Who else uses a scythe?

Steve Tall said:
Norton makes a synthetic stone suitable for scythes (item# 87938) that's listed on the packaging as being "coarse".

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I got one of these months ago but just got around to trying it. First, it is exactly the same size as the Lansky canoe stones, so it will fit a holder that fits the Lansky. The grit is coarser than the Lansky, though I would guess more like 220 than the 120 I'd hoped for. My impression is that it is fairly soft and not as aggressive as I'd like. I used it for my grass blade in a field that is riddled with rocks and bumps, and it did a good job touching up and honing quickly, as was frequently required. It is also marginally better on my weed/brush blade than the Lansky, but the softness would lead me to be concerned about it wearing quickly, and it isn't remarkably better than the Lanky in that application, anyway. For initial sharpening, I'd definitely look for something harder and coarser also!

Just my impression. I would be interested if anyone had tried it and what they think...
 
Thanks for the review of it! Guess I won't bother with those. I already have some pretty coarse soft stones (the "Smeriglio" stone by Angelo) and it does a nice job of rapidly putting a very toothy aggressive edge on a blade, but it needs a light touch or you wear it down too fast. If you keep the pressure off it it's a pretty nice stone when cutting "slippery" targets.
 
42blades,
You have some very interesting scythe stones there now! The Angelo & Falci stones look like much better quality than the Norton. I should have added that I thought the Norton was a step down from the Lansky, as far as appearance of quality, as it had some minor voids, though nothing critical to the function.
 
That's a bummer. Would have like to support the domestic (owned) production of scythe stones but I guess that's off the table.
 
[video=youtube;_AmYZkKSSYU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AmYZkKSSYU&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
42Blades,
Looks like fun! I am not very allergic to goldenrod, but take a Claritin, anyway :). I have some serious ragweed this year, and that stuff is rough on me, especially with a power mower...

My wife got me a real hayfork for Xmas, and I finally got a handle on it. I like my old 5 prong manure fork just fine, but I get many complaints about it being very heavy (sounds like me and the seymour snath all over). I selected a random bean pole that I had cut years ago from sapling (this one appears to be elm) and put a conduit ferrule on it, then pounded fork tang into a smallish hole I had drilled and chiseled out. My intent was to insert the tang full length and then drill and pin, but I had it too tight and cannot pull it out. I expect it will work loose eventually as they all do, at which point I'll pound it in deeper and add a pin if needed. It doesn't appear to be coming out anytime soon, though. The handle is fairly long, which makes it handy in the field, and even I have to admit it is much lighter and nicer than the other fork, so looks aren't everything!

hayfork.jpg
 
Had meant to reply to this ages ago but totally forgot. :p

Looks like good slim tines on that fork! A shame that no one seems to make them worth a d*** anymore. Tapered tines seem to be a thing of the past, let alone smoothly finished ones. Makes a huge difference in my experience.

Got a few new hay rakes in recently to try out. Both work great but I like the plastic one best. Tapered teeth, ya' know. ;)

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Those are nice rakes, and the grass looks ideal for mowing, too! I use only a fork (and I love the "new" one--you're right about the tapered tines), but my son likes to use a rake and has been using a small cheap garden rake that he is outgrowing fast, so I need to make or buy one.

It looks like the plastic rake could be sold/shipped w/o handle and a "Wildwood" one easily fitted by the user? A sort of poetic statement in mixed media on those of us who use such things:)!
 
Nice rakes indeed, especially the plastic one. I continue to be very impressed with its performance--even my other half was wowed by it in spite of her aesthetic preference for wood! The grass is ideal for mowing but the terrain is a bit less so--a tractor had gone through some months back in wet weather and put some bad ruts in the clay soil and there are some nasty hidden large rocks in there I had forgotten about and "rediscovered". :p

Yes--the plastic rake can, in theory, be sold as just the head. The long handle is nice light wood with a taper on the end pre-matched to that of the head so assembly is as simple as tapping in a single nail, but it would cut down on shipping for sure.
 
[video=youtube;0XtMchU7XcM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XtMchU7XcM&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
[video=youtube;XjLK6AiprXA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLK6AiprXA&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
Good video. Not full of fluff and no BS. I wish more folks made them like this.

Next video show them how to remove the rust.
 
I found a rusty old scythe at a barn sale, the hardware has been soaking in apple cider vinegar for a couple days now and a quick brushing shows that about 95% of the rust has been removed, the blade clearly reads <XLER-42A. I don't have pictures up for it yet, probably tomorrow. I can't find anything on the brand, but I'm wondering where I could find a smooth snath more appropriate to my size.

Thanks for any info.
 
Skimo said:
I found a rusty old scythe at a barn sale, the hardware has been soaking in apple cider vinegar for a couple days now and a quick brushing shows that about 95% of the rust has been removed, the blade clearly reads <XLER-42A. I don't have pictures up for it yet, probably tomorrow. I can't find anything on the brand, but I'm wondering where I could find a smooth snath more appropriate to my size.

Thanks for any info.
Click to expand...

Pictures definitely necessary. The markings described don't match any makers I can think of off the top of my head and makes me suspect it may have been misread.

As far as a snath goes, how tall are you?
 
I'm 5'9", from what understand the scythe should rest nearly flat on the ground when held. as it is, the scythe is angled up about 35 degrees.

Trying for pictures, a closer look shows XLCR with an arrow pointing to the left behind it.

I don't know the name for this, but it sits at the tip of the snath.
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Last edited:
Ok--that blade was made under contract for W. Bingham Co. of Cleveland, Ohio. The "XLCR" mark transfixed by an arrow (probably a branded abbreviation of "excelsior") was a trademark of theirs. The blade would have been made by an actual scythe manufacturer for sale by that firm under their house label. The lines of the blade most resemble old Kelly Works or David Wadsworth & Son blades, but it could be by someone else entirely for all I know at this time.

I'm 5' 9" myself, and the problem you're experiencing with the lay of the blade isn't a problem with the snath--it's that the tang of your blade hasn't been set from factory default (dead flat.) You'll need to heat and bend the tang to the proper angle, and there are a number of ways to do that yourself or you can have it done by a local machine/fabrication shop, blacksmith, or mechanic. Also make sure you have the snath set properly for your weight before attempting to adjust the angle. Better to have the blade biased towards too upwards a lay than too low. You'll find some guidelines on fitting the scythe HERE (or HERE for a printable .pdf)

The collar on your snath leads me to believe that you've got a Derby & Ball.
 
Thanks, I plan on getting it cleaned up for some yardwork before winter hits. Going to have to remake the handles as well, they were split and rotted out from sitting out in the weather (my guess).


In a day or two once the vinegar is done I'll get it put back together and get some daylight shots.
 
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