So I'm mowing the lawn.....Lol

[inspiringK]

I edge out with a scythe. I hone about every 10 minutes, or every major area. Takes me less time to use the scythe than to get out the gas powered weed whip, and I don't have a headache afterwords (hearing protection used already with anything noisy) My neighbor looked at me strange once, and didn't think twice about it afterwards.

I mow about 4 acres on a John Deere tractor. I need a bigger one as I am mowing for about 4 hours. Gets old on an old tractor. That is one pass, no touch ups except in front of the house, even thought they are needed elsewhere.

I would like a 60 inch mower that _mows_at_ 10MPH or faster. Because of my lot I think a tractor is best, or a zero turn capable of mowing on some serious grade changes.

Phil

http://www.scythesupply.com/index.htm

Wow. That is effective.
Video on the page if you follow the first link:
http://www.scythesupply.com/video/mowingOnAHill.htm

[bkfist]

Isn't this like shaving with a Braun electric? You'd think that a B&B member would prefer a manual push mower! Go find an old one at a junk store, fill the tub up with Scrubbing Bubbles and soak it, then see if you can get it working again. Get some advice from a reelmaster about sharpening it up and hit the yard. That, my friend, will give you a long Sunday afternoon of gradual lawn reduction.

Don't forget, for those paranoid about spreading possible diseases to their lawns... you'll need a full bottle of barbacide to put in the tub after the scrubbing bubbles!

[Pkrankow]

I just ordered a new kit to replace my old scythe from this place
http://www.themaruggcompany.com/
they seem to have the best prices.

I have been using an old American pattern blade, that is just stamped out and flat. I ordered an Austrian blade that is curved in all directions and is supposed to cut more of each swing in a more natural manner. I just use the scythe around the house, trees, and the road ditch, places the lawn tractor cannot get to. I spend about as much time as my neighbor does with her string trimmer, doing a similar amount of work.

Phil

[garyg]

Actually, I did just buy a junker reel mower off Craigslist, stripped it down, rebuilt it and taught myself how to tune and sharpen it.
It was a pretty cool learning experience, and I only nearly removed the tips of 2 fingers during the process.

And yeah, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I think of multipass reduction as I go back and forth on my postage stamp sized lawn :)

Ok, Chris has manned up & admitted it, I do four+ passes on the front yard - East/West, SE/NW, North/South, then SW/NE. Just not all passes on the same day, unless I need two after being away in spring .. buffing I guess is the whacker around the edges & in the low spots .. and I use a stone on the blade ..

[hotreds]

My set-up- I mow 100" per pass.

[Pkrankow]

My set-up- I mow 100" per pass.

I have seen those, does it work as well as it seems to or is it quite a bother, especially around trees and such? You look to have a partially wooded lot.

Phil

[Pkrankow]

My new scythe arrived yesterday. I edged out my yard quite easily in blissful quiet! Takes about the same time as my neighbor with her weed whip. The new blade is easily 1/3 the weight of the american pattern blade I was using, the whole kit is probably 4-5 pounds and takes much less energy to use than my old kit.

Pictures later.

[Redstickjohn]

I take my lawn to the barbershop. His name is Glen. He shows up once a week and he and his crew of three polish off my lawn in about 1/2 hour. It's amazing what professionals can do.

[GFlanagan3]

Just for you Nid. I do in fact have a six blades push I'll get to cleaning on it right away!
BTW: This gives a dfs on the lawn.

what do the numbers on the front mean???

[Pkrankow]

Pictures of my new scythe! This thing is "razor" sharp (seriously, it is sharp!) This is a 20 inch "ditch" blade, which is heavier than a grass blade, and hopefully well suited for what I plan to do with it, which is edging out the yard, mowing the street ditch, around trees, mailbox and house, as well as working the tree line and other small spaces where the riding mower cannot go.

I wish I took it to my MIL's last week when I had to fix her lawn mowers, the grass was 2-3 feet tall!

I ordered extras like the second ring for my old scythe, which I expect to still use on occasion, such as for cat tails in the pond (when cut below the surface they typically die back)

Now I should have ordered a peening kit of some type at the same time as it would have saved shipping, but the blade will not need peened for a while (several weeks) as I am using it, and I figured one of my lighter hammers on my blacksmith's anvil would do.

I have since ordered a peening jig kit and scythe hammer. I'll make a denglestock for myself since I pretend to be a blacksmith for fun.

Phil

[Pkrankow]

Oh yes, the Scythe book by David Tresemer, you can download the first edition for free, but the second edition has a lot more information, and the added chapters by Peter Vido are very instructive, and well worth the purchase (or trip to the library).

Phil

[inspiringK]

Wow! Looks great.

How are you planning on sharpening it? There is a nice Coti and slurry stone on the BST right now, but......

[Pkrankow]

Those two elongated football shaped stones next to the book and "above" the yellow thing are hones. The darker is a coarse synthetic, the lighter is a natural that has a pretty fine sandstone grit. The yellow thing is a hone and water holder for sharpening periodically (every 5-15 minutes, when it first shows signs of nor slicing perfectly). Honing takes maybe 30 seconds to a minute. Not much time at all is spent honing. A freshly peened blade, after it is initially honed takes less time to hone, and in videos takes 10-15 seconds for a much larger blade than I have

Peening is equivalent to bevel setting, as that is the function of cold peening a blade. This is done after about every 4-12 hours of mowing when the hone no longer brings the edge back quickly.

My old scythe is in this picture. The snath (wooden handle) I made last year out of ash (and had to repair several times for various reasons). It is about 1/3 the weight of the bent snath at my mother in law's, but heavier than the hickory snath I just purchased. This "American Pattern" blade is easily 2-3 times the weight of the Austrian blade I just got. The American pattern blade is ground every 4-12 hours of mowing on a "large" diameter stone to set the bevel, it is then periodically honed in the same manner, every 5-15 minutes of mowing. However some "American pattern" blades are made from a material that can be peened, I have not tested this yet.

The biggest differences I notice is the Austrian blade follows the ground better, and cuts more evenly. The American blade is heavier and able to penetrate suckers on my pear and cherry trees with much less effort.

Believe it or not the location of the grips on both scythes is the same.

Phil

[rxonmymind]

Now those are some serious straight edges! Err curved edges. Sweet looking blades there.

[Pkrankow]

Another advantage of a scythe is a bunch of mutilated pulp is not thrown everywhere. I was cleaning up my mother in law's lot and went though quite a lot of poison ivy along and near the house foundation. The mess is in a mold pile at the back of her lot.

Any remaining poison ivy along the foundation, and in the yard got Roundup for poison ivy and brush.

I wish I could say I got out unscathed, but I have a small cluster of blisters on my wrist from the stuff. Yes, I washed the tools with soap and water before leaving. I do not know when I get poison ivy since it takes about 2 days to develop on me. If I wash off well and frequently (like I did) I can escape without getting any...usually.

Get into poison ivy with a weed whip...I don't want to imagine.

Phil

[Docd]

About 12 years ago I was mowing my grandmothers property (2.5 acres). I saw something square and silver by her dirt driveway so I stopped to check it out. It turned out to be a 50's SS that cleaned up good and worked fine. We gave it to a disabled cousin to pretend to shave with. If only I could have foreseen my future! I'm sure it was my grandfathers too...how it got buried by the driveway is beyond me.

[Whilliam]

Mowing is easy. Lathering's a bitch.

[saintpat]

My new Fiskars push reel gives me some mowing zen. Plus it's a better workout than the self propelled. Gives a nice clean cut (we'll call it a DFS) and so quiet! My neighbors looked at me funny the first couple of times but now I think they understand what it is I'm doing out there.

[rxonmymind]

Sweet looking! One pass or two pass? Lol.Indeed I understand completly about the silence and the whirling and the cadence of the cutting action of the reel mower schliiickschliickschliiickschliickschliiickschliic k. It cuts better than any rotating blade I've come across.

My new Fiskars push reel gives me some mowing zen. Plus it's a better workout than the self propelled. Gives a nice clean cut (we'll call it a DFS) and so quiet! My neighbors looked at me funny the first couple of times but now I think they understand what it is I'm doing out there.

[hotreds]

I have seen those, does it work as well as it seems to or is it quite a bother, especially around trees and such? You look to have a partially wooded lot.

Phil

Works very well. That's not me in the pic, I have mostly untreed land, but have no problem with the few trees I do encounter. Natch, I need to weed-wack a bit as well! Very interested in the scythe!