scythe project

I had got into a discussion around human powered reel mower vs petrol mower.  And ran across a video of competition between a petrol mower and a man with a scythe.  The lawn mower won but not by that much and the scythe did a remarkably good job.

This got me interested as I had decades ago been given an old scythe.  American style.  It was on the heavy side and I was kinda clueless.  Also clueless on sharpening blades, including knives.  I remember sharpening it best I could with a file.  Had no idea on adjusting it to my body.  MOst of these old ones were made when average person was shorter, so anybody 6ft or taller is going to have a hard time of it.  Anyway my experience back then was not a happy one.  Not sure what became of the scythe.  If I remember the snath got stored in leaky shed and rotted.  But knowing me I probably saved the blade and hardware, so unless it got lost in some move...

But truly curious since I now can sharpen knives quite sharp.  So have a rusty ebay blade on the way, cheapest that looked usable.  Found another youtube some guy in India showing how to make a snath.  CAuse modern replacement snaths start at $100 for an aluminum one and go up from there.  Way too much for experimenting.  I then watched another video of guy home made a snath for scythe he got at flea market for $5.  He used sapling or branch out of his backyard.  He got the blade attached pretty well, but the middle arm kinda wobbly.  He was talking about reinforcing it, but sounded like kinda half assed plan using plywood scrap and some decking screws.  It did make me think more about it.  I think probably worth it to make a metal angle iron bracket that bolts to snath then the arm bolts to it.  More rigid than way either the guy in India or this screw guy did it.  I also will need to make a bracket to hold the blade to the snath since I wont have that.  

Oh the blade I bought says made in austria, but its not Austrian design, its their version of American/English style for foreign markets.  You hammer the edge to sharpen the Austrian style, though you occasionally hone it with stone when out in field using it to keep the sharp edge, you double bevel and hone the American blade as its harder steel.  Much like you would a knife or straight razor.  Watching guy use a properly sharpened scythe of either kind it does sort of sound like amplified version of a straight razor being used on the grass.

I am mostly interested cause this is yet another blade tool to try sharpening and if one can get it truly sharp and technique down, its amazingly efficient, especially on taller grass that would be difficult to fight with lawn mower.  Definitely useful skill.

Oh the competition between the lawn mower and the scythe, might been fairer to take into account the time necessary to go buy gasoline and oil for the lawn mower.   Sort of like my philosophy of patching my own tires.  Its not so much the money, but the time to drive to tire place, THEN cool my heels waiting for them to get to me, THEN time driving home.  I am not as fast as a tire machine, but faster than all that driving and waiting around.

Oh you want instruction on using an American scythe:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjKjciIIDbs  This guy has amazing technique and a perfectly sharpened blade.

Here is the India video of homemade snath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMISPxDp1hY

And here is the American backyard engineered version.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGpP6MlmNZk

Dont discount the hippy looking guy, he understands how a scythe works.  He even mentions how he watched the India video and used that method to determine length snath he needed.  In last minutes of the video, he does show using it.  Technique good, but the blade could be sharpened to higher degree.  Like say again I am truly impressed with videos of a truly sharp scythe being used, either Austrian or American.  And like say, thinking hippy guy could do better on that middle arm.  Using a hanger bolt like the India guy better, the hanger bolt (screw threads on one end and bolt threads on the other) being one of those used on wood tables with square legs to tighten.  But think it could be even stronger using bit of angled steel to make a relatively light bracket that spreads the stress to larger area of the snath, cause this handle will have stress, especially over time.  The curved handle usually used with American style blade, gets around this, but you then have to figure out how to curve that wood and steaming wood to bend it not easiest thing.

In the end, a scythe is just a long knife mounted perpendicular to a long stick.  Like most engineering, dont have to get hung up on traditional or factory ways of doing it, but you do have to understand the principles and stress points.  And if you choose to go your own path, count on extra time to refine your method.  The skunk works part of process in other words.  MOst backyard engineers dont go this extra mile to refine cause it is time consuming and since not going into production with the design, good enough tends to be good enough.....

FINALLY, got my vintage scythe blade.  Actually nicer looking than I thought it would be.  Shame something like this gets sold as a Grimm Reaper costume party decoration.  I was little uneasy depending on pics of it and description suggesting going to a party with it taped to a broomstick....  suppose people actually wanting to use it as a garden tool are limited in number.  Far more interested in playing Grimm Reaper or hanging it on wall somewhere.

Anyway its just the blade and I will have to make my own snath.  But I was curious what kind of an edge it would take.  Its not super hard carbon steel, about like run of mill old carbon steel (non-stainless) kitchen or pocket knife, maybe wee bit softer.  Whoever last used it had beveled it correctly/evenly on both sides.  It may even been sharp when abandoned and just dulled from rust and time.  It took very little work to touch up edge "knife sharp" on the belt sander and I wasnt even paying attention what grit belt was on it.  Anyway after the touch up, took it outdoors and tried holding it at correct angle in grass. Obviously holding the blade in my hands not a great test, but when I got angles just right it easily shaved off the grass.  Yep, think this will work.  Though have to say, cutting edge may need to be elevated up little higher angle than ideal, to deal with rocky ground.  Dont want to scrape edge on rocks or I would be constantly honing/sharpening it.  The back of blade is supposed to just skim the ground, you dont hold a scythe blade in mid air.  It needs to be close to ground to function, depends on stiffness of the stem on the grass plant.  Hold it higher and grass will bend and not cut nearly as well.  Now trick is to adjust the snath so blade positioned correctly without the human hunched over.  You only want to have to slightly bend your legs.  Mostly you just want to twist your upper body, its not a grass whip or machete that you whack at the grass with.  Should cut at any speed, momentum shouldnt be a major factor.  You are basically shaving off the grass.  It was first and foremost a haying tool, not a lawn mower and not a weed eater.  Though it can do those things with right blade and technique.  Done properly it wont wear you out cutting six foot swath of grass.  Should be able to pace yourself and go for the long haul, videos of even little girls mowing hay alongside their parents with a scythe.

I wanted to see if I could drill a hole in the tang on the scythe and avoid making a clamp.  I couldnt get 3/8 drilled, metal too hard, but got 1/4in drilled and seems strong enough.  So bolted it to the hickory handle I had made for the forked hoe.  Forked hoe needs a heavier handle anyways.  The tang angle is way off for such a straight snath.  I had to really squat down to cut, holding handle almost horizontal at ground level.  Honestly I dont think the tang had ever been adjusted, it was nearly flat to the blade like they come from factory.  You are supposed to heat and bend the tang to angle needed to fit your body height.  Though they are assuming you will mount it to one of the curved type American snath.  

But anyway it cuts well.  And unless you are cutting heavy brush, you dont need super heavy duty snath, just a really sharp blade.  Instead of bending the tang on the blade, going to just make a adapter bracket to get correct angle.  With me standing and holding rear of snath with my  left hand, figure angle of snath and angle needed on the blade edge.  Then can make a "nib" arm and handle for my right hand.

I figure I will end up with something like the Russian guy in minute 8:55 to the end of video where it shows him scything.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKYyzp5RM1Y  His snath is about like mine diameter wise and lengthwise.  No idea where he found that plastic "nib" for right hand, kinda interesting and looks to work fairly well. Hmm, maybe off a junk weedeater???  Anyway his scythe seems to cut pretty well though he doesnt have the fancy technique you see in some videos.   frankly cause he knows how to hammer sharpen it and sharp blade is everything for scything.  Actually with minimal tools, the hammer sharpening would be super practical I think.   Mine is American style blade so has to be sharpened with file, stone or belt sander or whatever.  The American style, you really have to know how to sharpen a double bevel knife well, cause they are in effect just a long carbon steel knife.  Almost sharp wont cut it and will cause you lot more work.

I will also need a canoe stone to touch up blade when using it. CAnt run to house and belt sander every little while. That can wait a bit though. Get it all working comfortably before I worry about it.

I made a blade to handle adapter. Got the angles pretty close. It obviously works much better with a handle, but will need to get the welder out to reinforce it as it does bend. But progress none the less. I also need to start experimenting with nib arm/handle. Cause it needs to be stable during the swing and difficult just hanging onto the snath with bare hands.

I get it more stable and will resharpen blade and see what happens. Trying to keep weight down as much as possible.

HOT WEATHER so hadnt been spending much time on scythes.  Friend gave me her Dad old scythe, but in pieces.  The snath was very short from rot, etc.  Collar was broken in one place.  I finally needed welder out to weld hinge on mailbox so welded the broken snath collar for her snath and new stronger adapter for that blade I bought without any hardware.  The first one I made kept bending, so redesigned one stronger. To use with a straight homemade snath.

Anyway my friends scythe once back together, it was missing one nib and the remaining one the wood mostly gone and it swiveled on snath rather than clamping tight.  I got the nut loosened without breaking the nib hardware, replaced the wood part with length of hickory that I drilled hole through center.  Lubed and bolted it back and it held.  So then had nice firm nib in middle of snath.  I just hold rear of snath with reverse grip of left hand like one does on snaths without rear nib.  You need that middle nib or handle  on straight snath to control blade.

So with the super short snath I did have to really bend/squat to swing it.  But hey it works.  Mows down weeds like nobody's business.  Shorter grass I am still working on technique.  I still cant mow a lawn like in some of those videos.  I did take one posters advice on scythe on permie forum (old post from several years ago).  Keep heal of blade on the ground.  Said thats what his Dad told him long ago and that dictates how you will swing it.   Can tip nose up a bit to avoid rocks, clumps soil, etc.    Thats about simplest advice one can give to new scythe user, need sharp blade and keep the heel of blade on the ground.

But with a complete, if short, scythe, I am closer on figuring out scythe.  Oh like said I made new blade adapter to use the red blade with straight homemade snath.  Need to drill holes in it  yet.  I think I got angle close to what is needed.  Lot longer (and free) snath if I can just use sapling pole, so interesting to see how it works.  Need to come up with that middle handle/nib so I can control blade better.

With rise of covid again, havent been gung ho to stop at antique flea market type places to see if I can find a good snath.  The new wooden American snaths are like $200 anymore and out of stock.  Seymour is only company selling them.  The aluminum ones are around $100 but shorter.  A six foot person needs minimum 60in snath and preferably bit longer.  Somebody on ebay selling variety of antique scythes with snath but wanting $70 to $80 shipped price.  Its hard to tell complete condition from pics but some of them seem to have a snath in pretty good condition.  And some in good condition around 60in.  Most shorter.  These were from time when humans tended to be shorter I think.  No idea how hard to splice in a section of wood to lengthen one, that might be way to go.

Anyway if I fail with my homemade snath, might consider one of these or hopefully covid goes away and can shop locally.  I think scythe with snath tends around $30 to $40 in the flea markets.  Its not a popular tool, cause you have to know how to keep it very sharp and be patient and learn technique to use it.  Meaning most antique scythes anymore sold as decorations, not functioning gardening tools.  And for decoration its about the look you want, usually not wanting it to look newish, want it weathered and rustic....  For somebody wanting to restore it and use it, want full length snath in good condition, the newer the better.  Or at least very solid.

I did weld up a collar bracket for the red scythe blade I bought. This one much sturdier. I have played with scythe using this bracket. I got the angle just about spot on. It cuts weeds and taller grass no problem, doesnt like short grass, to cut short grass blade has to be nearly flat with heel of blade on ground. I still need to design a right hand nib or handle of some sort so I can more easily control blade angle nose to heel, mowing in rougher stuff. Gotta keep heel down but the nose has to be able to skate over obstacles and not chop into them.