Subject: Re: Scythes

From: [email-masked] (Lynsey Gedye)
Date: 13 Nov 94 11:35:29 GMT-12

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Bill Posters) writes:
>The most critical factor in the use of a scythe is the length and
>shape of the handle, known as the sned in this neck of the woods. 

  My dad always called 'em a snath, and the blade was a sneed, I
  suppose that's what you can expect from the southern hemisphere.

>The sned has to be selected to fit the user exactly so that its
>shape, and the positions of the handles enable the reaper to
>maintain the correct upright posture without having to lift the
>blade off the ground or to stoop to to cut with it. The weight of
>the tool should then be taken by the shoulders rather than the arms
>or back. A gentle rotating movement of the shoulders is then all
>that is required to perform the cut.

  When dad set the scythe for me the technique involved using his
  belt to measure the sneed to the snath to the lower handle.
  Wait, that doesn't make sense.  One more time.  He was forming
  an equilateral triangle based on the length of the sneed.
  Tip of sneed to heel, up snath to lower handle, handle to tip
  of sneed.  Actually, yes, my father _WAS_ Dr. Suess =;)

>Old folks also say that the older the scythe blade, the better. I
>have seen an 82 year old man using a blade which he claimed
>was his grandfather's. It was no more than an inch  wide for most of
>it's length. Apparently you are supposed to draw the sharpening
>stone towards the tip of the blade. This leaves tiny serrations
>enabling the blade to "catch" the grass as it moves forward in a way
>which does not happen if the scythe blade is sharpened in both (or
>wrong) directions. Like the "teeth" of a goose allegedly, although
>the leaves of certain plants such as pampas grass are more apt
>comparisons. Anyone who has cut themselves on these unpleasant
>specimens will know this effect. 

  You also need to carry a stone with you and give the sneed a
  crisp up frequently, grass takes the edge off rapidly.  In terms
  of technique, the hot answer for me was just do it until it
  feels natural, and keep listening and it will eventually sound
  right; which again, doesn't sound very sensible.  It's one of
  these things which is easier to demonstrate and explain than to
  write about.  Let the grass talk to you...

  Although I never used a scythe on a "commercial" basis, we were
  brought up on the basis that an individual needed to know these
  things, along with making bread, clothing, soap and all those other
  pioneering-y things.

  The best attitudinal book would have to be "Mort" by Terry
  Pratchet.  I believe there's a company in the US called
  "By Hand and Foot", P O Box 611, Brattleboro, VT 05301;
  who have scythe supplies.  Yes, yes, they paid me millions for
  this promotion...

  There's probably no such thing as a cheap sneed, I doubt if
  it's even possible to buy one here now.  I suspect that sneed
  making would be a hand made expertise of extreme rarity.  The
  height of the blade maker's art.  Get a scythe for your grandkids.

--
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Peter Smith)
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 1994 14:52:29 GMT

>  height of the blade maker's art.  Get a scythe for your grandkids.

I think Cumberland General Store of Tennessee offers both aluminum and
wooden handles.  Unfortunately, I didn't notice a "cradle" option.
Do cradles clamp on and off of regular grass blades or are they part
of the blade?

---

From: [email-masked] (Findeis Peter M)
Date: 21 Nov 1994 15:35:05 GMT

The picturing of Death as a reaper with a scythe has more to do with
the analogies of harvest to death and the cutting of the grain stalk
by an outside force (to the grain stalk's perspective) to the end of
earthly human life again by an uncontrollable force.  The reaper's tool is 
the scythe; it would be inconceivable for the Grim Reaper not to have
a scythe. The Grim Reaper merely harvests lives whereas an ordinary reaper
harvests grain.  ( I suppose a more modern version could be the Grim
Woodsman with his grim chainsaw of death.)
-Peter F.

Evan L. Cooper ([email-masked]) wrote:
:  Amid all the talk on scythes, I wanted to add a word of caution. This
:  I think is especially appropriate as this may reach some inexperienced
:  people who wish to try using a scythe. SCYTHES CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS!
:  I think it's no accident that the persona of death is often pictured
:  as a reaper with a scythe. If you have never used a scythe and you
:  have no one to show you how, please use extreme care. Just because
:  it's not a power tool doesn't make it safe.

:  I myself use a variation of the scythe. It has a double serrated edged
:  blade. It's mounted on a u-shaped bracket attached to a wooden handle.
:  The motion is a side-to-side swing, taking advantage of gravity to
:  accelerate the blade. It is a great weed-wacker. It makes a wonderful
:  singing swish-swish sound as it cuts, much preferable to the electric
:  or gas powered variety. It's wonderful to hear the birds while per-
:  forming this chore. Try it.

:  Evan              ([email-masked])