Help requested.... or, opinions...

D

Drum4fun

Joined
Mar 21, 2018
Messages
371
Full disclosure.... my first experience with this hand tool. (True Temper
Kelly Perfect #4 , scythe). Attempted to capture an edge with file, coarse
stone, fine stone, strop... multiple attempts cannot seem to get it "sharp".
Trial runs indicate less of a "cutter" and more of a puller. Any recommendations
accepted... do not know if I'm holding unrealistic expectations. (tested on tall
grass). ... could not get it comfortably secured in my vise so had to free-hand
the sharpening attempts. On line research indicates "peening" techniques for
sharpening, but, beyond my pay grade.

Also... the handle has about 1/4" play ..but, is riveted. Short of drilling out the
rivets am worried that a shim/wedge will split the handle. Any ideas ?

Are these short handled jobs supposed to be free swingers or hold "grass with
one hand" and, cut with other ? See , told ya' ..novice. Thanks.
Charles
https://imgur.com/a/uC3bZ8B
 
I think single-handed jobbies tend to be referred to as 'sickles'; as seen in the Communist hammer & sickle motif. You don't want any play on this and myself would be drilling out the rivets to have a look. You can always install jury-rigged bushings (pieces of copper tubing etc) in the handle before installing new rivets.
 
Drum4fun said:
Full disclosure.... my first experience with this hand tool. (True Temper
Kelly Perfect #4 , scythe). Attempted to capture an edge with file, coarse
stone, fine stone, strop... multiple attempts cannot seem to get it "sharp".
Trial runs indicate less of a "cutter" and more of a puller. Any recommendations
accepted... do not know if I'm holding unrealistic expectations. (tested on tall
grass). ... could not get it comfortably secured in my vise so had to free-hand
the sharpening attempts. On line research indicates "peening" techniques for
sharpening, but, beyond my pay grade.

Also... the handle has about 1/4" play ..but, is riveted. Short of drilling out the
rivets am worried that a shim/wedge will split the handle. Any ideas ?

Are these short handled jobs supposed to be free swingers or hold "grass with
one hand" and, cut with other ? See , told ya' ..novice. Thanks.
Charles
https://imgur.com/a/uC3bZ8B
Click to expand...

That's more of a sickle than a scythe. I don't doubt that you know how to sharpen an edge, I just wouldn't bother with the strop, since sometimes a slightly "toothy" edge works well with grass.

That design is more of a "free swinger", while the hooked ones can work well both ways (swinging to left to cut unsupported grass, or pulling diagonally to right to cut a bunch that is restrained in the other hand). If your swinging tends to pull instead of cut, I suggest making the motion of a circular arc as you swing, with your shoulder at the center of the circle (instead of pulling the blade diagonally to the left). Also, cutting very close to the ground level, with the back of the blade rubbing on the ground, helps make it cut the grass instead of push it over.

About the handle play, it might help to carefully pound down the rivets with a ball pein hammer (supporting the rivet from underneath and not contacting the wood during the process).
 
Last edited:
Great stuff 300six and Mr. Tall... in learning mode now! Ha ! didn't even have the right name for the tool.
I appreciate your insights...and, technique recommendations.
Charles
 
Follow-up....

Grateful for the recommendations. Got me thinking. I tried the ball-pein on the rivets...
may be operator fail but I did not achieve desired "tightening". Prior to drilling out the
rivets I thought I'd go old school (taken from a million photos on this site !). I screwed
an over-sized wood screw into the gap between the tang and handle. Now, tight as a ...
well, tight.

Re-addressed the edge.... no strop... left some burrs. Then , out here in the Sonoran desert
we have many varieties of desert grass. I took the sickle to one in backyard (about 4 - 6 ft.
circumference)... took it down to this in about 5 minutes. (see photo). Not exactly topiary
quality, but , no extension cords, no hedge trimmer, just some arm strong. I like it. A keeper.
Thanks again for the input.

Charles
https://imgur.com/a/au4cYFX
 
Steve Tall said:
About the handle play, it might help to carefully pound down the rivets with a ball pein hammer (supporting the rivet from underneath and not contacting the wood during the process).
Click to expand...

That's a good call. Usually tightening the rivets will fix the problem. If using a ball peen hammer on the supported rivet doesn't do the trick you can also try hitting the rivet with a heavy center punch struck by a hammer. The center punch method also works great on linesman pliers, dikes and needlenose pliers.
 
this thing requires hammering, as for peening and tighten back the rivets.
and this is not beyond your skills!
 
Square_peg said:
That's a good call. Usually tightening the rivets will fix the problem. If using a ball peen hammer on the supported rivet doesn't do the trick you can also try hitting the rivet with a heavy center punch struck by a hammer. The center punch method also works great on linesman pliers, dikes and needlenose pliers...
Click to expand...
....and hinge pins on O/U shotguns.
 
Flexo,
I think your recommendation is solid.... my approach will be, seek out a
roached out sickle and practice on it... assess my results and determine
whether the True Temper warrants an attempt at blade peening. This TT
is in too good of nick for me to screw it up... and, I had fun using it. Plenty
of donor blades available (it seems) at reasonable price points. Now, the
pre-trial question... when is enough , enough ? (on the peening ) . I have
no experience at same. (would love to use my recently acquired Flint Edge
ball pein !)
Charles
 
Drum4fun said:
assess my results and determine
whether the True Temper warrants an attempt at blade peening
Click to expand...

I can't say for sure with your sickle but in general True Temper scyths are too hard to peen and will instead be damaged - I found out the hard way.
 
Some scything websites deal almost exclusively with softer European scythes that are meaant to be peened. 42Blades could give us a rundown on what's generally soft and what's not. Aside from that you could try a few medium blows and if you don't see metal moving just stop. A file test could tell you what you need to know but you'd want examples of hard and soft sickles to calibrate your feel for the metal.
 
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