Why everyone should own a Scythe

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Why everyone should own a Scythe
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Naomi

Joined: 26 Mar 2005
Posts: 1945

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 06 10:50 pm Post subject:

Will post clickable/enlargable thumbnails here and Tahir can copy them to the article

Two types of scythe blade

Dean stopping to resharpen his blade

Cutting nettles down in the goat paddock

Deano showing us how to sharpen the scythe whilst out in the field.

The expert show us how it should be done!

Talking us through the handle (snath) height for mowing or for weed cutting

Peening and sharpening equipment

A partly peened blade (we were able to see how peening pushes the metal forward/thins the edge, ready for sharpening with the wet stones)

Deano peening using a jig (He also peens freehand)

My rusty old English scythe (on the right) compared to a modern much more versatile and effective Austrian scythe(on the left)

I have more piccies if you need them?

Naomi x

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 5:34 am Post subject:

Keep dithering about a sycthe due to hating the noise and vibration form the big brush cutter strimmer I have to use sometimes (interesting ... I had to go from we to I in the one sentence!) I bet there is a very ancient one somewhere in my Mums shed. Thought the articel was very good but still concerened that the scythe would end up being useless because of my inablilty to sharpen it properly? That's a question by the way if Dean happens to be around.

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 8:33 am Post subject:
Ruby that is the one question that I too am worried about - the sharpening process looks to be a bit beyond me. There is a travelling guy who comes round a couple of times a year and does our lawnmowers, secateurs, shears etc ... I wonder if he would have the know-how?

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 10:29 am Post subject:
I'd be interested to know how close a cut you can get on a lawn with a scythe. We still have an area that the boys use for footie, so it does need to be kept fairly close cut, but we certainly don't want to win any best kept lawn prizes:D In fact our front gargen would probably do very well in the best patch of weeds category at the moment

Jb

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91ï¿½ N

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 10:32 am Post subject:
Has anyone out there got an idea of how fast using a scythe is compared to using a strimmer?

deanom

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 4:33 pm Post subject: Replies

Lots of things to reply to:

JB

Speed is similar. Normally in a race the scythe wins, but for a beginner I reckon about the same.

Rubie/Lozzie

Sharpening is not that difficult. The second part of the scythe book explains it really well. I taught myself using the book, and by the time that I got round to doing a course, I was already beyond the beginner's stage.

Penny

There's some good advice about blade selection on their website, but Simon expects to be called for advice. If you want to run through what you want to use the scythe for, I would be happy to point you in the right direction.

Cutting the lawn is fine. With a standard/general purpose blade it will leave a slightly uneven finish, depending on the skill of the mower, and the sharpness of the blade. If you want a tidier finish there is flatter blade (acreman), which is the sort of blade that would have been used on big lawns before lawnmowers were made. If you were not too bothered about the appearance, then a blade which will cut grass and weeds would be fine, pattern dependant on your conditions.

Hope that answers some of your questions. I'm happy to show people how to use the scythe, and sharpening gear, as long as you're prepared to travel (Lincolnshire). Plenty of space for a tent

deanom

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 93
Location: Lincolnshire

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 06 4:40 pm Post subject: Ruby

Just noticed that you're in S wales. There is Scything group in S Wales. I met one of the guys last weekend in Somerset. I think that they're holding an event soon.

They put up a poster of an event that they held recently, and both of the contact numbers were for women.

If it's still going ahead, details will be on the scythe shop website. Otherwise, call them up, and I'm sure that Simon will have a contact number.

Hope that helps

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sun Aug 06, 06 6:27 am Post subject:
I can just imagine how my OH will greet that news I will broach the subject with him later. He keeps saying we need a small strimmer - men and machines even one who is absolutely c*** with any sort of machine. Will try in the library for the book - you never know!

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