Who else uses a scythe?

FortyTwoBlades said:
David Wadsworth & Son made some of my very favorite blades, the quality of the forging, proportions and curvature, heat treatment, and overall weight vs. rigidity being some of the best on average that you're likely to come across. That is to say, I often come across blades that are as good as David Wadsworth & Son blades are, but less consistently from any given make/model of blade from any other maker. Wadsworth blades hit top marks with the overall highest consistency.

Your snath is a Seymour No.125 Ironclad bush snath.
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Thank you Benjamin, good to know that these are as nice as they seem. Now I just need to wait for my new stone I ordered from you yesterday to come in so I can get them tuned up to cut.
 
They'll need grinding in addition to honing. The stone is good for field maintenance but the grinding points we sell are best for putting a properly thin bevel on them. I have yet to come across a vintage blade yet, whether used or new old stock, that didn't need at least a little extra steel taken off the bevels.
 
I figured I had some work with the flap wheel before I got too far into it. After a bit closer look at the brush blade I think it had been used a bit. Put a quick working edge on with a round file to test it on some tartarian honeysuckle, it's pretty beastly.

On a parts run now, so playtime is over...👎👎
 
A flap wheel will make an ugly mess of it and be VERY likely to burn the edge--PLEASE don't do that. The grinding points we carry are formulated specifically for cutting cool on thin sections of heat treated high carbon steel. Most other dry grinding options will be very prone to burning the VERY THIN edge even if the steel behind the apex feels cool to the touch, and flap discs have too much deflection/cushion to them and will produce an overly thick geometry. Back when I was first trying to find good alternatives to a water cooled grinding wheel I tried flap wheels, and I'm no stranger to using them -- it produced VERY sub-par results.
 
The blades may be laminated construction, especially if one of them has a bend in it. Hammering along the back on an anvil surface will take a "frown" out of the blade. You'll want to keep the edge apex centered in the blade's web (the flat span between the edge and the back) so that you get the "meat" of the sandwich comprising the edge rather than the soft iron "bread".
 
Well I guess I'm going to be placing another order then 😛, I'm no stranger to using flap wheels and not burning some stuff but given your advice I'll be erring on the side of caution.

The bend is in the blade that was on the snath when I found it. The only marking on that one is a 2-2. It seems to be decent steel, but it doesn't have the nice balance of the Wadsworth ones I posted.
 
It was probably a private labeled blade. Those were common back in the day since it allowed shops that were close to one another to sell blades from the same company with different finishes and their own paper label on them so they weren't in direct competition with one another.
 
I've been using a scythe to cut grass for years. Most of my property is trees, natural brush, and horticulture; and a lot of what lawn space remains has been put to the plow for gardening. I'm definitely a No Mow May kind of guy, to help out the bees I need to pollinate the garden and fruit trees, who's living in the country with neighbours who think they're living in downtown suburbia and mowing their lawns several times a week like crazy people. I had a Husqvarna lawn mower that was considered top shelf, but turned out to be a piece of junk that spent more time being worked on than mowing (my Husqvarna foresters axe is of much better quality). I was a bit surprised to be able to buy a new full sized scythe off the shelf, about six years ago at the local garden/agriculture supply shop.

My father taught me how to use a scythe when I was a little kid, after I took on a job cutting someone's grass that was much higher than what a lawnmower was up for. It's a lot less hassle than maintaining a problematic lawn mower and a relaxing way to cut grass; providing you're just using a nice easy rocking motion and not swinging it like a club. I do get a lot of looks from the neighbours and people driving by, despite having never worn a black cloak and cowl while working (it's usually a bit on the warm side when you use them).
 
The Grendels said:
I've been using a scythe to cut grass for years. Most of my property is trees, natural brush, and horticulture; and a lot of what lawn space remains has been put to the plow for gardening. I'm definitely a No Mow May kind of guy, to help out the bees I need to pollinate the garden and fruit trees, who's living in the country with neighbours who think they're living in downtown suburbia and mowing their lawns several times a week like crazy people. I had a Husqvarna lawn mower that was considered top shelf, but turned out to be a piece of junk that spent more time being worked on than mowing (my Husqvarna foresters axe is of much better quality). I was a bit surprised to be able to buy a new full sized scythe off the shelf, about six years ago at the local garden/agriculture supply shop.

My father taught me how to use a scythe when I was a little kid, after I took on a job cutting someone's grass that was much higher than what a lawnmower was up for. It's a lot less hassle than maintaining a problematic lawn mower and a relaxing way to cut grass; providing you're just using a nice easy rocking motion and not swinging it like a club. I do get a lot of looks from the neighbours and people driving by, despite having never worn a black cloak and cowl while working (it's usually a bit on the warm side when you use them).
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Pretty much mimics my experience maintaining our property. I've never owned a mower, and in the 20 years I've owned this home, a scythe is all I use.
The neighbors are used to seeing me out with it...but still maintain a safe distance.
 
I'm jealous. I think I have too much grassy property for regular scything, and I'm sure I'd become a spectacle. My personality type doesn't jive with becoming a spectacle.

I still really want a scythe.
 
That's why after seeing this thread I'd been on the lookout for one. My lawn doubles as a woodyard, and my neighbors hate it. I've told most of them that if they want to chip in to buy me a piece of property to get rid of the debris I have to haul out of other people's yards then I'll have the best looking lawn in the neighborhood... Nobody's taken me up on that offer. The scythe has allowed me to knock down the stuff that grows near the piles I haven't been able to burn yet.

Quite frankly about the last thing I want to do when I get home from running loud equipment all day is sit on another piece of loud equipment and waste my spare time doing something I hate doing anyway. I've found it quite relaxing all week just going out and figuring out how to use this thing efficiently when I get home.

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Plus it goes well with my hat...
 
Forgive me if it's been covered here before, I did scan through most of the thread...

How large a stem should I be looking to handle with a brush blade? I'm in the process of reclaiming my garden space and pear trees from the grey dogwood that creeps in from the back and some of the stems look a bit big. It definitely works a treat for the smaller stuff but I don't want to get gung-ho and break something. I have an ample selection of machetes for stuff I can't do with the scythe.
 
Wild Willie said:
Forgive me if it's been covered here before, I did scan through most of the thread...

How large a stem should I be looking to handle with a brush blade? I'm in the process of reclaiming my garden space and pear trees from the grey dogwood that creeps in from the back and some of the stems look a bit big. It definitely works a treat for the smaller stuff but I don't want to get gung-ho and break something. I have an ample selection of machetes for stuff I can't do with the scythe.
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You'll get a feel for it, but generally up to about thumb thick green woody growth. It'll depend on the species, though.
 
Thank you FortyTwoBlades FortyTwoBlades . That's exactly where I was winding up with my trials. Took a machete out with me for those bigger stems, the guapote that I procured from you last month doesn't have any trouble with what the brush blade can't.

I must say though, up to that size the scythe is definitely the fastest and most trouble free method I've used for clearing the garden and path out back. 👍
 
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Big day for me. Found some stuff! Got my Grandpa’s old scythe blade on my Dad’s “old” snath, and cut some grass. I’m not very good yet, but it sure is fun. Way more fun than listening to my John Deere big down on this neglected yard.

Seems like there’s a minimum height requirement on the grass to get a good cut, but all things considered, it’s really effective.
 
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