Scythes, and scythe adjacent tools in Japan

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to make this thread for two reasons!

The first was to ask if anyone had any idea of where to buy a scythe in Japan, or if anyone knows of anyone who would provide shipping for one to Japan.

The second was to show everyone all the funky scythe-adjacent weeding tools which Japan has available domestically. To me they all feel a bit awkward to use as they are all based on a pulling motion (sickles on sticks or hoes), rather than a sweeping one.

Hopefully these will be of interest to some people.

Very surprised to hear the Japanes do not have the best scythes in the world.. I just bang on with one of those old ones i found and 'sharpened'. I got another ancient one for removing brush on a long stick and a old hand scythe. Both treasures, i just paint the handle fluoresend red because i forget where i left it too often. I nearly cried yesterday.  Everything i found that comes from regular industrial with modern steel is very, very disappointing. This old steel is so much better to 'sharpen' it's unreal.
I used one new swiss real scythe not long ago, that was very good stuff. They should ship to Japan as well.
just my 2 cents of bla-bla. Good luck

Hugo Morvan wrote:Very surprised to hear the Japanes do not have the best scythes in the world...

I was quite shocked also! They have many great tools here, but scythes just never caught on... My guess is just that the lack of grassland just meant it was never deemed necessary (no shortage of extremely tall fields of weeds though).

Would you be willing to send me a link to the company you mentioned?

I have two "hand scythes" from Japan (kama), but the stand-up-and-scythe sort of scythe i haven't seen. Usually you bend over and grab a bunch of whatever it is you're scything, probably because you're going to hang that bundle somewhere to dry prior to threshing. I've seen them with long handles but to me they look more like a brush hook for pruning... hopefully you find a place that ships out there!!!

Tereza Okava wrote:I have two "hand scythes" from Japan (kama)

I have a few of these in various shapes and they're very useful! It's often translated as scythe, but I definitely see that as sickles in terms of usage...

I did actually find a Japanese blacksmith who's prototype made one here, but he said that he'd need a group order of around 10+ to justify making more... Who knows how much he'd want to charge for them also...

Alex Howell wrote: It's often translated as scythe, but I definitely see that as sickles in terms of usage...

I must confess in English I'm not sure which is which (vocabulary I never used....). In my current operating language, whether it's cutting rice or the Grim Reaper it's the same thing and I'm at the age where things are 'good enough', lol.

Back in the day where I lived there were gangs of carpenters from Canada that were building wood homes in Tohoku who I often crossed paths with, and they were sometimes enlisted to bring tools on their trips back and forth, this would have totally been a candidate for them!

Japanese tools are just 'different', aren't they. I really enjoyed shopping in Japanese hardware stores. I never saw a western style scythe that I can remember. Bet you could order them off Amazon.co.jp though.

I've asked a Swiss friend, but she doesn't know of any scythe producer which will send abroad (to Japan). Doesn't mean it doesn't exist though. Also she's very surprised Japanese do not have the best scythes.

Hugo Morvan wrote:I've asked a Swiss friend, but she doesn't know of any scythe producer which will send abroad (to Japan). Doesn't mean it doesn't exist though. Also she's very surprised Japanese do not have the best scythes.

I think that historically there were just too many hills and rocks and not enough grass to justify their creation... That's my theory anyway.

Russia is just across the pond with a long history of scythes, so that may be my best shot for importing one someday.

I have to admit, I use my Japanese rice cutter from Daiso way more than I do my big scythe.  It's useful for so many things.  I should get another one as it's starting to dull after 14 years.  

r ransom wrote:I have to admit, I use my Japanese rice cutter from Daiso way more than I do my big scythe.  It's useful for so many things.  I should get another one as it's starting to dull after 14 years.  

Can you post a pic? I think I know the tool but not sure.