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Haha--I know what you mean! I think it's the scythe version of cabin fever. I've been feeling it bad! I just want to get out there and mow, dag gummit! 
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Who else uses a scythe?
- Thread starter FortyTwoBlades
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There's that English blade. a wee bit silly to be honest, but pretty friggin cool to boot. It looks like crap because I was in the middle of cleaning up when I threw it on a snath and started swinging it around like a moron.
On another note, I am not sure I can morally return this Schroekenfux blade to my friend. Looking at it, he hit a pipe or something he wasnt supposed to, making a divet in the edge about 3/4" long, with about 4 little cracks in it. This in addition to the ragged tears at the heel which will require a lot of work. I think I see an american scythe in his future, and maybe this blade in mine. It'd be good practice to learn rehabbing and whatnot.
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Wow that's quite the long English blade! Not a big fan of English blades in general since they have weak tangs, over-long shanks, plain webs, and "true taper" profiles. That being said, they do look exceptionally cool! I think that the longer TrueTemper weed blades have an almost ideal shape to my eye. A nicely proportioned and tapered Dutch pattern. I've seen a few Dutch pattern grass blades by various makers as well and they all have a very pleasing form to them from a practical standpoint. That flare at the heel does a wonderful job when finishing the stroke.
I think that the longer TrueTemper weed blades have an almost ideal shape to my eye. A nicely proportioned and tapered Dutch pattern. I've seen a few Dutch pattern grass blades by various makers as well and they all have a very pleasing form to them from a practical standpoint. That flare at the heel does a wonderful job when finishing the stroke.Wow that's quite the long English blade! Not a big fan of English blades in general since they have weak tangs, over-long shanks, plain webs, and "true taper" profiles. That being said, they do look exceptionally cool!
This one and the other English blade that came with the other grain cradle scythe both seem OK in terms of construction. I will probably only use this one for mowing ridiculous large swaths in wimpy grass. Should be a fun novelty if nothing else.
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Another way of phrasing it is that I find them well manufactured but poorly designed. 
But for that sort of task it should do nicely. My biggest peeves are just the large gap between the heel of the blade and the snath (though at least most have a hole for a grass nail) the way that the tang has such a nearly constant thickness with a simple 90-degree bend in it (this is what makes it weak--inefficiency of metal distribution in this region combined with a long lever) and the manner of curve. They're curved enough to work but almost all of the curvature is at the tip. I'd actually mount it in an open set to compensate for that aspect. It should help preserve a slicing action during the full swing.
But for that sort of task it should do nicely. My biggest peeves are just the large gap between the heel of the blade and the snath (though at least most have a hole for a grass nail) the way that the tang has such a nearly constant thickness with a simple 90-degree bend in it (this is what makes it weak--inefficiency of metal distribution in this region combined with a long lever) and the manner of curve. They're curved enough to work but almost all of the curvature is at the tip. I'd actually mount it in an open set to compensate for that aspect. It should help preserve a slicing action during the full swing.I started another snath today out of Cherry that has more curve like some of the photos you posted. do I need an S bend towards the end of the snath to accommodate the tang? I know it depends on the angle of the tang. A steeper tang probably takes less recurve at the end right? That Birch snath didn't have much curve toward the end and it still fit the shallower tang relatively well, with a little beveling on the end. Not sure how well it will work in use, we'll see I guess.
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Speaking of cherry, I seem to recall a news article I found some time ago on a US scythe competition where one of the old fellers mentioned that his favorite snaths were made from cherry but that you "can't find 'em like that no more." I just tried looking up the source and while I didn't find it I did find this nifty little blurb from an old publication:
Speaking of cherry, I seem to recall a news article I found some time ago on a US scythe competition where one of the old fellers mentioned that his favorite snaths were made from cherry but that you "can't find 'em like that no more." I just tried looking up the source and while I didn't find it I did find this nifty little blurb from an old publication:
Cool stuff. I can say that it smells like something I would want to devour. The smell is absolutely incredible, like Maraschino cherries and pistachios mixed together. doesnt taste like that though :thumbdn:
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As shown in this photo, the snath curves downward to the right of the right grip (which helps to level the two grips in use). and then the snath curves slightly upward as it approaches the blade (to match the angle of the tang where the snath is attached, when in use). For blades with steeper tangs, it's this second curve that would be lessened (perhaps eliminated for the steepest tangs).
Is it kosher to obtain this levelness by elongating the shank of the lower grip so it rises up higher?
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The shank (or "stem") of the lower grip helps make the grips level in use, but if the stem gets too long then it causes problems with control during the stroke.
A stem on the left grip, though, is not recommended, because it would make the two grips less level, and it would not give as good control as "zero stem" (direct attachment of the left grip to the snath).
In combination, a slight shank/stem on the upper grip lowered that end of the snath to fit that shallower tang on the Schroekenfux ditch blade, and (maybe) also enabled the shortening of the lower grips stem to a somewhat reasonable length. I seem to have all this theory crap floating around in my head, which is weird because I had a very stern anti-design mentality going into it. Perhaps it was a "found design".
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Bored and chiseled a square tapered hole in the top of my anvil stump last night to fit by blowhorn anvil so I'm not trying to use it just lying on the ground. Snapped some shots with my cell to show how I use it to tighten up nibs while I was at it. Pardon all the junk in the background. I'm in the process of reorganizing some stuff in the shop and it's a bit of a mess right now.
My 110# Fisher on the stump:
The crudely chiseled hole. Ugly, but it works!:
The blowhorn anvil mounted in the hole. A few good thumps on it and it locks in nice and tight! The long tapered horn is what you're after here:
Start by laying the taper of the loop on top of the horn and use some blows of a ball pein to compress it:
Then slide the loop onto the horn and use the flat face of the hammer to knock the end back into true round:
Then test the fit. If it's nice and round and it'll tighten up snug then you're done! If not, go back to the anvil. MUCH better than the old nail-under-the-band trick so commonly seen on loose nibs.
Snapped some shots with my cell to show how I use it to tighten up nibs while I was at it. Pardon all the junk in the background. I'm in the process of reorganizing some stuff in the shop and it's a bit of a mess right now. My 110# Fisher on the stump:
The crudely chiseled hole. Ugly, but it works!:
The blowhorn anvil mounted in the hole. A few good thumps on it and it locks in nice and tight! The long tapered horn is what you're after here:
Start by laying the taper of the loop on top of the horn and use some blows of a ball pein to compress it:
Then slide the loop onto the horn and use the flat face of the hammer to knock the end back into true round:
Then test the fit. If it's nice and round and it'll tighten up snug then you're done! If not, go back to the anvil. MUCH better than the old nail-under-the-band trick so commonly seen on loose nibs.
Made a few trips out in the woods cutting grips off of blow down trees. These is so fun to make
... Don't worry fortytwo, I'm not betraying you. I still like American scythes, really!I'm going to have to start offering free snaths to people with blades and crappy production snaths to get these things out of here. got some staves cut for snaths and more grips out in the woods I need to go get.
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Hahaha--no worries dude! Try doing one up for an American blade!
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Can't beat free material. :thumbup:
As you find good materials for wildwood snaths, just stockpile them until ready to custom size them, like Peter Vido does.
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Indeed--that way you don't have to go searching the woods every time you need to make one! :thumbup:
Can't beat free material. :thumbup:
As you find good materials for wildwood snaths, just stockpile them until ready to custom size them, like Peter Vido does.
Plus its free luddite approved material, cut by hand and not milled stock etc. I dont like to use milled stock, even if its free. its voodoo. I dont know how l'd ever get as many blades as stock piled blanks, hence the idea to start making them for free for people who already have blades.
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Since you know how to use an American scythe, when you try out the European scythes don't forget to modify your technique somewhat. Note in the following video how Sparrow keeps the blade on the ground at all times, and never lifts it (not even at the end of the backstroke).
http://scytheconnection.com/adp/video/lawn1.html
Another video with high grass, not lawn:
[video=youtube_share;lygbTKzu47Y]http://youtu.be/lygbTKzu47Y[/video]
If your blade is sharp but you can't get a full stroke (wide swath) this way, it means that the hafting angle is too open, and/or you're advancing too far with each stroke (like trying to go forward a foot with each stroke in high grass, instead of advancing maybe 4 inches with each stroke).
I forgot to mention at the time that the grip feels better if there is a flat side, carved where the pads of the fingers press into the grip, on the left side of the right grip, and on the right side of the left grip.
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I had to drill the crap out of a couple folks who came from Euro scythes to American scythes. I can definitely visualize the differences, whether that will manifest itself with less of a learning curve is yet to be seen. More body motion and discipline since the weight does not plow through the swath I imagine. (not that the American is a brute necessarily, but the different zone of the swath makes that work in addition to the varying levels of extra weight.)
Thanks for the tip on the grips. I've been cutting more with a regular sized shank and way oversized grip so I can shape the grip with more flexibility.