A sickle cutting apparatus includes a plurality of triple finger knifeguards which are arranged side by side along the cutter bar to cooperate withareciprocating sickle bar carrying a row of double blade knife sections and aset ofhold-down members carrying hold-down fingers. The hold-down members arearranged alternately as a single finger and double finger with each hold-downmember being connected to the cutter bar in association with a respectivetripleguard. In this way the hold-down fingers are arranged at alternate guardfingersleaving the intervening guard fingers open. The system includes both pointedguards with no tang and stub guard so that the user can select either to beused withthe hold-downs. The hold down fingers are all individually adjustable so thatthedouble hold-down have two adjustment screws which can be individually operatedcausing flexing of the bridge between the double fingers.
