At least one of you

mewolf1

mewolf1

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2005
Messages
12,912
I know of at least one of you would enjoy this.:cool:

[video=youtube;1I4RNenmfFI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I4RNenmfFI&list=WL&index=6[/video]
 
I think I've seen vids of him competing against other machines as well. He won those as well.
 
Yes--he's also the fellow in the video of the scythe vs. the string trimmer. :)
 
These contests are staples at scything expositions. It's great to see how effective the scythe can be in the hands of a master.
 
mewolf1 said:
There isn't a Tongue-in-Cheek smiley. :D
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This is an imperfect form of communication for sure.

I don't use a scythe but would like to. I remember my grandfathers and him telling me that pretty soon nobody would be around that knew how to use one. These guys would bring a smile to his face.
 
garry3 said:
This is an imperfect form of communication for sure.

I don't use a scythe but would like to. I remember my grandfathers and him telling me that pretty soon nobody would be around that knew how to use one. These guys would bring a smile to his face.
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And now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, that knowledge can be spread far and wide! :D

[video=youtube;DjKjciIIDbs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=DjKjciIIDbs[/video]
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
And now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, that knowledge can be spread far and wide! :D

[video=youtube;DjKjciIIDbs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=DjKjciIIDbs[/video]
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I have been slowly educating myself on them. Vintage ones seem to be quite plentiful and affordable out here.
 
Storm Crow said:
FourtyTwoBlades - The sound of the wind and the scythe was very relaxing. :) Good video!
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Thanks! There are obviously lots of advanced topics that can be covered with the tool, but I figured for folks just getting into them keeping it to the basics would make for a nice general overview. :)

garry3 said:
I have been slowly educating myself on them. Vintage ones seem to be quite plentiful and affordable out here.
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Vintage ones are plentiful and affordable, for sure, but do realize that you're in for a lot of work getting them back into ready-to-mow condition. Even new old stock blades don't have a ready-to-mow edge. Sort of like how straight razors supposedly come ready to shave and to a lay person they seem obscenely sharp...but they're not quite sharp enough. :D With vintage ones you have to know what to look for to spot flaws, some of which can be fixed and others which kill the tool. They can spring back from some surprising damage but some types of damage render them unsalvageable. Usually the hardest part of the work is getting a proper bevel reground on them. They're a precision tool but most vintage blades have received rough treatment and have edges that are dull, nicked, and thick.
 
I flailed away as a kid in the back field and ever since have thought of the labor involved farming with one. I'll guarantee it was dull as a politician.
 
Yeah--as noted in the video, a properly maintained scythe should cut cleanly at any speed. With a freshly ground and honed blade I can hold the scythe one-handed and lazily drag it through the grass and it passes through it like water.
 
I had a chance to handle a scythe from Maine Scythe Supply this week when the family and I vacationed an Maine and the farm owner had one in the barn and it was superb. Owner was not around, so I could not do any cutting, but I so want one. Site has a wealth of info.
 
Storm Crow said:
FourtyTwoBlades - The sound of the wind and the scythe was very relaxing. :) Good video!
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swonut said:
I had a chance to handle a scythe from Maine Scythe Supply this week when the family and I vacationed an Maine and the farm owner had one in the barn and it was superb. Owner was not around, so I could not do any cutting, but I so want one. Site has a wealth of info.
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Great people. Some of the info on their sight isn't completely accurate, so do take it with a grain of salt, but there's a lot of good material there. The snaths are not adjustable, so you have to make sure you get your measurements right when you send them your info. The snaths' most lacking feature are the grips, which are round. Round grips work fine on an American snath because of how they face forward, as this allows the hands to brace against the shaft of the snath. However, on a snath with a stem and rear facing grips it presents some ergonomic issues. If going that route I suggest retrofitting self-made ergonomic grips to it. Better are the snaths soon to be offered by One Scythe Revolution. Botan (the owner) is in the process of moving right now, though, which has halted his work finishing the work on them. I've also got some projects in the works that ought to be pretty interesting if it all comes together as planned.
 
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