The Scythe

[765489]

Anyone else stumble across this peculiar addiction?

I bought two Austrian scythes earlier this year, one is a long bladed scythe for cutting grass and a shorter bladed one for cutting material you use the metal blade on a strimmer for..

I bought it for keeping the grass down around the orchard and supplying a couple of bales of hay to a friend of mine.

I watched a couple of videos and done a bit of practicing of some long grass spots outside and was amazed how easy it is.

Will it replace my 600 quid brush cutter ? ( which I'm sorry I purchased now ) I will know in a few days if the weather holds. If I can get rid of having pins and needles in my hands after using a brush cutter for a full day and not have to worry about buying more petrol and breathing in the fumes, the scythe could take its place.

I'm only a novice scyther so any tips tricks or other personal experiences / stories welcome.

I still have my grandfather's scythe and whetstone, the scythe is full of woodworm and the handmade whetstone has unfortunately split in two.

I'm going out now to adjust the scythe to what your man says in the video below and practice my technique. There won't be a blade if grass left around the place after this I think.

[765489]

Apparently there is Tai Chi involved in the cutting technique. I can now kill two birds with one stone. Tail Chi scything

[kadman]

Its a god damn evil tool, from the devils workshop. Its a back breaker, and it should have been extinct decades ago.
Tis the work of the devil lad....cast it into the abyss, and be done with it.

You should have bought this,





Its better than any ride on mower, and will cut brush as well at a single stroke. I bought one about 10 years ago after I saw the vid for these 2 wheeled strimmers. Ride on barely gets used now.

Or better still sell it to CR, and after using a scythe for a day, he wont be able to dance for a month

[765489]

Anyone who shows blaspheme towards my scythe better run back to the woodworking forum fast I'll practice on your legs kadman ha

[isha]

Scythes seem to be having a bit of a resurgence - they are popular among the back to the land hipsters from what I can see, and I have naught against them. I used to have one but damned if I know what happened to it. I do have an old sickle which I use regularly.
But anyway I came here to say you reminded me of this short story we did in school - I must have had a very sheltered boring childhood because I distinctly remember as a girl finding this story very exciting!
https://www.ireland-information.com/thereapingrace.htm

[765489]

First attempt isn't great. Looks like I need to work on my swing.

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[CelticRambler]

Or better still sell it to CR, and after using a scythe for a day, he wont be able to dance for a month

Sorry to disappoint you, K, but CR has a scythe and uses it, and then goes dancing. In fact, CR even used a picture of himself wielding said implement as a profile photo on a dating site and it attracted the most interesting of females.

Now as it happens, I don't use it as much these days as I did ten years ago, mainly because back then I had a decent half a hectare with nothing growing in it except grass, and it was a real pleasure to "walk the land" late into the evening, and to look across the field at the end of it all and see it neatly shorn. But today, the same half a hectare is full of "stuff" like ponds and stone walls and fruit trees and fencing and steps and marker posts, all of which conspire to make it less tai-chi and more jujitsu!

But I still have one and a half shady, grassy lanes that the ride-on mower forgets about every so often, so the scythe is called back into service to get the luxurious growth down to a manageable height.

Which reminds me ... I don't think either I or the mower has been up the lane in the last month.

[quodec]

I grew up on a farm with a few rough garden/orchards around the house. My father, like most rural men of his generation, had a scythe and used it regularly to keep the grass at bay in the gardens and along the sides of the lane. Obviously from decades of use, he had a great natural 'swing', probably what you would call the shoulder and arms method, but he could cut away huge swathes of grass in no time. Looks easy until you try it yourself though. Funnily, I never learned how to use it properly, and when in untrained hands, tis a heavy, clumsy implement to master.

[kadman]

Some meadows lend themselves to be skilfully cut with a scythe. Some meadows that are adorned with heavy tufts of scutch grass which would deter any gardener from persuing gardening for life.

Hardest part of using the scythe is the sharpening, which I would spend hours or maybe days perfecting. Thats why I have an american axe that will shave hair from the back of my arm.

So Ncdjd2.. away with your scythe or I will whittle it down to matchwood with my axe

[765489]

Some meadows lend themselves to be skilfully cut with a scythe. Some meadows that are adorned with heavy tufts of scutch grass which would deter any gardener from persuing gardening for life.

Hardest part of using the scythe is the sharpening, which I would spend hours or maybe days perfecting. Thats why I have an american axe that will shave hair from the back of my arm.

So Ncdjd2.. away with your scythe or I will whittle it down to matchwood with my axe

For some reason Rambo First Blood came into my head there reading that

[kadman]

Brilliant book, way better than the film, I read it years ago when it first came out. Bought my first hunting knife then too

[765489]

Brilliant book, way better than the film, I read it years ago when it first came out. Bought my first hunting knife then too

There was a big run on knives with a compass on the handle alright. Alfa bargains off Capel Street must have made a fortune back then.

[765489]

Testing out the bin baler. This is a concept bale. I drank a lot of coffee with the brother designing this machine. Due to the embarrassing not yet patented design, the bin baler needs to remain a secret for now.

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[kadman]

I dont think a return to the scythe, and hand baling is going to interest any hedge fund investor to be honest

[765489]

I dont think a return to the scythe, and hand baling is going to interest any hedge fund investor to be honest

I've 8 miles of baling twine to use up. As soon as its used up I promise to stop.

[CelticRambler]

I dont think a return to the scythe, and hand baling is going to interest any hedge fund investor to be honest

Oh, I dunno: I might buy the rights when he's done - I have four barrowloads of carefully looped second-hand baling twine that I dug up recently, and I'm damn well going to keep it until it comes in useful!

[kadman]

Luddites

[765489]

Twelve bales done, should have another twelve done by 9pm and stacked on pallets. I should have started earlier in the day as I'm only getting into my stride on it.

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[kadman]

Very innovative, I am impressed.

[SmartinMartin]

Have 3 or 4 old scythes in various condition lying around the uncles' place.. Problem is, I'm a citog and I've never seen a left handed one.

[kadman]

Have 3 or 4 old scythes in various condition lying around the uncles' place.. Problem is, I'm a citog and I've never seen a left handed one.

Sounds like the christian brothers nor the sisters of mercy beat you enough when you were a youngster to use the correct hand then

[SmartinMartin]

Well it wasn't for the lack of trying, the evil baaaaaastards.

[765489]

My neighbour can't get over the bales ( I gave him 70 of them ) He has a couple of cattle indoors awaiting testing and he leaves some of the local contractor's hay out and a few bales of my homemade clover / birds foot trefoil rich hay and the cattle bypass the contractor's golden hay and head straight for my bales. So it's got the aberdeen angus cattle seal of approval and I'm absolutely chuffed over it.

Its the little things that make my day.