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Rough Mowing With An American Scythe
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2016
- Mowing an area with undulating, bumpy terrain and dense clumps of tall fescue. The density and abrasiveness of the tall fescue clumps, the many dips and bumps of the ground, and hidden obstacles in this area make for very challenging mowing.
Instructional material here: site.baryonyxkn...
American scythes and accessories here: www.baryonyxkni...
Nothing can beat a good old scythe
I've been using my American scythe to work on my pastures. My neighbors think I'm crazy but I really enjoy it. I work about 30 minutes at a time and I ALMOST look forward to getting out and doing it. Nice work on the vids but a quick suggestion: add some commentary while doing it about technique or something. Thanks
Glad to hear you've been enjoying yours! Regarding technique, check our guide on the subject here:
site.baryonyxknife.com/blog/2014/08/10/a-primer-on-the-selection-use-maintenance-of-the-american-scythe/
There's usually not enough time in a 4-5 minute video to add much useful commentary. Scything is something that is easily grasped when taught in person where there's tactile feedback, but it takes a lot of words to accurately describe. :)
FortyTwoBlades amen!
how long did that take?
FurryKing19 as a scythe owner myself, I can answer generally. It's going to take you longer to do areas than with a push mower. Especially when you're just starting out and making mistakes. Where the exchange comes in is less frequent mowing, and being able to mow earlier, or later, in the day when temperature is more agreeable without the constraint of noise ordinances and basic civility. Or even during or after weather events in which modern power mowers operate inefficiently. There are competitors out there though who could simply dust a power mower on good terrain, but that comes with competition level exertion, skill and preparation of grounds with specific grasses.
I guess I just kind of assumed in the back of my mind people in the 17 and 1800s just dealt with tall grass/plants everywhere. Or trampled it down ending up with mostly dirt/mud areas. But I guess most people did have mowed areas at least close around the house, sheds and maybe the barn. Just let it grow until you got sick of it and cut it back again.
I suspect the rabbit had a lot to do with keeping the vegetation down. It is interesting to compare photographs from the late 1800 and even the 1940s of the UK (there are a wealth of aerial photographs at www.britainfromabove.org.uk/ that can be compared to recent google satellite and street-view images) and in a lot of cases its clear that the vegetation looks close cropped and trees far less abundant than today. So perhaps the introduction of myxomatosis to the UK in 1953 is responsible in part for a much changed landscape.
It's a fantastic tool! Everyone should have one. But nowhere sells them..
We do, though!
Could you post a video sometime on the raking-up process?
Can do! Will try to take some video thw next time I mow.
Dude, you are awesome!
Nice video. I have about 5 of these to restore. Just need to find the time and a stone.
We're working on a guide on restoration, though it won't be ready for a while yet!
When would you change from a grass blade to a bush blade? Do you have to peen an American scythe grass blade?
American blades should not be peened for a number of reasons. They are beveled by grinding 1-3 times per season to keep the bevel thin.
As far as when one would switch from a grass blade to another it has mostly to do with the density of woody growth and the thickness of the stalks you're cutting. Bush blades are both shorter and wider than grass blades. The decreased length completely prevents you from accidentally taking too deep of a bite and getting bogged down in the cut and prevents strain on the blade and snath from the leverage, while the increased width ensures that the web of the blade (the flat span between the edge and the corrugations of the bead and rib along the back) is at least as deep as the thickness of the stalks you are cutting to ensure that you don't bottom out in the cut before you sever the target fully.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻nice
What is the tool on a stick carried under your belt? I see you use it sometimes after the wet stone.
David Noland It's a plain wooden "whipping stick" used to draw out any micro-misalignments in the edge.
Do you find the metal snath lighter and better for fitting different users?
I'm about to take the plunge.
Thanks in advance.
We generally recommend the aluminum snath to folks starting off. It's light, strong, low maintenance, and the lack of a taper makes it easier to adjust the nib positions. Don't buy new wood American snaths off the shelf, as the factory puts them together with the collar crooked. We buy them as raw components and do the fitting and assembly ourselves. Even the aluminum ones need a few tweaks, but they're minor compared to the wood ones.
FortyTwoBlades
... and your comments on wood snaths with multiple holes for adjustment for multiple users?
Thanks Again.
FortyTwoBlades
... and your comments on wood snaths with multiple holes for adjustment for multiple users?
Thanks Again.
Sounds like you're talking about European style snaths. The tang dimensions of some American blades permits use on Euro-style snaths but in most cases they're a poor match because the curvature of American blades is designed to compliment the hand positions used with the American snath.
Just wondering, if you mow your lawn this close, how long after does the grass grow back?
Totally depends on the grass type and the weather! Generally speaking, though, grass cut with a scythe to a given length heals faster than that cut with a mechanical mower because it's cleanly cut rather that ripped, battered, and torn.
seconding. Upon inspection of my swatch after several different occasions on several different types of vegitation, I can say that even a 'dull' scythe will make a cleaner, more consistent cut than a rotary mower.
@@FortyTwoBlades That clean cut also keeps the grass healthy. A frayed grass blade is more subject to disease pressures. A cleanly cut blade "callouses" better and provides less surface area for infection to occur.
can i use this on a ditch slope?
Absolutely. They're very commonly used in places where mechanical mowers can't feasibly be used.
Can you put a straight handle on an American scythe?
You would need to put a very steep tang angle on it to have a proper lay to the edge in use. I'd suggest one of our Longfellow snaths instead, as it still features a bend in the neck for balance and the correct lay.
What tang angle would I need with the Longfellow snath?
@@kingzbob Roughly 10°
Thank you
Can you adjust its length for short and tall users?
The nibs (side grips) are adjustable and can be moved up or down the length as well as rotated around the shaft of the snath.
Thats what she said
If i was going to do that id use a rotory blade mower
If you tried using a rotary mower on this spot you'd be miserable. It'd be bouncing all over the place, eating dirt, and chewing up old hidden boards with nails in them, steel fencing wire, broken glass, and plastic. Very uneven ground, with hidden obstacles, but it doesn't show in a video well due to the lack of depth perception.
@@FortyTwoBlades We have nearly 20 acres that we bought about 20 years ago. The previous owner had drifted from farming to agricultural haulage and the place was littered with bits of truck, old tyres, oil filters, baler twine, bale wrap, building stone, concrete blocks, telegraph poles and even large porcelain insulators left from from overhead cable repairs. However, a 5ft pasture topper on a 40hp tractor made clearing it a possibility. The trick was to back the topper in at little over tick-over and stop and lift it on the hydraulics if the noise became serious 8-)=. I did hit a concrete block at full rpm mowing an area I thought I had cleared and it didn't even break the shear-bolt but the block was turned into fist-sized lumps. So I guess it depends what sort of 'rotary blade mower' you are using.