Scythes, Does anyone use them?

Do you have the brush blade? I avoid anything bigger than a pencil with mine, It is the longer grass blade tho. If your works that well I'm getting a brush blade too. It would be nice around the pond.

I hate how you cannot alternate hands, I really cannot stand that.
Our old one, I cleaned it and sharpened it with my knife sharpener and it cuts thicker stalked weeds well. But it's not a good sharpening. Would love to get it sharp properly and then make some kind of strap for it so my right arm isn't using all it's energy holding it up!

If I ever decide to grow a small patch of wheat or other grain, I think I'll just buy a hedge trimmer attachment for my weedeater and use it instead of a sythe. I've swung those things around before and they are a lot of work.

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r.h. in oklahoma

Raised a country boy, and will die a country boy.

I have one I use every day to cut feed for the cows, trim around trees and under fences, etc. I also have a brush blade for the heavier stuff. If your arms/back, etc. are getting sore, you're doing something wrong - it really should be as effortless as sweeping. I also have a good Stihl weedeater for some of the rocky areas that haven't been cleaned out yet. THAT thing is a pain in the neck. It's MUCH heavier and more cumbersome and will leave you tired. i can cut feed/grass/weeds about 3x faster and much more neatly and cleanly with the scythe. Scythe Supply is good - so is Marrug. Buy the peening jig and learn how to get the thing properly sharp and your weedeater will hang in the shed gathering dust!

I have one with a grass blade and a brush blade. I use it to trim with in areas that aren't rocky. I am wanting to start cutting hay with it. For those that are cutting hay , how are you putting the hay up? Do you put it up loose or do you bale it? By the way, the scythe has to fit the person using it or it will wear you out.

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If you ever have the opportunity to attend an open demo you really should.


When I was a child, we had one of those weed-whackers. It was like a golf club with a foot long blade, that had teeth on both sides. You swung it like a golf club and it was a lot of work.

When you use a scythe, after an hour if your back or shoulders hurt, then you are seriously doing it wrong.

Now if you already have knee/hip problems, or elbow bursitis; then I can see where using a scythe may be painful.



A scythe needs to be cut and adjusted to the person using it. There is no one size that will fit everyone.

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Yes.

The land I bought is forest, with a lot of ruts and standing water. I do not envision it ever producing grain crops.

A century ago it was all in wheat, but since we are not drought-prone tree saplings shoot up everywhere that is not mowed annually. Then the last time this land was clear-cut, they used heavy equipment that left massive ruts,
2 foot wide and 3 foot deep, many are over 100 yards long. They hold water and inhibit surface run-off.

I use my scythe mostly for clearing brush and saplings [mostly alder]. Cane berry brambles come up in my orchard every year, and try to engulf our raised beds.

I use the heavy brush blade.

The metal is soft, it bends easily. I do not use the hand peen/anvil set that they try to market. I peen out the bends with a regular anvil and hammer, and I do a touch-up on the blade with my foot-peddle grinding wheel.

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I have one with a metal handle. Where I feed round bails of hay by hand and scatter lots of seed, there is the nicest prettiest clover, grass etc. I enjoy cutting it and raking it under the hot wire fence for the cows. It is hard to keep up with them. One day, I forgot to unplug the fence and I got shocked a few times at the end of the swing. When I say that I used an electric scythe, you'll know what I am talking about. I carry a $3.00 blade sharpener in my pocket to tounch of the blade often. It takes me a little each time to get better at the technique. It is relaxing to find the rhythm.

Hm. I have a spot where the grass grows so nice but I cannot get my sickle bar in there or my hay rake to get at it because of some apple trees. Might be a scythe is the answer.

I also have one from Scythe Supply, I have a short "ditch" blade for it and a longer (30", I think) grass blade. I primarily use it and the ditch blade to keep the grass and milk weeds down around the pond edge where teh mower won't go.

It is SO much nicer to use than the weedwacker, Not to mention with the weedwacker I need long jeans, work boots (or at least closed toe shoes), safety glasses and ear muffs. With the Scythe, I dont' need any of that.

Are there any Amish or Mennonites close to you? If there are they can almost certainly direct you to one of their neighbors that is accomplished at sharpening one.

I sharpen my own planes and draw knives, but I always take handsaws, adzes, and stuff like this to them. I cleaned and polished the old Scythe that I had, and then I took it to them and the put an edge on it like a razor.... I always wore high-top boots when I was trying to lean to use it

That one in the video looks like what we used to call a sickle. Our scythe had a wildly bent handle that was a compound curve bent in at least two directions. It looks like whoever made that one figured out how to do it without all the crazy bends the old ones had.

Last time I saw our old one, a cousin played the "grim reaper" at Halloween with it....Joe

We had one when I was a child. My dad (from the old country) used it to cut the high grass in the slough. And I tried it a few times too.

One that is sharp and well-balanced is a dream to use. No, I wouldn't want to do MANY acres, but at one time was doing one acre more times than I'd ever planned. Once you get into the rhythm, it's a Zen-like experience, to me anyway.

Mon

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"Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are
wonderful."

--Ann Landers

Yep, before the weedeater hit the market, thats all we had to take on the tall weeds. We called them "Idiot Sticks". Ma always said "if you don't make better grades your gonna be swinging a idiot stick all your life".

Thank God the weedeater came along!!!!!

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r.h. in oklahoma

Raised a country boy, and will die a country boy.

double post

The bent handle is the "new" American design, just a hundred years old. The strait handle is the much older European design.

A sickle is a knife with a curved blade meant to be used with one hand. Totally different.

go to

onescytherevolution.com (there's no "www" in his address). Botan Anderson is a scything master!

The "American" scythe has been used in GB since the 1600's. The blades are stamped steel, very heavy blades that require heavy-duty snaths. The Austrian blade is hammered, and therefore balanced, lightweight, and (once you get your rhythm) easy peasy.

We got our scythes around 10 years ago from Scythe Supply. While their product is nice, we found that they do NOT make them exactly to your measurements. They have a range of sizes, which works for most folks, but is not so nice if you're at the top or bottom of their ranges.

Nick (n9viw) has researched this in-depth, and has made adjustments to his scythe that really enhance its effectiveness. He'll probably bop in here later. He loves talking scythes!

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Je ne suis pas Alice

http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

I inherited a scythe with a curved wooden handle. While using it to cut weeds in my ponds the upper handle has come loose and now the long handle has a groove worn into it.

How do you tighten that short upper handle?

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"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin

On an American scythe, they are adjustable, and the nib (handle) should be threaded. Twist the nib anti-clockwise, and it should loosen. You may need to use some penetrating oil where the nib meets the band that goes around the snath. If you want to keep it in the same position, take some thin sheet metal and wrap it around the snath at that point and replace the nib.

If you send a pm to n9viw and ask him for the "scythe care PDF," (include your email addy), he'll send it to you. Really a very helpful doc.

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