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I was at the Common Ground Fair and was talking with the Scythe Supply Company which advertises in Hobby Farms and is based here in Maine. Anyway my fence lines are problematic. About once a week in growing season, I have to weedwack them and I HATE weedwackers. They never start when they should. The lines are always running out, and even when things are great, they hit the wire and entangle themselves.
So I thought a hand scythe would work great. As I talked to the owner, I was told a man was giving demonstrations and that I could try it. Its been years since I picked one up and these are state of the art. Better steel, lighter weight and sharp.
I gave it a try and in my first 20 feet, I did okay, but made mistakes. A few corrections and on the next 20 foot try, I was going far faster then I could have with a weedwacker...and not burning gas, listening to the noise of the motor, or really straining...the scythe was light and quick. I was super, super impressed.
The only thing I question...but suspect the scythe might excel at, is cutting stemmy stuff like milkweed, goldenrod and other weeds that eat up weedwacker line. I suspect the sharp blade of a hand scythe, coupled with its curve, would cut them easier then a weedwacker would.
Eat lamb...because 50,000 coyotes CAN'T be wrong!
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New Member
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| That sounds interesting. Are these the big Brother Death / peasant harvesting models or the small sickle style Druid / Soviet flag type? I have always used the old swing hoe (16-18 inch straight blade on a U-shaped frame with a handle) to do fence rows and such, but would love something shaper.
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Average Member
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as much as I like ot look at the old ways.. I've plowed wiht horses/oxen and I've marched 15 miles in a woolen uniform with 60 lbs of gear on my back.. oh and cut down trees with an ax and more..
I have no desire at this time to further my love of 100 year old harvesting equipment unless it's powered by steam.
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Senior Member
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I'm all for using anything that is easier and cheaper to operate. There is no question in my mind after using a hand scythe the other day that I could do my fence lines twice as fast with a hand scythe.
Paul, we talked about the type you describe and they were heavy and awkward to run compared to these scythes billed as "European models" which is probably like the soviet ones you mention. These were extremely light and I was doing really well after 40 feet/2 minutes of practice. I was really, really impressed. I WILL have one next year, that is how impressed I was.
For anyone that cares, a hand scythe cannot hurt you in operation. You could even do it barefoot if you so desired...the shape, swing and method of cutting makes the super sharp tool extremely safe. You have to see it to understand. The hand sythe is also custom fit to your inseem size which is huge. It needs to be right. Finally you can figure on 3 acres per day with one of these tools.
Eat lamb...because 50,000 coyotes CAN'T be wrong!
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Junior Member
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| I'm sold!! I've been looking at these for a while to consider doing my cat tails with but was afraid I'd cut a foot off!! I did get a hand machete which I swear by but the time involved for the amount I have to do is too extreme. Good to have a personal testimony. Mary Ann
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I was talking to my Uncle about hand scythes and I was surprised he was all for them too. Now this is a guy that buys 1/4 million dollar equipment with A/C, GPS and serious horsepower. When I told him that I wanted one to do fence lines, he said it would be a lot faster then a weedwhacker "because it can take down brush and saplings too." When I tried one out it was just in grass so when an old farmer like this touts up their capabilities, I have no doubt they can sever stemmy stuff and brush.
Now my uncle did say that I would feel after running it a day, particularly in my arms. Now this is what the company owner said too. That when mowing a field, you swung with your hips and just gripped the handle and kept the scythe from falling out of your hands, but when doing fence rows, you had to use your arms more.
Eat lamb...because 50,000 coyotes CAN'T be wrong!
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Senior Member
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Mary Ann...it took me a bit but I found a Youtube video of a person using a hand scythe while barefoot. Interestingly enough it shows a 12 year old girl (I assume) using one as well, so its not limited to adults only, "man work" or overly dangerous. It does show however how important it is to have one fitted to your build. With long arms and being tall, what would work well for me, may not work well for you.
Also its not the width of the swing that gives you your cut per pass, but length of the blade. That's because of the way a hand scythe works. It has to cut the grass from behind. It's all about technique and not about strength.
Eat lamb...because 50,000 coyotes CAN'T be wrong!
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| I'm new to this forum, though I think Drawbar I've read your stuff elsewhere. Anyway, I was happy to find people talking about scythes so high up on the boards. Just recently, I've become a fan of using a scythe. My wife got one for me last Christmas from a company in Tennessee, and I've put the ditch blade to good use in, um, ditches, as well as along fencelines, enclosures and weedy areas. So much easier and less hassle than a weedwacker. Plus, it's nice to avoid the noise of machinery in general. I haven't yet used one on more open land, but that's part of my plan before the grass dies out. There are several videos out there on youtube and places such as Scythe Connection, but I'd also recommend buying the Scythe Book. It's a good jumping off point for the novice scythe user!
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Starting Member
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| A follow-up into my foray with the new grass blade I added to my sythe (I ditched the ditch blade for the time-being). I had a very successful practice run cutting about 1/4 of an acre of tall grass. Hard work, to be sure, but it was good stuff. But then my boneheadedness made an appearance when I finished up and got ready to go. I was towing a cart with my lawn tractor, and tried to balance the scythe and a shovel on the mower deck while I drove along. Well, I didn't make it but 10 feet before the sythe's blade got caught on one of the rear tire treads and sheared an 8-inch chunk out of the tire. The blade didn't even flinch. But I hung my head in shame as my lawn tractor's tire deflated and left me sitting at an awkward angle in the back pasture. Sigh.... At least my wife got some laughable entertainment out of it. 
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| Have any of you tried sharpening the blade with something other than the traditional stone, like a Dremel tool or grinder, etc?
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