Scythe

I just read two short books compiled in one volume on the subject  of a hand tool, a tool whose use is pretty much lost to modern man. Recently, however, I spent some pretty big bucks on a Shindaiwa Brush Cutter, a noisy, powerful, smelly machine that, with the proper blade attached, can cut down small diameter trees. It can also do a number on grassy fields, black berry bushes or be used as an edger/ trimmer. But believing that oil will not always be available for the Shindaiwa B 450 I decided to invest two hundred dollars in a high quality tool that will do many of the same things as the brush cutter or lawn mower. The tool is a scythe. I haven’t used it yet. I’ve assembled it and glued the parts and rubbed it with tung oil. It hangs in the garage waiting for the right moment. According to  The Scythe Book the moment is dawn, while the dew is still on the plants. I will go to the field and reap large swaths of tall grass in a motion as effortless as tai chi. Every five minutes or so I will stop and hone the blade using a natural stone that I carry in a metal holster on my belt. After several hours of use I will peen the blade back into shape using a jig that came with the tool which I ordered from Scythe Supply.
This   farm touts the scythe as “An ecological substitute for lawn mowers and string trimmers. No gas, no noise, no exhaust fumes.” Tolstoy in Anna Kerenina waxes poetic on scything. Scything actually has somewhat of a cult following as you can see from reviewing this web site.
Since I’m in the market for a new cult I might join. Check out their video. It’s very impressive.
I like the idea of being up at dawn swinging my blade from right to left in a sort of dance, listening to the swish, swish, swish of the keen blade dropping tall stems into windrows that I can haul to my compost pile. If I get good enough and have the right collection of hafts and blades, if I can learn to hone and peen then perhaps a day might come where the old Shindaiwa sits rusting in the barn next to the helmet, face mask, ear protectors, extra blades and the cans of fuels and lubricants. (And, if it’s good enough for Willie Nelson, it’s good enough for me). I will report on my progress.

Comments

[Lew]

Having spent many sweat-filled hours in my youth cutting briars and fence rows with the "Crooked Stick," I hope you'll pardon me if I don't share your enthusiasm, even though I do admire your spirit. Let me know how it goes. (I'm keeping my DR Brush Mower)
Lew
P.S. It's gonna ruin your golf swing -- look what it did to mine!