Benjamin Bouchard

Brian White wrote:I got a lee valley scythe as  a present for a friend and I think it is great. Probably ok for pencil sized brush.  Definitely works well on Himalayan blackberries.   But if you want to do something cheaper and more tough, you might try to search old  heavy scythes on the online markets, craigslist, etc.   Get one in half decent condition and cut 1/3 to 1/2 of the blade off , make a point on it like usual, and  it should be fine for rough cutting.   I had a very heavy scythe in Ireland, and I did that to it,  and the same in Canada,  I had a heavy old scythe,  cut it down to more manageable and it was way easier to use.  This was like the shorter scythes that I used in Norway.  And both of them were easier to use for rough work than when they were long.  I just used the angle grinder to sharpen at the start of the season and a scythe stone the rest of the time.  I tried piening once but didn't get the hang of it.  

I would strongly advise against cutting the blade! Just find a bush blade. Short blades exist! No need to destroy a longer blade to make it short when short blades are abundant. Also, an angle grinder is likely to burn your edge, and American pattern blades should not be peened for several reasons. A too-heavy snath can be rendered light with a bit of rasping or spokeshaving and some nib band resizing.

I've posted a written guide on the selection, maintenance, and use of American scythes here:

https://byxcoblog.com/?p=6

Brian White wrote:Where I live, there is an agricultural supply  place called Borden Merchentile  that also has scythes,   probably more heavy duty than Lee Valley.  There might be still the "Austrian Scythe guy" who made custom scythes.   I used scythes for a summer in Norway as actual work, and in Ireland,  a lot to keep the weeds on the side of the road clean.  There are a lot of different types.  Even a one handed "lady's scythe"  that was very lightweight in Norway. I just tried it for a few minutes.   When I was working in the orchard in the Fjord,  the scythe was a little bit heavy with a short blade.  We had the scythe stones and we would sharpen them every 10 to 15 minutes.  My co-worker was a city boy from Holland and he couldn't keep up. But he sure tried!  So yeah,  scything is an acquired skill, and some people will never get it.  And there are lots of types, perhaps you need to go to an agricultural fair and try some to see what works.

I may be incorrect here but my understanding of the OP's question is less "what regional STYLE should I use" and more of a "Here's where I'm located; is there anything reasonably good that's nearby and doesn't have to be shipped in cross-borders." The answer is ultimately that there are limited options at the moment.

If truly desperate the Lee Valley snath should suffice, but I'd probably just skip out on it and DIY something "good enough" to start off and take it from there with a blade and ring/wedge. When just trying to slap something serviceable together you can make something sufficient pretty quickly. There's a good article here that shows how to make a Slavic wrap-around nib which is not only quick and adjustable, but it also eliminates the need for making a mortise and tenon junction for the grip.

https://scytheconnected.blogspot.com/2014/06/russian-wrap-around-grip.html

Yeah it seemed fairly clear you wanted to avoid cross-border shipping if possible. If waiting for Scytheworks to reopen orders isn't a possibility that's why I suggested consider reading Peter Vido's Big Book of the Scythe and throwing something together yourself, wildwood style. A section of sufficiently sized steel tubing with a wooden wedge or a U-bolt from the hardware store can be sufficient closure methods if you aren't able to source just a ring from Lee Valley along with the blade. There are many styles of snath, but a single-grip Slavic snath is generally pretty simple to throw together quick and dirty.

Scythe Supply's snaths are not adjustable and have some ergonomic and durability issues. For a European style snath from a USA source I would suggest One Scythe Revolution. For American pattern snaths (and blades) I am also located in Maine.

Alternatively, if you're already an experienced sharpener you can follow the instructions in the Big Book of the Scythe on Scytheworks' website (written by Alexander Vido's late brother, Peter, who was known as "the Scythe Pope") for making a wildwood snath. You may also be able to economically find an American pattern scythe at a local antique shop, though you'll have to put in the elbow grease to get it back to fighting fit. They're my personal preference, and they're no less effective or efficient than the European sort, though they have their differences in maintenance, tuning, and technique.

Literally everything on Amazon is...not great. Even the limited gear that isn't INHERENTLY bad will ship in a completely untuned state and require a lot of setup work to get working right, which is inherently difficult for a beginner. The Lee Valley snath is similarly less than ideal. If trying to go with a Canadian vendor I'd suggest Scytheworks.

Gunas produces their blades in both Turkey and Iran. I'm not sure of a method of identifying which plant your blade is from, however, but Turkey is the primary of the two locations to my understanding.

r ranson wrote:Great suggestion.

I find early morning mowing before chores or sunrise works well.  But we get morning dew here.

One thing I was worried about is a spark. We have a rocky area I want to chop and drop, but it got too dry and I don't know if sparks are a possibility with a scythe.  We are on the no-mower stage of summer drought because if a blade hits a rock, the grass will ignite so fast.  I was hoping a scythe would have less risk.

Sparks are THEORETICALLY possible but much less likely to occur due to the slower speed/lower force/greater interval. I've never read of an instance of a fire being started as a result of such.

T Blankinship wrote:

Benjamin Bouchard wrote:
Coarse scratch pattern, extra-crisp apex. Use a coarse stone to set the scratch pattern, then jump to a very fine stone. This will help eliminate any burr at the apex by cutting it off without actually erasing the "serration" of the coarse scratch pattern. Then finish with a wooden "whipping stick" to strop the blade. No polishing compound is needed -- just the bare wood. I like to make my whipping sticks from 1/2" x 2" pine or spruce, though any wood will do, and shape a grip on one end then sand the broad faces so they have a slight convex shape to them. The wood will grab any microscopic folds or unevenness in the apex at that stage and draw it straight.

This would make the blade sharper right?

Yes, but also it's going to make that edge more "grabby" and able to catch slippery, dry, waxy grasses.

Zoe Piel wrote:It's been quite some time since we got a good rain in my area. It's also been deadly hot, and I haven't been keeping up on mowing too well this summer. Now I go to mow with my grass blade and find I can't get much purchase on the dry grass. It's mostly green foxtail (with thick, horsey stems) and bermuda grass (with dry, crispy thatch underneath).

Any tips for dealing with dry dry dry grass?

Coarse scratch pattern, extra-crisp apex. Use a coarse stone to set the scratch pattern, then jump to a very fine stone. This will help eliminate any burr at the apex by cutting it off without actually erasing the "serration" of the coarse scratch pattern. Then finish with a wooden "whipping stick" to strop the blade. No polishing compound is needed -- just the bare wood. I like to make my whipping sticks from 1/2" x 2" pine or spruce, though any wood will do, and shape a grip on one end then sand the broad faces so they have a slight convex shape to them. The wood will grab any microscopic folds or unevenness in the apex at that stage and draw it straight.