Who else uses a scythe?

A few more details, the snath is stamped "Seymour No. 1". The plate where the tang lays is also pitched so as to keep the blade more in a plane with the ground. I didn't notice because I just picked it up and didn't let go till I got back to the homestead..
 
G-pig said:
A few more details, the snath is stamped "Seymour No. 1". The plate where the tang lays is also pitched so as to keep the blade more in a plane with the ground. I didn't notice because I just picked it up and didn't let go till I got back to the homestead..
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Good stuff! Old Seymour snaths are consistently decent quality.
 
Steve Tall said:
How many acres on your farm get mown by hand with a scythe? Is it about 50 acres, each mown several times a year?
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I feel like I should clarify the misunderstanding regarding how much we mow with scythes, so here's my revised answer to Steve's question:
That the Vidos mow 50 acres by hand several times a year sounds impressive, but it's not accurate.
It started about 8 years ago when Peter told a friend that we (a family of five at the time) mow around 20 acres with scythes per year, and also that we cut some of the same areas several times in a season. (As an example: we might cut a field three times between May/June and Sept./Oct., and others are mown once, then used as pasture for the rest of the year.) So it was been more like 10-15 acres of land that was cut by hand, but the actual area amounted to about 20 acres… That friend (a Brit) confused acres with hectares, and once he said something to the effect of "the Vidos mow 20 hectares of hay by hand!!" then it becomes 50 acres -- a big stretch, and he's not even a professional journalist!
So, the point is that we did mow 20 acres with scythes, but never 50. However, that was at a time when we spent more time farming and less time on computers (we didn't have a computer back then). We now spend the time that we could be scything instead teaching others about scythes… Also, with only three of us here now, and with many other responsibilities pulling our focus away from mowing large amounts of hay, we now cut only a few acres by hand.
 
I've been mowing about an acre's worth of buttercups every couple of weeks. Our pasture has just the right combination of conditions for the darn things and the only other option besides mowing them down repeatedly would be to pay to have someone churn up the whole area with equipment. Not an option if you ask me. I get my zen time in with the mowing and it gives other plants a chance to grow while preserving the root structures that prevent erosion.
 
Just took the 36" yankee blade for a spin on my other snath. Balance was really awesome. Took a huge swath, with almost no effort. I started a row, looked back and was twice as far as I thought I had gone. Awesome!
 
Man--I wish I could find a good 36"! My Rixford is only a 30" and a longer blade would be a lovely thing when I'm trying to clear a large area..
 
I got mine out for a little while this morning. Folks next to me cut hay but left a small strip at edge of my yard, so I cut it and forked it over with the hay. I should measure it, mine is one of the shorter blades.

Bill
 
lmalterna said:
I got mine out for a little while this morning. Folks next to me cut hay but left a small strip at edge of my yard, so I cut it and forked it over with the hay. I should measure it, mine is one of the shorter blades.

Bill
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Oh hells yeah...representing VA here also :)...yeah had the rig out this morning, got the blade hafting better, defintatly notice a difference. Started to get a little zen thing going on. :thumbup: Going to used my yard hay to mulch my tomatoes and peppers.
 
getridone,
If you don't mind saying, wherabouts? I live in Roanoke but have roots all over Wythe and Smythe counties. I don't think I saw a "weedeater" that did not leave deposits before about age 14 or 15. Always cleaned up near fence after mowing with a sycle bar using a scythe- though I really do not know much about them, just what they are used for :)
Bill
 
lmalterna said:
getridone,
If you don't mind saying, wherabouts? I live in Roanoke but have roots all over Wythe and Smythe counties. I don't think I saw a "weedeater" that did not leave deposits before about age 14 or 15. Always cleaned up near fence after mowing with a sycle bar using a scythe- though I really do not know much about them, just what they are used for :)
Bill
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Right down the road from ya bud here in Floyd.
 
I believe I have been drug through Floyd a time or two ;)

My wife is a Filipina and during our "Great Snowstorm" this past winter, we headed up the mountain to find some real snow- could'nt see squat going up the mountain & slid all over the place then broke into the clear and did not see real snow again until we got home! I used to attend rondevous up there- think it was Randy Weeks's place & we collected our Christmas tree up there every year for quite a few. Nice country.

Bill
 
lmalterna said:
getridone,
If you don't mind saying, wherabouts? I live in Roanoke but have roots all over Wythe and Smythe counties. I don't think I saw a "weedeater" that did not leave deposits before about age 14 or 15. Always cleaned up near fence after mowing with a sycle bar using a scythe- though I really do not know much about them, just what they are used for :)
Bill
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Knowing how to use them is the most important part! Sounds like you probably have that part down. ;)
 
I don't see a replacement blade listed on their website, but you could write Ames True Temper customer service. I'm sure they could hook you up. However, you might try a scythe instead! :D Or at least a long-handled grass hook. They just work so much better than those silly bladed golf clubs--in my opinion at least. :)
 
What kind would you recommend ? A Seymour perhaps ? Wood or aluminum snath ? It would be for HD woods use,(clearing the weeds & stuff from shooting lanes) so i assume the weed scythe blade would be the way to go ? Sorry for all the questions, but i know very little about scythe's. I guess thats why i bought the True Temper/Ames weed cutter/golf club ! LOL :confused:
 
Probably a medium-short weed blade (shorter so it's easier to carry and maneuver in tight areas) and their "heavy duty" aluminum snath (they make heavy and light versions) so it resists damage. A bush blade would probably be too short and heavy unless you were dealing exclusively with woody stuff.
 
I picked up my scythe from our camp in the U.P. MI. last weekend. Pics will follow soon. The handle says: No 2 Seymour Bush Snath. The tang of the 28"blade has the following stamping: Austria,on one side. On the other a stamp of what looks like a berry bush, with 28 and a number 75. It is in very good condition.

It has 4 positions to mount the blade to the handle. All the hardware is in very good condition. I cleaned up a little light rust on the blade...but no pitting on any of the metal parts. All the metal parts have a natural dark patina on them.

I played around with it for a while at camp, were I had stored it. There was some long grass, weeds and brush behind our shelter. It worked amazing well. I'll have to take out to the farm to play around with it some more. We live on a city lot and all the grass around here is lawnmower cut.

I picked this scythe up last year when I was out looking for crosscut saws for my vintage logging collection. The fellow asked me if I was interested in it? I told him, I really didn't collect them or have a use for it. Well, he ended up giving it to me along with the saws and axes I was buying from him. He just wanted to clean out his garage. I had just put it in a storage shed we had at camp. Didn't have any interest in it until I started reading this thread.

The blade was duct taped to the handle for storage. I had to use some acetone to remove the adhesive from the handle and the blade. The blade was fairly sharp, so it was all set to go.

Pics soon, Double Ott
 
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Sweet! If it actually has "Bush Snath" on the handle and a four-point adjustment for the hang of the blade then it's an older example. Present Seymour mounting collars have a three-point system. Oddly enough, they (Seymour) presently refer to the mounting collar as the web, whilst period documents I've seen refer to the web as the thin region of the blade past the spine and rib. If there is a secondary bead present near the rib, it is considered as a "beaded web."
 
Just placed an order for a brand new Seymour wooden snath and 30" grass blade so I can figure out what mods I'll need to make to the ones I'll be eventually selling. I have to buy them by the case, so better for me to pay a little extra and get just one to trial before jumping in on a wholesale purchase. I'll take photos and share my thoughts when it gets here. :)
 
My No 2 SEYMOUR Scythe (Click the pics for larger size & selection)
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Stamped on handle: No 2 SEYMOUR BUSH SNATH. It is hard to see on the handle, so I tried to trace it with a pencil rubbing.
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4 position web (I just learned this, thanks 42).
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AUSTRIA stamped on blade tang
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A small tree or bush, with 28 (the length of the blade) and 75 stamped on the tang.
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I don't know what the 75 stands for...

I'm just learning how to use Photobucket to post pics, hope these turn out OK. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Enjoy, Double Ott
 
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