Who else uses a scythe?

Tell me about it! Funny thing is that while the American pattern descended from the English scythe, the only thing that stayed pretty similar was the snath. The blades of the American pattern are much more complex in their construction with the channel running down along the spine (I actually haven't been able to find a term for it so I'll likely have to coin one unless I find a proper name somewhere in a document) and their often beaded webs.

And thanks for the kind words. I can't claim to be an expert, but I think I'm one of only a few folks actually researching the American pattern.
 
Those videos helped a lot. I just cut a bunch of tall mixed crap for mulch just using my brush blade (I think its 15"). Used a pulling motion instead of a kind of slicing arc. worked suprisingly well for such a short blade.
 
Yeah--brush blades use a stroke that's almost like you're trying to yank a weed out of the ground and throw it over your shoulder. It's a short upward pulling motion with just enough actual swing to it to still make a shearing stroke. Still relatively gentle though--it's easy to overpower your stroke with bush blades and if you screw up your stroke with too much force behind the cut you can damage your snath. Sort of like how with single-strap backpacks it's easy to overload them. :)
 
[video=youtube;vnXrbCN6-Dk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnXrbCN6-Dk&feature=youtu.be[/video]

The first 25 seconds are farting around, but I got a few good swings in the 2 minute video. That blade is a 15" brush blade. It was taken on a camera so the video quality is not very good.
 
Looks like you were in a good rhythm around the 44 sec. mark. Try stepping into the cut with your right foot as you open the swing, then stepping forward with your left foot to square with the right while allowing your body weight and the tension built in your torso and hips to "fall" onto the left foot as you make the stroke. Using a brush blade is part of what's making the work a little difficult because of the extreme upward set of the blade, which is designed for use on somewhat heavier woody targets--and the upward "ripping" strokes you were making were just what you use to do it. That swing and blade style aren't well suited to reedy grasses and other lush plants, though, as cutting a broad swath can be difficult and flexible plants will have the tendency to fold under the blade.

Keep it up, brother!
 
Just nabbed a SWEET TrueTemper weed blade and a sickle today. Pictures to follow whenever I get around to it (probably tomorrow)
 
Almost got a lot of 3 blades on ebay, a 28" and two 20". Someone else caught on at the end and it went for more than I wanted to pay. And so the search continues. I did get another video today mowing some thinner grass (that other stuff was very weedy and did not cooperate very well), but waiting on the good computer to function so I can upload. Hopefully in the next few days.
 
Nice thread you've got going here, Forty-two blades! However, I probably shouldn't be making any comments on this one, because I might not be able to resist making some pro-European scythe remarks! ;)
 
Sparrow92 said:
Nice thread you've got going here, Forty-two blades! However, I probably shouldn't be making any comments on this one, because I might not be able to resist making some pro-European scythe remarks! ;)
Click to expand...

That might be a good thing, its been a big American scythe schmooze fest so far!
 
Sparrow92 said:
Nice thread you've got going here, Forty-two blades! However, I probably shouldn't be making any comments on this one, because I might not be able to resist making some pro-European scythe remarks! ;)
Click to expand...

Euro scythes are nice, too! They just wouldn't work well at all in the conditions on my property. Post away!

In other news, disaster struck with that new blade I picked up. Closer examination revealed that there was a slight downward bend in the very tip, which would have made the blade trend towards burying the point in the dirt. I tried to gently use a ball-pein hammer to tap the bend out, and put a crack in the blade. :o Snapped some photos for posterity's sake and then cut and reground the point. It now obviously looks like a shortened blade because the regrind ran into the trough of the spine, but it'll make a good "beater" blade when I'm working around nasty rocks and debris that might murder my nice grass and brush blades. I just feel awful having cracked it--but it only set me back $6.00 so... ;) On the plus side, the sickle I picked up sharpened up nicely and made quick work trimming up the grass around the edge of the house! I'll post pics tomorrow. :thumbup:
 
No "After" pics yet (just need to snap 'em) but here are the "Before" ones! :o

Posing with my hay knife:
IMAG0818.jpg

On its own:
IMAG0817.jpg

The crack from both sides. :(:
IMAG0810.jpg
IMAG0805.jpg

One more on its own:
IMAG0816.jpg

I'll try to get some pics of the cut/reground blade soon. Even though it's obviously cut down due to the trough running out on the spine the profile looks nearly the same. Tried it out on some tough reedy grass that had shot up in the side yard and it did a great job not getting bogged down by the resistant material. It's a hefty sucker, though, so that's to be expected! Cuts pretty well and close to the ground in spite of being a weed blade without any set in the tang.
 
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I ran into 3 scythes are different antique shops today. All pretty FUBAR'd. One looked half decent, and this particular store has 50 percent off sales so next time they are doing a sale I may pick it up, it would be 20 bucks in that case. The other two made me weep a little bit, tons of delamination, rot, borer holes and bent blades... Oh, the horrors..
 
Yeah--I went down to Bar Harbor to help remove a bunch of tall grass and saplings/sweet fern bushes that were starting to choke up one edge of her lawn. I remembered she had a scythe and figured I could use that, but brought my Condor Viking machete along just in case it was in irreparable condition. Sure enough, it had been stored in the barn right next to where there were gaps in the wall direct to the outside--right where rain and snow could get at it! It looked like it was made out of rust-colored crepe paper. Totally toast. Not even the nibs were salvageable. So I cut all the grass and scrub as best as I could with the machete, and it was no small area! My arm is still a bit tired, and I did the work on Sunday! Next time I'm down I'll just pack my own scythe--take the blade off and stick it in the trunk or something.

In other news, I'll be picking up a modern Seymour piece to review and my lady will use it to learn on, while I'll use it as a "beater" snath so I don't damage my nice vintage one during hard use. I'll keep that one tuned for extended mowing of lighter targets, as it's the best grass snath and blade combo I've yet seen. I really lucked out getting it.
 
Sparrow92 said:
...However, I probably shouldn't be making any comments on this one, because I might not be able to resist making some pro-European scythe remarks! ;)
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Here's a video of Sparrow using a European scythe blade on a homemade snath (made from tree branches):

[video=youtube_share;yzmrLFHRaTY]http://youtu.be/yzmrLFHRaTY[/video]


This one shows the Vido's method for using a scythe to make "Hay in a Day":

[video=youtube_share;_sYyGwc9sas]http://youtu.be/_sYyGwc9sas[/video]


Here is Sparrow making work look like fun in "The Hay Pusher":

[video=youtube_share;fIVAlV8YVF0]http://youtu.be/fIVAlV8YVF0[/video]
 
I've always loved Mr. Vido's videos. He and his family make an artform of it! :cool: I envy his nice flat field space. :o
 
Hey Guys, This is a fantastic thread...I just got around to reading through it. I picked up a beautiful scythe and a hay saw last year on one of my hunts for crosscut saws in the U.P. Michigan. The scythe still has much of the original finish on it. The fellow I bought it from just included it in the sale with the saws that I was buying from him. He just wanted to clean out his garage. I have both of them in a shed at my camp in the U.P. The blade to the scythe is duck taped to the handle. I do know that it is completely intact with all the hardware included with it.

Until reading this, I really had no interest in it. I don't even know who the mfg. is or what what type of scythe it is.

After reading this, I'll have to get it out and put it together to see how it works. I'll post pictures of it the next time I get back up to camp.

Thanks for all the great information and for peaking my interest in my scythe.

My regards, Double Ott
 
Please do take photos! I'd be interested in seeing what the finish looks like, and I ought to be able to identify the general classification of it for ya.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I've always loved Mr. Vido's videos. He and his family make an artform of it! :cool: I envy his nice flat field space. :o
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Indeed. We've got a couple acres or so of field but its sloped so part is very sparse (I think nitrogen depleted from being very water logged). much less satisfying to mow because it just bends over, probably would be good mowing for a Euro.
 
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