Who else uses a scythe?

BG_Farmer said:
Please tell me you haven't gone over to the "dark side" :) ...
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Hahaha--not a chance! However, the best modern grass hooks available on the market right now are all tensioned Euro ones and I do like messing around with tensioned blades even if they're not my preferred style.
 
So I know almost nothing about scythes, but I see them all the time at the places I hunt for axes. Nobody ever buys them as they are too unwieldy for most people to bother with as far as transport or display goes. I never buy them. But, I was thinking that I also see just the blades all the time too. I think that I am a fair judge of condition (warps/bends/breaks/pits), so assuming that they are in good shape, is there a market for good quality vintage blades? If so, what should I look for? Are there better brands? Better styles, better qualities or features? If one were to buy a vintage blade online, what blades would be desirable? I see so many, I would hate to let good ones rot if there were willing homes for them.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Rinaldi peening anvil takin' in the sunset. :)

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is that the one you're sending me? :D
 
jblyttle said:
So I know almost nothing about scythes, but I see them all the time at the places I hunt for axes. Nobody ever buys them as they are too unwieldy for most people to bother with as far as transport or display goes. I never buy them. But, I was thinking that I also see just the blades all the time too. I think that I am a fair judge of condition (warps/bends/breaks/pits), so assuming that they are in good shape, is there a market for good quality vintage blades? If so, what should I look for? Are there better brands? Better styles, better qualities or features? If one were to buy a vintage blade online, what blades would be desirable? I see so many, I would hate to let good ones rot if there were willing homes for them.
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Good snaths are actually harder to come by than good blades (less able to survive decades of mistreatment or improper storage) so I personally consider those the most desirable. What makes a good blade is a little difficult to necessarily say. Depending on what you're doing you may want a heavier or lighter blade (within reason) or a longer or shorter one, but faults to look for are cracks, worn and heavily rounded points, heavy uneven wear to the web, grinding through the rib, deep pits near the edge, broken tang knobs, severe twists, kinks, notched edges...it goes on and on. There were many great companies that made scythe blades, but even within quality manufacturers there were lines that were higher or lower quality, and eras of production that were higher or lower quality as well.

The value of blades that aren't collector-grade (which may be new old stock or rare makers/construction types, etc.) is very low because so many were produced. Properly restored blades, by contrast, aren't exactly common. In fact, I think I may be the only fellow doing them on a resale basis (i.e. not for one's own personal use.) The knowledge of how to bring a blade back to peak condition is still scarce at this point in time, though I'm trying to fix that. :)

Bladite said:
is that the one you're sending me? :D
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I have a few others juuuuuust like it. Or they would be if the faces were dressed and polished and then the anvil mounted in a little birch stump. ;)
 
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jblyttle said:
So I know almost nothing about scythes, but I see them all the time at the places I hunt for axes. Nobody ever buys them as they are too unwieldy for most people to bother with as far as transport or display goes. I never buy them. But, I was thinking that I also see just the blades all the time too. I think that I am a fair judge of condition (warps/bends/breaks/pits), so assuming that they are in good shape, is there a market for good quality vintage blades? If so, what should I look for? Are there better brands? Better styles, better qualities or features? If one were to buy a vintage blade online, what blades would be desirable? I see so many, I would hate to let good ones rot if there were willing homes for them.
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I like 30-38" grass blades, preferably thin and narrow (made that way, not sharpened so far that stone hits the rib) with a pronounced beard. Cutting edge not too wavy. Crown may look like warp, but it is a good thing. No repairs unless for a specially good blade. Everyone has there own preferences, though. If you get one for a good price in good shape, somebody will want it. I like my modern Seymour 30" grass blade, but I like a couple of the vintage blades I've bought and restored to use a lot more.

My suggestion is talk to 42 blades when you see something. He knows a good one when he sees it and knows how to restore and setup one.

PS pits are not a huge problem for a user unless they are are structural. Some old blades have a little rougher finish that looks like slight pitting also. I've seen it on an NOS blade with its original paint job.
 
BG_Farmer said:
PS pits are not a huge problem for a user unless they are are structural. Some old blades have a little rougher finish that looks like slight pitting also. I've seen it on an NOS blade with its original paint job.
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Yup--not a big deal unless they're deep and in close proximity to the edge, because it can end up making "nicks" in the edge when you grind/sharpen back into them if they're really bad. As long as they don't go halfway through the thickness of the web then they won't affect the form of the edge when honed.
 
HERE is a fun 1979 Norwegian video showing the forging of a laminated long-handled grass hook similar to a small scythe.
 
The most recent restoration. An old Emerson & Stevens "Clipper" grain cradle blade. Good thing I know what a good tang mark looks like on these or it'd be illegible. :D This is a good example of moderate pitting that doesn't interfere with function. None of the pits are deep enough to intrude upon the edge.

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FortyTwoBlades said:
The most recent restoration. An old Emerson & Stevens "Clipper" grain cradle blade. Good thing I know what a good tang mark looks like on these or it'd be illegible. :D This is a good example of moderate pitting that doesn't interfere with function. None of the pits are deep enough to intrude upon the edge.

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Nice! Been having device problems, so didn't watch forging video yet, but I will. Maybe it will give me a clue about Old Bendy.
 
This is my first scythe restoration and I really enjoyed the process. I picked up two scythes at a flea market in eastern Kentucky, both in decent shape for what looks like not being touched in decades. Lots rust, dirt, grime, etc. Pulled the blade off and it looks, from my limited research, to be a Fux blade. It has the embossed flower/bush. Vinegar on the blade, then sanding to clean it up, followed by a couple of coats of linseed oil. Was razor sharp, which I found out after cutting myself! After alot of sanding the wood was in really nice shape and took well to the stain. This was supposed to be a really light stain but a single coat turned out a beautiful dark color.
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Nice work! Looks like an ol' Seymour-sourced Austrian-made blade, probably a later production Redtenbacher based on the "stubbed" toe on it. Going out on a limb a bit but with that rivet affixing the collar I'm going to guess that the snath is a Sta-Tite. You'll probably want to rotate those nibs counterclockwise on the shaft so they point away from you in use, with the left nib tilted a little more upward than the right. The blade, though sharp enough to cut flesh, likely could still use a little thinning and honing prior to use; I say this mostly because I have yet to come across a single vintage blade that was still in ready-to-mow condition. Most will have at least a few small nicks or dulled spots or the bevels too thick and rounded over. With a blade that wide you should be able to get a low enough angle with a file without too much trouble with clearance if you work with the file's tip. :)
 
it's the season. gotta get some sharpening going on. even got some good new stones - hardware store sells Seymours... but also carries scythe specific belt stone. weird.
 
Have a picture of the stone? Just curious as to which one it is. Norton and Lansky are the ones usually found in the hardware stores.
 
87715 Features: -Alundum scythestone. -Coarse grit. -10'' x 1-5/16'' x 3/8''. -Carded. Product Type: -Sharpener. Dimensions: Overall Product Weight: -0.8 Pounds.

says Norton TD1

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Ah yes--the American pattern scythe stone that Norton makes. Handy stones for a lot of edged tools but I generally prefer the canoe stone type since you can better preserve a hollow bevel with one.
 
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