includes double finger knife guards where the ledger surface of each guard finger has a width at an imaginary line joining the apexes between the rear edges of the blades which is greater than a spacing at the imaginary line between the first side edge of the ledger surface of each guard finger and the second side edge of the ledger surface of each next adjacent guard finger. The first and second side edges of the ledger surfaces of each of the guard fingers extend to a position behind the imaginary line so as to be free from any trash bar connecting each to the next in front of said imaginary line. The hold down fingers are all individually adjustable so that the double hold-down have two adjustment screws which can be individually operated causing flexing of the bridge between the double fingers.

A working machine may include: a first blade; a second blade overlapping with the first blade in an up-down direction; and a holding unit configured to hold the first blade and the second blade overlapping each other in the up-down direction. The first blade may be configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction with respect to the second blade. The first blade may include a first elongated hole having a longitudinal direction along the reciprocating direction. The second blade may include a second elongated hole having a longitudinal direction along the reciprocating direction. The holding unit may include: a holding part inserted in the first elongated hole of the first blade and the second elongated hole of the second blade; and an outer sleeve having a cylindrical shape and supported by the holding part such that the outer sleeve is rotatable around the holding part.

A working machine may include: a first blade; a second blade overlapping with the first blade in an up-down direction; and a holding unit configured to hold the first blade and the second blade overlapping each other in the up-down direction. The first blade may be configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction with respect to the second blade. The first blade may include a first elongated hole having a longitudinal direction along the reciprocating direction. The second blade may include a second elongated hole having a longitudinal direction along the reciprocating direction. The holding unit may include: a holding part inserted in the first elongated hole of the first blade and the second elongated hole of the second blade; and an outer sleeve having a cylindrical shape and supported by the holding part such that the outer sleeve is rotatable around the holding part.