Who else uses a scythe?

I used one when I was a kid. Power weed whackers had not been invented yet, and my grand parents probably would not let me use one anyway ... "too dangerous".
 
A freshly ground hollow bevel before honing.

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Note for legacy readers: linked from Facebook so if no image is displaying it's because the image link expired.
 
24-1/2" end to end, 21" heel to toe. It's one of the new old stock "Earle Special Swift Cutter" weed blades I have. It was an outgoing order, actually.
 
I suppose this is as good a place as any to ask, since I think I saw it on this thread. Does anyone know how to sharpen a serrated corn knife? I inherited one on a 4' handle I used when at my grandparents. Its older than me with a very thin carbon steel blade, so it has basically rusted dull.
 
This isn't really shaped that way. It was flat metal with a wavy pattern stamped in it, then ground on one side.
 
Welcome to the forum! Very glad you've enjoyed the discussion! I was mowing at my grandparents' property on Tuesday using one of those new old stock Banko blades I posted earlier and it did marvelously. Will need to get the pictures up as soon as I catch a breather.

Am I correct in presuming, based on your choice of screen name, that you're in Sweden? :)
 
Great story, Lieblad. Thanks for joining the forum. And thanks to your Grandad for keeping the tradition alive.
 
I really enjoy my Russian Arti blades. Not as fine in their finish as Austrian or Italian blades, but wayyyyyy better edge retention to the point of actually being tolerable for me.
 
What kind of sharpening angle is used on a scythe? I've recently come across some information that is contrary to what I thought, so I'm trying to get an idea of what angles can be used for what tasks.
 
On average about 7-9° per side, sometimes as low as 5°. But the harder the targets the thicker the edge you'll need. How thin you can go for a given target depends on the blade.
 
A traditional "rag knife" made from a fatally cracked vintage blade I had gotten as part of a lot. They were typically used for topping root crops, and got their name from the way the grip was usually made: wrapping the tang with rags. I used a spare reshaped billhook handle instead. The blade below the crack was cut away back to the spine, which was then bent to balance it and forged out into a rectangular tapered tang.

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