Who else uses a scythe?

Cool beans. I'll be doing a section on the use of those when I finish up the section on use. A little less rhythmic using a bush blade than a grass blade! :D I'll be honest--I haven't seen their interpretation of a weed blade but if I were designing one for the purpose it would be a medium-short fat blade with the web set like a grass blade and a heavy beard.
 
Pegs: thanks for that link I think i might get one of those, it could improve the grass hook quite a bit.

42: The bush blade is 20inches compared to 24inches for the weed blade, that's about all I know. I'll post some pictures when they arrive. I'm looking forward to the tutorial, the draft looks good.
 
Once there's actually some decent growth here I'll try taking some videos, as well. It really helps seeing the swing in action.
 
My aluminum snath and 20 inch blade arrived. here are a few pics including the grass hook. I'm looking forward to using this beast.


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It doesn't look like the tang will reach the rear hole unless I do some grinding.
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It looks like I could put some leather between the tang and snath to make some fine adjustments of blade angle.
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This is a stone I got off Amazon that seems to work OK for "in the field" sharpening. I've found that my Work Sharp mini belt sander is fantastic for putting an edge on the grass hook when I'm back at home. It should work well for the scythe blades as well.
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Ghetto sheath for the grass hook. It gets so sharp on the "Work Sharp" that I had to rig something up, maybe later I'll make a proper sheath.
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Great pics! Do you have one showing the set of the web on the scythe blade? I'm guessing it likely has a pretty upward angle when mounted. I doubt you'll have much need for the centered hole, either. Either closed or open is what I usually run with--never centered. A piece of leather between the loop bolt and the tang of the blade will make for a nice snug fit that won't mar either surface. :):thumbup:

For what it's worth that stone looks WAY too aggressive--it's more like a lawnmower stone! Perhaps try the Lansky "canoe" stone instead. It's still a little on the coarse side but it's the closest thing that's widely available.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "set of the web". If you mean blade angle then yes, it does seem to have a pretty upward angle. I'll definitely use some leather thanks for the tip. That stone is really aggressive, Ive got a finer stone somewhere that I'll try to dig up.
 
Sorry--the web of a scythe blade is the whole thinned blade region after the thick spine. So the angle at which the thinner region of the blade is set in relation to the spine of the blade.

The diagram in the bottom of this catalog image shows this decently.

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I use a short blade american blade for clearing brush and briars that creep up in the spring. I used to use a machete but find I get a lot less scratches with the sythe
 
BPrepared304 said:
I use a short blade american blade for clearing brush and briars that creep up in the spring. I used to use a machete but find I get a lot less scratches with the sythe
Click to expand...

Works very nicely, doesn't it? ;):thumbup:

Machetes are certainly easier to take to the field and are the best choice for when you're doing limited clearing work, or only in small patches. But if you have larger swaths to remove nothing does it quite like a scythe.
 
Sometimes I wish I WASN'T so damn interested in American scythes on account of how little info seems to be out on the 'net about them...and yet that's part of the appeal. :D It's really a shame while trying to collect them seeing how the overwhelming majority are all rusted to hell, oversharpened, or otherwise damaged. Given that mowing is best done early in the morning when the dew is still on the grass, many of them were, as the old saying goes, "worked hard and put away wet." The tool being as demanding of technique and care as it was, many back in the day weren't even all the kind to them let alone all of the children and grandchildren that messed about with them after finding them in the tool shed. :o
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Sorry--the web of a scythe blade is the whole thinned blade region after the thick spine. So the angle at which the thinner region of the blade is set in relation to the spine of the blade.

The diagram in the bottom of this catalog image shows this decently.

View attachment 267701
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification on terminology. I have no reference point for web to spine angle as this is my first scythe, but I took some pics that can hopefully give some idea.
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Wow--no set at all! If not for being too thin I'd call it a ditch blade! You'll an up-and-back stroke works best with it--almost like you're pulling a ripcord on a chainsaw with your left hand while your right hand mostly acts as a guide and has more of a simple extending and retracting motion from the direction of the target towards your opposite shoulder to match the stroke of your off hand. If that makes sense. :)
 
Purchased this from marugg, a company out of TN, made in Austria for them, or so I'm told. 24 inch grass blade, much lighter than I expected. I bought the mounting hardware, but NO snath...because I think I would like to make my own. Got to hurry though grass has really starting growing here in the last 2 weeks. The company makes a curved snath, but I'm going to make a straight one, which apparently is the European trend?? It appears hickory and ash are common snath materials anybody recommend another suitable wood that I can find in the southern Appalachians? Thanks.

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Really just about any hardwood will do, but ones that are readily steam bent work best, hence why ash is so commonly used.
 
Had a great moment today. Driving home from the library and grocery store, and we passed a house not far down the road from where we live where a fellow was out by the edge of the lawn making a familiar sweeping motion...he was using an Austrian scythe! And only about 5 houses away from me! It's a small world. :D
 
Small world indeed. Just please don't start singing 'It's a Small World'. Worst earworm ever.
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