Who else uses a scythe?

[video=youtube;9sUICpqr2UA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sUICpqr2UA&feature=youtu.be[/video]

An ultra-condensed video guide.
 
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Not sure if this is a scythe stone or what. It's round, 12" long.

round%20stone.jpg
 
Square_peg said:
Not sure if this is a scythe stone or what. It's round, 12" long.

round%20stone.jpg
Click to expand...


My guess is a Carborundum Niagara Scythe Stone, since the label could be the same color as the one pictured in this ad (supposedly from around 1905):

200652143521.jpg


The round shape that you have seems to have been a popular type with the British.
 
It's an English style stone, as previously mentioned. If domestically produced it's probably by the aforementioned Niagara Carborundum Co. but it could be of foreign manufacture. I've yet to see a Niagara-produced stone of that type, but it doesn't mean they couldn't exist, by any stretch. I have seen a lot of the company's labels and they tend to be a gold-bordered red decal.
 
Thanks, guys.

I put the label under a magnifying glass and it says 'Indian'. There's and Indian Chief's head in a circle with words around it. Above lettering may include '....CAPPOR....', below lettering includes '....CHEST....' or maybe '...CHESTER...'.

Definitely carborundum not native stone.
 
Interesting that the Pike Mfg. Company (based in New Hampshire) had 55 types of scythe stones listed in this publication from 1891, including the "Imported English Round", and the "Ohio Round, English pattern" in both 9-1/2 and 12 inches:

books

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from The Iron Age, July 30, 1891

They were all natural stones, at this point. Norton's first synthetic sharpening stones were introduced in 1897. Pike was licensed to add Norton stones to their lineup, beginning in 1899.

In 1932, Norton acquired the Pike Mfg. Co. and called the new subsidiary "Norton Pike". The scythestone quarries were closed down in 1945, and sales of the remaining natural scythe stones were discontinued in 1961.


Source: Pike Manufacturing Company, by Robert L. Topping, from http://www.nhnorth.us/pikeindustries.html
 
I still have the intention of getting my hands on one of the currently produced English pattern stones but haven't gotten around to it yet. Word has it they're heavy.
 
Picked up an old Burlington Northern Rail Road scythe a few weeks ago. It was probably used to clear brush along the tracks. The nibs were pretty well shot so I ordered a couple and a spare blade. Fortytwoblades mailed them out Thursday and they showed up today. My wife loved the lavender soap I picked up for her at the same time. I'll get it set up over the next couple of weeks.
 
That weed blade is a fun one. Obviously a bit worn, particularly in the middle, but it has a nice tight curve and short-ish length that makes it very nimble. As long as there's grass on the ground I always test out the edges with a few strokes of mowing before packing them up. It's the best way to be sure it's ready to go. :)
 
Scythe-making in Poland.

[video=youtube;9bO74xBEqvc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=74&v=9bO74xBEqvc[/video]
 
Just had this arrive from Germany and I'm looking forward to putting it to use. I'm linking the image from Facebook, so for folks looking at this post roughly a month from now, the image URL will have expired. This Zische "SiliFix" stone is the only "polar" dual grit stone I've seen, and I wish scythe stones like this were more common. It's kind of the ultimate format general utility stone for me (at least in concept--we'll see if the specific grits are right for broad application.)

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Very much enjoyed it. When they say "SiliFix" they really do mean the "fix" part! I had run through some hidden clods with pebbles in them a couple days ago and it put some nicks in my edge about 1/4 of the way back from the toe. Rather than grind it out I just honed over it with a few coarse passes and then was going to let it hone its way out. Using the coarse side of the SiliFix Duo finished removing the nicks and put a good strong micro-serration on the edge that the fine side (really towards the fine end of medium) polished it up without erasing that scratch pattern. Made for VERY aggressive cutting, taking swaths more than 11" deep with a fully open hang to the blade.

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