Scythes

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Does anyone use a scythe? What are the pros and cons. It would be for twice a year cutting of a small field. Thanks

-- Cindy Johnson (johnson337@hotmail.com), May 07, 2002

Answers

I've used a scythe for many years. Bought a new one a few years ago from Lehmans. Learn how to sharpen it and keep it sharp. Take long full slow sweeps and keep it low. Don't raise it up over your head like some people do. Letting others use it rezulted in a badly dulled and chipped tool. I detest noisy machines. I'm a small person but have no problem using a scythe.

-- Merle Palmiter (retinlap@msn.com), May 07, 2002.

I just really love using our scythe. We have cut all our hay with them before. Once you get the hang of it, it is surprising how much you can do in a few hours. Keeping it low, but not hitting rocks is important. Frequent rest stops to sharpen the blade helps the process. No noise but a pleasant swish, can hear the birds and feel the earth and smell the various smells of what you are cutting.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), May 07, 2002.

Merle covered everything you need to know about using a scythe less the sharpening part. You'll need a scythe stone which is about 9" long and has an oval cross section.

Grasp one end of the stone in your hand (make a fist with your hand and keep your thumb down with the fingers) and lay the stone against the blade and push away from yourself. The handle of the scythe should be close to you with the blade point facing away.

The next stroke is on the opposite side of the blade again pushing away from you. Do not drag the stone on the blade on the return. When you've got the rhythm right you'll hear a wicka-wicka-wicka-wicka sound as you sharpen.

A scythe blade when sharp does not have a knife edge. If you slide your thumb along the side of the edge from the point back and you feel metal "teeth" catching at your skin, it's sharp.

Never chop with the blade, just slide it through the grass off the ground so you're crowding the grass into the blade. It's slick.

For what not to do, just watch a rerun of the families on Frontier house.

-- Darren (df1@infi.net), May 07, 2002.


Ralph Moody describes using a snath and scythe and how to skip over rocks in his book "The Fields of Home." He is the author of "Little Britches" which some of you may be more familiar with.

In the book Ralph can't get the hang of using a snath and scythe until his Uncle Levi teaches him. It is told in detail and I expect that most could pick up some pointers from another's view.

I am not sure where I learned of it, but I've always heard that you do not stone sharpen a scythe. Instead you peen the edge to sharpen it. Grinding away the edge uses up the implement faster, where stretching the metal to a fine edge prolongs it. I've not used a scythe so it is just what I've heard, not my opinion.

Used to own one, but I'm left handed and the back side of the blade didn't cut worth a hoot.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), May 07, 2002.


Cindy,

I've cut with a scythe mostly for my amusement and for trimming that otherwise would have been done with with a nasty heavy vibrating noisy smelly weedeater. Never really cut a whole fields repeatedly. I strongly reccomend you check out the website www.scythesupply.com. You'll find lots of mowing and sharpening tips there as well as how to properly fit/adjust a scythe to your body measurements. They offer any supplies you might need and good advice. I purchased a scythe from them which the owner customized to fit to my 8 year old son and was very pleased with it. A lighter Austrian style scythe as opposed to a heavy American style scythe will increase your enjoyment of the tool. I agree with the others that a sharp scythe is very important and that the form used by the folks on Frontier House was pathetic! The Scythe Book by David Tressmer is also a great guide. It really ties together some of the history of the tool with information on it's practical use.

The pro's to me are It's Quiet, Light, Effective, Inexpensive, Good exercise for the sides of the stomach, (you use a smooth rythmic twisting motion at the waist and shoulders rather than a hacking motion of the arms and shoulders)

The cons would be if it's a really big area you won't be able to cut it very quickly. The old rule of thumb was that a person could cut about an acre a day.

Happy Mowing

Ed

-- Ed Kuchtjak (ekuchtjak@severntrentservices.com), May 08, 2002.



Thanks everyone, I think I will get one. Cheaper than a riding mower and repair is easier. And I always need to work on those stomach muscles.

-- Cindy Johnson (johnson337@hotmail.com), May 08, 2002.

Taking a detour here from the original subject to make a comment about the books that Notforprint mentioned. The series that Ralph Moody wrote about his growing up years is wonderful! We have the whole series that has been reprinted in paperback but I still find old hardbacks at used book stores. I can't remember the exact amount of books in the series but it's around six. They are worth looking for.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), May 08, 2002.

Some Ralph Moody books, not all a series, but all great.

Little Britches, The Home Ranch, Man of the Familly, The Fields of Home, Mary Emma and Company, Shaking the Nickel Bush, Horse of a Different Color, Dry Divide, and Come on Sea Biscuit.

There were also Kit Carson and the Wild Frontier; Geronimo, Wolf of the Warpath; Stagecoach West; and others.

A search on the Internet credits him with 17 books in all. Hm, I'm lacking reading a few of them. A very few I don't care for, such as Stagecoach West.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), May 08, 2002.


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