Scythe - My Favorite Farm Tool
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- Опубликовано: 22 июн 2023
- Pa Mac explains the restoration and operation of mowing hay or cutting weeds or brush with the American scythe. Does using the scythe to make hay really involve as much hard work as people think? He also outlines the differences-pros and cons-between the American scythe and the European (or Austrian) scythe.
Check back often for future episodes of "My Favorite Farm Tool" with Pa Mac. Most episodes will feature an explanation and description of various antique farm hand tools, along with helpful tips for restoring, maintaining, and using them.
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I am a serious scyther. I have four scythes: a common American scythe that I use for woody brush, an Italian grass scythe (long light blade) strictly for mowing grasses, an all-around Austrian "garden" scythe for heavier grasses and light weeds, and an Austrian bush scythe I use for tall thick weeds (like thistles and burdock). They all have their uses. The American scythe works great for clearing overgrown areas with woody vegetation (like honeysuckle up to half inch think), but it's too heavy and the blade is too thick to cut grass well. It's heavy weight means I can only swing it for a couple of hours before my core muscles are worn out. The Austrian and Italian scythes are very light with extra sharp blades that must be frequently honed with a whetstone to keep the edge sharp and the work less taxing. With practice I can use them for about 5 hours max before I calling it a day. All of them will definitely work your core muscles, which is a great way to burn off some calories. And mowing with a scythe is a very relaxing activity.
Good word, electrafone
I have both, I have used both, I still use the Austrian scythe because of the ease of sharpening. The only problem I have with my american scythe is the nibs don't stay tight. the clamp rings tend to crush the wood of the snath and then they twist around when I'm trying to mow.
I heard that the heavier american (or english) scythe was made for the heavier grasses and forage in the areas where they are used. The Austrian scythe was made for the lighter alpine meadow grasses. I don't know if that is accurate, but its on the interwebs so it must be true😉.
While using a scythe is not effortless, it takes a whole lot less effort to use when it is properly sharpened and maintained.
One of my favorite farm tools as well.
Heavier or lighter, in Montenegro I would need at least a pair of both. One EU for ease of carrying it and working plains, soft grass.. one for hills that has both shorter blade and shorter stad. One american for areas where grass is not just heavier but thick bushes find their way to grow, near forest and one american again that has shorter blade for around fruit trees. Its all about region, not a preference in my case
With you there , keep it sharp and let the tool do the work , hurling the thing at the forage is going no where get a smooth swing and just rock forwards one cut at a time , it's a timeless tool that can have you part of the scenery
My grandpa taught me how to use a scythe when I was about 10 years old. The scythe was huge for me but I got the hang of it. He showed me how to sharpen it and even hammer it softly. Nowadays when I use a scythe for cutting grass people are amazed and ask why I don't get a weed whacker.
I love the "My Favorite Farm Tool" videos please make more if you so desire, I'm a youngin learning from scratch trying to learn the proper old ways and you help me out one video at a time, thank you for sharing what you know to all the world so we may have an easier time learning.
Up where I live, there are too many scythes out in the weather, 24/7/365, nailed up on out-buildings getting absolutely ruined! I bought one a few years back, in o.k. condition, and I'm learning how to use it. Found another, two weeks ago for twenty bucks, including two extra handles, all were in pretty rough condition. Found another in very nice condition last week for twenty bucks! I have also seen some in absolutely horrible condition for 40-50 dollars and up! All have been American style, blades needed basic sharpening. I think I'll be alright!
P.S.I treat all my wooden handled tools with a 50-50 mix of boiled linseed oil and turpentine. Let it sit for a while, then wipe it down with a rag.
I just won a complete scythe for $20 Such a great deal.
i've run austrian and american scythes a fair bit for basic landscaping. mowing grass, clearing weeds and brush. i much prefer the American scythe for woody brush and even smaller saplings. i have an 18" railroad right of way scythe that is heavy as hell and the blade is incredibly though but it'll go through just about anything without much care and stays much sharper than my Austrian blades while doing rough work like that. only downside is blade damage isn't easily fixed right there, whereas an Austrian scythe can be repaired where you are working most of the time.
for mowing lawn grass i prefer the Austrian style scythe blades because the bigger heel lets me get a slightly deeper cut and the lighter weight lets me run a bigger blade. it doesn't do a better job of cutting, but it does take fewer cuts to finish a lawn and i've never had an American scythe blade with a larger heel to compare. i run a 36" Austrian grass blade and it is still manageable on an Austrian snath but even a 32" American blade on an American snath ends up being too heavy for me to use for more than an hour or so.
if i were just mowing my lawn, anything works. it only takes a few minutes to do an average sized lawn. even my heavy duty 18" railroad scythe would be fine, just take a little longer and the extra weight might be good if i needed the exercise.
I remember seeing trackmen on the railway scything the banks on their length to keep the grass short against fire . And the farmers opening the fields with a scythe so the reaper binder could get in . Great tool , I use one on my lawn .
Been a subscriber for a while but didn’t see any new videos posted. Great to see you back on RUclips. Farmhand companion is one of my favorite channels. You talking is a new twist. Keep these great videos coming.
The old folks in my family being German used a straight snath with an Austrian blade so that is what I learned with. Excellent presentation!
Very informative video! You are a good teacher in how you explain things and keep it interesting at the same. Many thanks!
I wish we had landscapers that exclusively used hand tools. I imagine they would be something like Sam Gamgee. It would be far more pleasant than the racket of today.
It would be great if we stopped caring about mowed grass lawns too. It would be beautiful to see yards of native plants and wildflowers full of life. For the places we need short greenery, clover and ground plants work best.
I’m available for hire.
Especially on Sunday mornings!!
My company doesnt use gasoline or electricity on site
I use mostly hand tools; the other commercial landscapers I work with thing I’m nuts 😆
Thanks for sharing this beautiful video.
Thanks for all of those pointers about the handle. I'll be more prepared now.
Just discovered your channel recently, but you have a great presentation and perspective on farming, tools, and such things. Very interesting, and very appreciated!
I was hoping you would make this after your last video. Thank you for making these!
I just made a sythe handle out of a crooked american hornbeam sapling an it works good. Love your videos.
Very nice.
I've been using an american scythe on my yard for the past 3 years and I love them.
I used to think you had to be a man with bulging muscles to use a scythe, and I never had much muscle. Then I saw a video of Peter Vido's 10 year old daughter mowing with a European style scythe. If a barefoot little girl wearing a white skirt could mow a field with a scythe, what was there to stop me, except for lack of a scythe. I saved my pennies and ordered a blade and snath from Lehman's. Glad I ordered when I did, 'cause they sure went up in price!!!
I mowed part of my yard this morning with that scythe. I have also obtained 2 other blades I use on occasion.
It is really not all that hard of work, but the exercise is good for me. I like the look; it leaves a more natural look than a lawnmower.
Jim Kovaleski was mowing part of an old farm field divided by a tractor lane; one side he mowed with a scythe, and someone else mowed the other side with a tractor. After several years, the scythe side was producing superior hay.
Then there was the 14 year old boy who said it was rough being the Grim Reaper, but still having to do what Mom says!
I agree with what you said about people trying a scythe and not getting along with it. The scythe probably doesn't fit them well, is dull, the grass overgrown, and they probably want to hack with it more than shear. It's got it's own litttle ecosystem of techniques to keep sharp and run steady. Looking forward to more about sharpening and using!
scything looks enjoyable and relaxing to me. I'm excited to get one soon.
It is relaxing and satisfying at the same time. Easy to learn to use and get into the zone. Highly recommended.
You sir are a wealth of knowledge! Thanks for sharing!
There's always places yout sickle bar mower can't go where your scythe will. Thanks for showing me what I can do with all my old hardware . Can't wait to try one out properly adjusted and sharpened.
I have an Austrian brush scythe. Love it. Every so often I consider a grass blade
My brother and I were sometimes mowing an area that always grew in and became very high. Although an European scythe it was pretty heavy (we were very young). I loved it! And maybe hated it a bit too. I would love to try the American scythe.
Great video. Love learning new things.
"A 28 inch pocket knife." I love that comparison!
Wow, first time I’ve heard your voice, Pa Mac! Thanks for the video, I’m inclined to get one of those now; might help against our thistles
We, my wife and I, just watched this video and are very interested in all things related to the American scythe, since picking up 2 in really great condition a few years ago and still not knowing a lot about maintaining and putting them to good use. They were purchased at a great price, $25 each and we need to put them to use at our farm... We enjoy watching your videos, and like 'em every time we watch one. Setting the Bell to catch your update for a sharping lesson. Thank you very much for giving us your time and effort.
How did you go?
I have an American scythe, fixed it up, can get it moderately sharp. Its a "briar edge" blade and works well on heavier weeds, but on my desert dry grass its almost useless! Good thing we have goats too. Great tool, wish I had a field of green grass to mow.
Thanks for sharing this very rewarding video. NOW I understand why I disliked using the scythe so much as a youngster. Understanding what you explained today makes it clear why it was so hard for me 65 years ago when they would hand the scythe to you and told you to cut this field??? Keep up the great videos. OLD DAWG DREAMING Fred.
Thanks for watchin', Fred!
I’d be quite interested to see what you carry for a pocket knife
Yeah Pa Macs E.D.C. vid!
Usually it's the sharpest one I haven't lost yet.
Thank you for watchin', New England Yankee Living
Can't wait for part 2, hope it covers sharpening. I have a scythe that does need sharpening, but I'm at a loss.
For American blades you need a file, flap disk on an angle grinder, or a belt sander to set the bevel, then do the final sharpening with a stone. Then eventually as it thickens and you lose your bevel through sharpening in use not being 100% perfect you gotta go back and flatten & thin the bevel again. The more you use it the thicker it gets as you wear away at the edge so the more it's used the more aggressive you might need to be with the grinder to get the edge thin enough. Depending on how much you mow and how aggressive you are with the sharpening stone you may only need to redress it once every year or a couple times a year.
Over the last few years I have learned how to get my scythe blade shaving sharp, and my recurring thought watching this video was "OMG stop waving your hand around next to that thing!"
Just puttin' out there which is your favorite scythe for the entire internet?? You're a brave man, Pa' Mac. A brave man....
I have an American scyth I'm using it a lot this year on the garden perimeter.
Thank you for the info. God bless.
I bought an aluminum snatht at my local hardware store all attachments and wood nibs
Looking forward to part two .. I have an american scythe and tuned it up last year to use on wheat but too much grass in the wheat and probably poor technique sharpening and using, I gave up. I have grain rye out there this year and it's a lot cleaner.
I have used both The Swiss (European similar to the Austrian) and the American and I liked using both of em. Read in a book a view years ago that a single person can mow an acre in about 10 hours
Yeah we got yearly competitions in Europe ... like man vs. tractor. Sure a man can mow x as fast as a tractor. But the man needs to rest for three weeks while the tractor just rolls on to the next field 😀
@@NagdlungNiuak back in the day when hand labor was common place they didn't need three weeks rest they continued to the next field until the haying was done unless rain came and then they took a breather. People back then where tougher then folks today
I mowed about half an acre in half a day. I raked it into rows by hand in another half day.
Used one when I was a kid, had a small wetland area in the front yard where the push mower would not go. No doubt it was in the family for generations. My father passed away, and at some point it disappeared from the barn.
That was great info.
I am very exscythed to see this video! I agree with you... they aren't so bad to use, at all. Once you get a rhythm going with a properly sharpened blade, it's calming. I ordered an European, and cost as much as a cheap lawnmower.
cheers Pa for another good'un
Love these videos
Thank you, Eddie
Beautiful tools.
I have only blades so i have learnt to make the shaft from young rowan trees, use a branch as a nib. Great for clearing reads by the sea
Therea also a few good videos on how to make the shaft on youtube
My summer HS job!!! I used one during the summers for 3 years cutting the brush at a US air base in West Germany. My "boss" was an old German man who had a nice hole in his leg caused by a P47 air strike in Normandy.
I wonder if they ever have these in more southern auctions. I live in MS I dont feel like good old tools are as available..
but I should check
I grew up watching my Grandfather use, and eventually learned to use both styles of scythe myself.
He always stated, and I ended up adopting the same opinion, that each one has it's own function. The "European" style scythe was for yard or hay field mowing, and the "American" style, with it's beefier blade, was for ditches and hills covered in woody brush.
my father has the nastiest scar across his fist from right to left all the way across from cutting himself while sharpening one of those things.
That's what you get as a cityboy - trying to farm :)
Thank you for the video. I just bought an old Scythe that looks exaclty like this one in your video. Any recommendations on where to buy grass blades for these Scythes?
my grandpa has one and I used it in our farm lot
My Dad had about 1.25 acres of swamp & roadside he did by hand with a scythe each yr. I went out at age 7 and BEGGED him to teach me how. By age 12 I could mow 7' wide, tighter than your lawnmower. Unfortunately due to a medication side-effect my lungs are down to 27% (I am 61) so any sort of exertion like that is not possible. I sure do miss it - Tyler
,very Good interesting stuff.when a sythe blade gets old it struggles to hold its edge.
I have one just like the one you have on the table and it’s in very nice condition. I tried to put a quick edge on it and use it but it didn’t work so well! I might try to do a proper job on it and give it another shot! Although I don’t have a lot of endurance and that motion is tough on my back. The video of it being used is very helpful and I don’t think I was doing it correctly. I just love the way it looks even if I don’t use it often. I don’t think I would even take $90 for it! 😂 Thanks for the info! 🙏
The older the user the sharper the tool. Probably a combination of necessity (less strength) and long years sharpening experience, but that’s actually an update to a very old line “...older the man...”
Still got one in my shed
Thank-you!
When I got started scything I would always hear one of the benefits is that it's good exercise. In the next breath they'd say Oh you don't want those heavy American things it'll tire you out. Always found it odd, is exercise beneficial or not?
I've been mowing my lawn with a British patent blade around 2 years now. I ordered over an American grass blade which is lighter by half, but I find it much harder to sharpen. Maybe I needed to include an American stone in the same package. So I'll stick with the heavy pom blade and enjoy my exhausting work that's about as hard as walking down the street.
I just used one to cut a 20x30 foot patch horse weeds in between fences
My father-in-law is one of those "thats the hard way" people, and would always say i could use the weed eater or hedge trimmer when he catches me using a scythe. The scythe i found was buried in the back of a storage room in an old barn, and was probably what his father's father used. I've been using it in animal pens trimming weeds they wont eat and under electric fences where a mower just cant reach. Weed stalks are to thick for a string trimmer, hedge trimmer doesnt have the spacing and is much heavier than the scythe, and the battery is either never charged or dies 10 minutes in. I've got the tools, technique (kinda), and the know how. For me, edge is the issue.
Any tips to get a stuck nib off? I know they are left-handed screw but mine are so frozen. Tried penetrating oil and no go.
I have bought scythes that the handles were junk, but it had a good blade on it. Some of the handles I've cut up for kindling. I bought one that the handle got burnt but it had a heavy duty brush blade on it. When I got home I took it apart and found the blade was stamped King Kutter I think I gave $20.00 for it. 👍
You done good.
Am in total agreement
In Europe there are variation in the snath, the main being high or low angle as there are different blades for each. These being low angle like the Austrian scythe
Thankyou from down under for an amazing video on this tool. I was able to purchase one and am hoping you could suggest a suitable tool for sharpening it without compromising the steel in the blade? It is an American scythe like the one you are holding in the video in quite good condition. Would appreciate your thoughts.
I was definitely born in the wrong era. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with a young city slicker :D
You bet, Alex. Thank you for watchin'
MAKE MORE PA MAC VIDEOS!!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Workin' on it all the time, Heyman2023
I used one some when i was younger but i never knew the correct terminology for the handle and nibs. I have an American in good shape in the barn. Im going to have to pull it out now. Either the farmers were shorter back then or the nibs were set for his kids to mow the hay. Very interesting video!
That's a good point, and I'll bet you're right. Most of the shorter "set" ones were probably used by farm kids. Thanks for that, Piney Woods Homestead!
@@farmhandscompanion yes sir. We love watching you! Have been for a long time now. Reminds us of our upbringing. Have a good day!
I wanna try one of these someday.
Me too
I’ve tried mowing my yard with a scythe and could never get the hang of it. Sometimes it would cut and other times it would cut part of the arc. I went back to my reel mower, but I always wanted to get away with the efficiency of the scythe.
The design of scythe that you are demonstrating looks to be derived from the English scythe.
Tips from a Shipwright he uses an old metal 5 gallon gas can on a lobster pot stove a hoze and a plastic bag around the wood and steam in place install them bend them into place while still steaming Lewis is a Genius ! Steam in place with a plastic bag ,!!!
I used min recently to cut over growth and man it's fun to use but Nan it's so easy to get poison ivy
Scythes are hilarious tools.
I used to cut a lot of lawns as a kid, and Ive used most different types of lawn mowers and grass tools. The scythe is superior.
Its a one-time-purchase that does the job if you are prepared to invest a little effort, training and elbow grease.
If you need an optically pristine lawn like on a tennis court or at a stately home, go for a professional lawn mower.
But scythes are LESS effort than most fly mowers, that require a lot of effort to swing around.
They are also vastly less obnoxious, dont make lots of noise, and you dont end up inhaling a fine powder of grass and exhaust fumes.
Most people dont realise that they could save a lot of money and effort by just paying once, and learning to use a scythe.
I use an Austrian or an Italian Scythe, i have an American Scythe also but prefer the other two.
They cut so much easier in my hands.
They about 50-100 dollars in Canada. I think they are great visually.
Just bought our second one at a yard sale $30.. i was wondering how to adjust the nibs. Thank you.
Sounds like you got a great deal, Timothy
The blades made all of our bread knives!
I like hearing people talk about their fave tool =) I learned a bunch. Tx. =)
Ive never tried a us scythe. only the eu style. might try one to see what the difference is =)
Have you tried a left hand scythe? I suppose the ones you showed are right hand models. the reason i want to try a lefty model is my backpain. i have a naive dream that a lefty will be better for my back. =)
The scythe is an asymmetrical tool, but in use it makes use of both sides of the body in roughly equal measure. As such, they are not "handed" tools. Those units out there that are "left-handed" were manufactured to fill the perceived need for such a thing by inexperienced mowers rather than because they are actually necessary. :)
I always wanted a scythe. Now I know Ineed one
As a minor correction, the American scythe isn't stamped! That's a myth put forth by David Tressemer, author of The Scythe Book, who knew it to be false when he wrote it. The only stamped blades I know of were ones produced by the Bartlett All-Steel Scythe Co. or the Eagle Scythe Co. using the Bartlett patent under license. 99.99% of American blades are forged, and many of them are laminated construction, with a layer of high-carbon edge steel forge welded between layers of tough cladding iron. They were *very* complicated to forge, and required an apprenticeship of ~5 years to become a production line smith. The quality of the steel in American blades is in no way lower quality than that in European blades.
Good to know, FortyTwoBlades!
A scythe with a straight handle just doesn't have the "fit and feel" needed for comfortable use.
Also, do they make these in a 3/4 size? In some applications a smaller size would be more useful.
Mowing scythe is faster than a riding mower and it doesn't matter how bumpy the ground is you'll always get a consistent height.
I too always thought it was hard work until I used one. I use mine all the time now, far better than a strimmer. I wouldn't go back
In Europe we actually have a split between the English and the Austrian style scythe. The English looks very similar to the American, which would make sense.
My grandfather's favorite hay mowing scythe was a European blade on an American snath. The 2 types are not mutually exclusive.
I have a scythe that belonged to my great great grandfather. I used it to clear a field at a family picnic grove when I was young. He explained the difference between an American and European scythe. What about the difference between a hay scythe, grain scythe and brush scythe.
Hey Kirk, I'll have a bit about those coming up in this week's edition. Thanks so much for watchin'!
I love scything but I'm learning to hate the american scythe. Just not a fan of the design really. The adjustableness seems like a good idea but the adjustable nibs makes it far more fragile than the heavy snath would lead you to believe and i find them difficult to adjust and keep that way. They'll ring the snath and spin and then you can't adjust it to yourself anymore and it's easy to crack the wood of the nibs trying to tighten. Some snaths and blades are just really bad too and I can't get them adjusted to suit my swing at all. But ive found aluminum snaths seem to be decent and are fine enough for mowing. But they seem to be for short people too and I'm only 5 foot 8 myself having to stoop because they aren't adjustable enough for me to stand up straight. Seems hard to find a medium one all the long ones are too long so I can't swing it at an angle that will cut and all the short ones are too short so I have to hunch. Disliking the thickness and hardness of the blades too. I hate grinding and prefer forging, so I'd much rather peen a blade for a nice thin edge. Which is the opposite of what I usually like because I generally like something like a knife blade to be hard nearly to the point of brittleness. But i had an American blade that had worn past the hard steel and was peenable and far prefered that method of sharpening. And if I've got a wooden tool, I'd like to be able to copy the handle without having to get all crazy with a niche steam bending press. So I'm waiting for european scythes to come back in stock from scythe supply and get one of their "kits" where it's made pre adjusted to your measurements by an expert. From there I'll hopefully never have to buy a snath again for myself if I don't want to, and don't think I'll have to worry about any of it wearing out as quickly. I can always make a heavy duty one too and buy a brush blade or repurpose an American blade to use in the rocks and brush. But for now I just need a good reliable tool to cut grass without all the legwork and brain work and the american scythe just isn't cutting it for me if you'll pardon my pun. So I'm really hoping that the European style fits my need.
I would try wrapping rope around the nib to stop it from turning. I saw my dad using rope to pack the grooves in a leaky old pipe joint once. You can pack it with Something?
@@gretafields4706 my solution was to get a European style. The american stays up at the barn to cut weeds for pigs to eat.
The european scythe was superior in every way. It's the one i do the mowing with.
I plan to get an Austrian scythe. It can't hurt to have two or three types around. There's a company in Frankfort ky that carries aluminum ones, and Austrian tools. (Austrian sickles are great.) I think it is called Earth Tools or Earthwise, something like that
I pay £5 -£10 secondhand at carboot sales in England
Hi Pa! What is the difference in the long and short blades on scythes? I'm assuming the long one is for grass and the short one is for weeds.
That's correct, Mark. (I'll cover it in a little more detail with the next episode)
@@farmhandscompanion Thank you sir!
Then you haven't seen the Norwegian scythe, it's a bit of both worlds. The snath is straight accept for where it rests on your forearm. they are usually made of birch because it's strong enough and also light weigth, each county in Norway has their own decorations and styles. The scythe itselfes is made with laminated steel where the sides are soft iron and the core is made of hardened high carbon steel. The blade also has that rib back behind the cutting edge like the american one to make it strong and not easilly bent. When the scythe got dull or the edge got too rounded over by honing, the water cooled grindstone was used to establish a new cutting edge with a burr and the burr was removed with fine whetstonesto make it a keen edge. The haymaker ofthen carried their whetstone in some kind of a animal horn with some water, it was carried on their belt.
Yes, Mikkel, I'll be talkin' about the grinding stone and also stone holder and all in the next installment. Thank you for watchin' and commentin'!
@@farmhandscompanion That I'll be nice! Thanks for replaying. I first found this channel today and I subscribed, it's right up my alley!
I'm a Nikon guy, so I'd turn the handle the right way at the first try.
3:54 Is that in just stirred not shaken ? Opefully .
12:10 Are there any leftie handed scythes .
18:44 of course this pose does not 'cut it ' unless a considerable area has been worked .
Everybody knows the European scythe is better than the American scythe. It is the worst! 🤪I am actually just kidding. I love your videos! Keep up the good work! ❤
I gave my brother-in-law a brush snath years ago. I told him it was a cordless weedwhacker. Of course that’s not true- it’s a cordless brushwhacker. Much heavier than a scythe.
I always have a problem when calling it
I use an American scythe to cut my hay. I have a grass blade and a weed blade.
👍
Somebody else know that in fact exist 3 types of scythe: American, European and North-Russian/Finnish? The last one has an extra curved blade and short curved handle. It is more ancient scythe style, then first two. But i still have several of them and i use them and love.)
Didn't know that, foxyredneck!
There's a Scottish one too.
in romania every viliger got a scythe (coasă)