Notes from an amateur user.
Nomenclature; a scythe is the tool with a long handle for two hands. Yes, the thing usually shown carried by Death <sigh, if you own a scythe you have to put up with juvenile jokes about death). A sickle (or grass hook) is the short thing that used to be on the soviet flags.
European-style scythe's have a thin, soft blade that you 'peen' when the edge is damaged and needs reworking.
They come in a variety of blade shapes and sizes, from something short suitable for cutting willow withies, to very long blades meant for mowing or cutting grain.
I have a 50cm 'Fux' ditch blades, suitable for use over rough ground. It will cut grass and brambles equally well. Based on my experience, I say to resist the temptation to get a long blade. You'll rue your decision when cutting over rough ground, or on a slope. A shorter blade still cuts well, it just takes a lot longer.
Bought it because I wanted something other than a strimmer that I could grab for 15min when getting a lunch break (I work from home, and am usually desparate to get away from the desk).
Use
Set it up correctly. I'm not going to repeat the instructions provided by places such as the https://www.scythecymru.co.uk/.
If you are mowing, then the blade slides over the ground. Don't hack into the grass, you are taking slices off it. Imagine the area you are cutting split into thin rectangles. You will be cutting along the length of the rectangle, so face along it and take a slice a few inches deep. You want the edge to be sliding along what you are cutting. If right handed, the cuttings will get pushed to the left. Always cut so the cuttings are swept away, you don't want to be working through the stuff you've just cut.
For grass, it makes a huge difference if the grass is wet. In our wet climes, that is a big advantage over a mower; you can easily scythe on a wet day.
Sharpening
The scythe needs an edge unlike other tools. If you sharpen stuff, you'll be used to grinding off the 'wire edge'. Not with a scythe. That is exactly what you want on your scythe edge. The edge is drawn out by peening so that the last 3mm or so are as thin as paper. A few strokes with a medium coarse stone draws a lovely wire edge off that, and the wire edge cuts grass better than a straight razor. Touch up the edge every 5-10 min or so, it only takes a minute.
Peening looks like some mystic art, but turns out to be fairly easy. Decent eyesight helps (I have to squint with my face 4" from the blade). You can get special anvils that have a mandrel which hammers the right profile, or use a proper one (thin rectangular anvil with rounded top). I bought the mandrel type and wish I'd got the proper job, it would be a bit quicker. With the mandrel, you just put the blade in and hammer, it almost slides itself. Maybe 10min start to finish for a 50cm blade.
Natural enemies of the scythe blade
Despite being thin and fragile, the blade will survive hitting debris remarkably well. Stones, even boulders will only ding or chip the blade at one point and that doesn't really matter much.
The *real* enemy of the scythe is fencing wire. Catch your blade on some wire and you'll be gnashing your teeth. Hard fencing wire doesn't chip the blade, but instead rolls it up. If that happens, you have no option but to file off the damaged part and peen it out again.
Nomenclature; a scythe is the tool with a long handle for two hands. Yes, the thing usually shown carried by Death <sigh, if you own a scythe you have to put up with juvenile jokes about death). A sickle (or grass hook) is the short thing that used to be on the soviet flags.
European-style scythe's have a thin, soft blade that you 'peen' when the edge is damaged and needs reworking.
They come in a variety of blade shapes and sizes, from something short suitable for cutting willow withies, to very long blades meant for mowing or cutting grain.
I have a 50cm 'Fux' ditch blades, suitable for use over rough ground. It will cut grass and brambles equally well. Based on my experience, I say to resist the temptation to get a long blade. You'll rue your decision when cutting over rough ground, or on a slope. A shorter blade still cuts well, it just takes a lot longer.
Bought it because I wanted something other than a strimmer that I could grab for 15min when getting a lunch break (I work from home, and am usually desparate to get away from the desk).
Use
Set it up correctly. I'm not going to repeat the instructions provided by places such as the https://www.scythecymru.co.uk/.
If you are mowing, then the blade slides over the ground. Don't hack into the grass, you are taking slices off it. Imagine the area you are cutting split into thin rectangles. You will be cutting along the length of the rectangle, so face along it and take a slice a few inches deep. You want the edge to be sliding along what you are cutting. If right handed, the cuttings will get pushed to the left. Always cut so the cuttings are swept away, you don't want to be working through the stuff you've just cut.
For grass, it makes a huge difference if the grass is wet. In our wet climes, that is a big advantage over a mower; you can easily scythe on a wet day.
Sharpening
The scythe needs an edge unlike other tools. If you sharpen stuff, you'll be used to grinding off the 'wire edge'. Not with a scythe. That is exactly what you want on your scythe edge. The edge is drawn out by peening so that the last 3mm or so are as thin as paper. A few strokes with a medium coarse stone draws a lovely wire edge off that, and the wire edge cuts grass better than a straight razor. Touch up the edge every 5-10 min or so, it only takes a minute.
Peening looks like some mystic art, but turns out to be fairly easy. Decent eyesight helps (I have to squint with my face 4" from the blade). You can get special anvils that have a mandrel which hammers the right profile, or use a proper one (thin rectangular anvil with rounded top). I bought the mandrel type and wish I'd got the proper job, it would be a bit quicker. With the mandrel, you just put the blade in and hammer, it almost slides itself. Maybe 10min start to finish for a 50cm blade.
Natural enemies of the scythe blade
Despite being thin and fragile, the blade will survive hitting debris remarkably well. Stones, even boulders will only ding or chip the blade at one point and that doesn't really matter much.
The *real* enemy of the scythe is fencing wire. Catch your blade on some wire and you'll be gnashing your teeth. Hard fencing wire doesn't chip the blade, but instead rolls it up. If that happens, you have no option but to file off the damaged part and peen it out again.
