Who else uses a scythe?

If you have any seasoned birch to use for the replacement grips that was the traditional wood because of how it will crush before it will split. Drill a hole all the way through that's equal diameter to the threaded rod (nib iron) and then use a tapered bit like a narrow step drill to bore out the bottom. Ideally you'll chisel out a recess for the nut to sit in at the top of the nib.
 
Hi all -

First post, total newbie, but I read the whole thread and have been reading scythe connection for some time. 42: post 1146 (think I got that right!) is my property, almost to a "T". I have a nice gas trimmer, but don't want to use it. Want to use a scythe.

If you want a laugh, I've been cutting the stuff with my manual hedge trimmers. Pleasant workout on a nice day, by the way. Looks pretty silly though. But it works. There is some pretty rough stuff out there, much like the big stem right at the end of the video. On my property, it would be love-lies-bleeding, probably. Big stuff!

I have been looking for old scythes in the local antique shops and auctions, and am collecting downed wood to make a new snath myself, fitted to me. Can't afford one of those beautiful scythework blades yet, but that may be what I want. However, I'll start with whatever I can find locally, and make a mess with that, first.

Appalachian mountains, here. The weeds and grass are almost fully dry now. Still want to take them down during the winter. Whether with the hedge trimmer or a scythe has yet to be determined. :)
 
Welcome, blackbrit! Glad you can join us! Go with a scythe all the way--save your back! :D
 
Blackbrit,

I've posted my weed fighting setups previously...

#1055 is my weed/brush blade on a Seymour #9 alum. Snath. The blade was new old stock and very affordable, I think 10 or 12 dollars(?). The snath was around $40. Baryonyx carries the slightly lighter #8 snath that would probably be even better. This makes a nice tool for bigger stuff.

#1042 is an outfit I made for my son. I borrow it a lot for light weeds in paddocks, such as where tender ragweed or the like is taking over a patch, but mowing would set back the good grass too much. I swing it just like my "American" snaths, as I think the geometry is more or less the same. I use it mostly out of curiosity as to how it will hold up. I think there is under $15 in the whole setup. The hybrid blade is awesome for a wide range of stuff.

I prefer any scythe over a weed eater! The better you get with scythes, the less you will need or want the trimmer for much of anything, esp for field work! I can do most everything with a light 32" blade I cut hay with, but I like having at least one setup dedicated to weeds/light brush because the setup is different, plus it is good to have a tougher setup so you don't ruin your hay setup.
 
Thanks, BG_farmer - I've read your posts with interest, and will re-read this one several times, because as a newbie it takes a while for it to make sense to me. It certainly sounds good in the expense department! (I picked up a couple more possible snaths today, so I've got it on the brain. Just can't walk past a likely looking piece of wood, and we've got a lot around here.)

You have sounded like a big guy in your posts. FYI, I'm female, about 5' 8" and somewhere between 125 and 135. I take good care of my tools unless I don't understand them, and screw up as a result. That's why your less expensive set ups sound good! As I thought I understood, I want a snath that fits my height, but will have to get my hands on one, or make one to really understand it, I think. I've been thinking something in the 22 inch range might work for me, but if I get a used one locally it will be a lot longer - at least that is what I'm seeing around here. Maybe the shortest has been a tad over 30 inches.

I really appreciate the reply, and the reminder of what you are using....

BG_Farmer said:
Blackbrit,

I've posted my weed fighting setups previously...

#1055 is my weed/brush blade on a Seymour #9 alum. Snath. The blade was new old stock and very affordable, I think 10 or 12 dollars(?). The snath was around $40. Baryonyx carries the slightly lighter #8 snath that would probably be even better. This makes a nice tool for bigger stuff.

#1042 is an outfit I made for my son. I borrow it a lot for light weeds in paddocks, such as where tender ragweed or the like is taking over a patch, but mowing would set back the good grass too much. I swing it just like my "American" snaths, as I think the geometry is more or less the same. I use it mostly out of curiosity as to how it will hold up. I think there is under $15 in the whole setup. The hybrid blade is awesome for a wide range of stuff.

I prefer any scythe over a weed eater! The better you get with scythes, the less you will need or want the trimmer for much of anything, esp for field work! I can do most everything with a light 32" blade I cut hay with, but I like having at least one setup dedicated to weeds/light brush because the setup is different, plus it is good to have a tougher setup so you don't ruin your hay setup.
Click to expand...
 
At this point in the season I'm loathe to cut any more burdocks only because they're fully browned now and the burrs "shatter" when you strike the stalk. The scythe cuts them fine, but the little hairs the burrs fling are sharp and embed in your skin like fiberglass. Itches like crazy! :p
 
Blackbrit,
He's too humble to say it, but that guy at Baryonyx can probably set you up reasonably and save you a lot of experimenting. Based on what you told me, I would start by asking him about a 22-26" light weed blade or a 26-28" grass blade--esp. the "beater" blades are a great deal, as they come sharp-- and a #8 snath. The #8 should fit you perfectly with just a little adjustment and not be too heavy. And, a blade doesn't need to be really heavy to cut down most big weeds.

A snath isn't that hard to make, either, but it helps to have used one a little before trying.
 
For American pattern scythes the No.8 aluminum snath is my top recommendation for beginners since it's light, tough, and the untapered tubing allows for easier experimentation with sliding the nibs up and down to adjust the spacing. Wood has more nostalgic appeal but are better suited for brush work if just starting out since getting a wooden one down to the same (or lower) weight than an aluminum snath--while doable--is comparatively costly. It does give one more options in vintage mounting hardware types etc. though. "Beater" grade blades are ugly but work and are a good way to start off when you're just learning since it gives you an idea of the kind of sharpness and bevels you're looking for. The one point of confusion they can cause is in gaining understanding of the way the toe of the blade functions in your rigging, but that's more advanced stuff anyhow and you may as well start off with a blade with a pre-malformed toe when you're going to lance the dirt a bunch of times as a beginner anyhow! Indeed, a weed blade in the 22-26" range makes a good do-all, a 30" grass blade is the usual serious working length once you start getting the hang of things and your mowing conditions are suitable for it.

The matter of snaths are something that I want to write on in good detail but haven't found time just yet.
 
BG_Farmer - sounds like good advice. I have a tendency to want to start most things at a somewhat complicated level, and not at the beginning. :roll eyes: With work I'd like to do now, maybe I should leave that part for the real winter we have coming up all too soon.

BG_Farmer said:
Blackbrit,
He's too humble to say it, but that guy at Baryonyx can probably set you up reasonably and save you a lot of experimenting. Based on what you told me, I would start by asking him about a 22-26" light weed blade or a 26-28" grass blade--esp. the "beater" blades are a great deal, as they come sharp-- and a #8 snath. The #8 should fit you perfectly with just a little adjustment and not be too heavy. And, a blade doesn't need to be really heavy to cut down most big weeds.

A snath isn't that hard to make, either, but it helps to have used one a little before trying.
Click to expand...
 
Yup. I've got some "anti_burr" clothing I've been using that helps. I've even been washing it separately, just like you have to with work clothes you wear with fiberglass. Nasty stuff. Wonder if the burrs are that bad? I'm just trying to prevent the sort of laundry cross-contamination I've experienced in the past. Ugh.

FortyTwoBlades said:
At this point in the season I'm loathe to cut any more burdocks only because they're fully browned now and the burrs "shatter" when you strike the stalk. The scythe cuts them fine, but the little hairs the burrs fling are sharp and embed in your skin like fiberglass. Itches like crazy! :p
Click to expand...
 
Fortunately they soften up in the wash since they're made of plant matter. But yeah--nasty nasty stuff.

We got dumped with a weird early 16" of snow a few days back, though, and that flattened most of the stuff I'd been knocking down anyhow. Mowing season is mostly done for me for this year. Time to start working on restorations now that I have an indoor heated location for my electrolysis tank. :p
 
We got an early snow, too, but only about 4 inches, and very fluffy, so everything that was standing is still standing. Last winter I didn't take down all the weedy plants as I thought we'd either have goats here eating them, or the snow would take them down. Neither happened. Plants of astonishing strength here it seems, given the winds and the snow we got. :p
 
blackbrit said:
BG_Farmer - sounds like good advice. I have a tendency to want to start most things at a somewhat complicated level, and not at the beginning. :roll eyes: With work I'd like to do now, maybe I should leave that part for the real winter we have coming up all too soon.
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I go about things, jump right into the fray. I don't see how you would ever regret starting with a serviceable weed fighting setup, though. It will be useful for decades, even if you get other rigs later for more specialized tasks. Depending on the blade, you might even begin to start cutting fodder and hay for those goats when you get them!
 
Yup! I still keep particular beat-up blades for use in unexplored areas or more potentially damaging spots so I don't wreck my nicer examples. No scythe goes wasted!
 
My current rough sketch of an idealized (to me) general purpose grass blade.

541546_10205063948106808_1701637290322504798_n.jpg
 
That's old bendy, just little shorter! Add the pitch and crown, though, not to mention some wave on the edge.. Looks good. I also like the Banco? Swedish hybrid blade. An exaggerated heel and dropped point seems to be best for fine grass. A tighter radius on the edge eliminates the need for a too closed hafting angle, which reduces the "bite" too much for my taste.
 
There are 4 major profile factors that affect the performance characteristics of the blade: the arc of the the edge (known as the "cutting line"), the arc of the spine, the angle of union between the spine and the edge that forms the toe, and the set of the heel. I'll be doing up some further drawings that will illustrate different more specialized forms. The above is part of a proposal piece to Seymour to change manufacturing spec. I'd personally go with just a solo rib (like the one Square_Peg posted) rather than bead-and-rib, but wouldn't want Schröckenfux to forget how to do a bead on a blade. It does help rigidity in more heavy growth but for regular grass I think just the rib--if done properly--is enough, and it increases the useful life of the blade by giving more room in the web for the edge to wear back.

Notice that the one Square_Peg posted has more drop to the point (generated mostly by the "collision point" of the radii that form the cutting line) and a little less beard at the heel. It would be a very aggressive cutter in fine grasses but would tend to hang and chatter more on heavier growth.
 
42,
As I said, your design looks really good. The bead will be OK, esp. if it allows thinner material. I'm sure you thought about it, but maybe they could put some halfway pitch into the tang. My thinking is that a FEW degrees would help everybody and in combination with the angle built into the snath would likely suffice in many applications. For example, I like the edge a little more upward than is optimal for lawn mowing.

Also, I've become a big fan of crown, especially in suboptimal terrain. Are you thinking about spec'g any amount of crown, and/or would the heat treat allow the user to add some? I'm not sure my S'fux grass blade can be crowned without damage.

As always, good work. Nobody has done more than you have to bring this style of scythe back.
 
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