So I've got a yard full of nothing but weeds and I was thinking a scythe might be a good investment.

Anybody here use a scythe to keep their yard clean like a peasant?

Get a grass whip, it's not really for weeding but it's fun to use. I do use it to chop off tall grass heads and dandelion tops before they turn into seeds, so they don't spread as much.

this thread inspired me to go out and use my grass whip a bit. So it's pretty good, I can cut the tall grass clumps but save the clovers for bees.

It's easier to use a weed whacker but the whip is pretty fun.

>>2919932 (OP)
yeah but I don't remember where I put my fucking stone

>>2919932 (OP)
Works well. A reel mower is cheaper and easier to use if you just want something quiet and hand powered.

>>2920020
a reel mower will really struggle with thick weeds and tall grass though, which is a role the scythe fits better.

You’re gonna want to get an Austrian scythe. They’re the easiest to use, and are adjustable (important, as to use it effectively it needs to be set up for your height / frame).
Avoid the urge to get an antique one. They look cool, but the odds of it being the right size for you are slim, and they often don’t fit modern blades, meaning you’re stuck with whatever it comes with.

I paid around £150 for a scythe and kit. Make sure you get at minimum a snath (the wooden bit), blade, whetstone, and whetstone holder (you fill this with water and keep your stone in it- your stone needs to be wet to work, and you have to sharpen the blade regularly while using it if you’re doing a reasonably sized garden). You’ll probably also want a peening jig (for reshaping the blade if / when it warps).

It’s decent exercise, and satisfying, but takes a bit of learning.

I hate the lawnmower. They all suck. Corded is stupid. Gas seem to always shit the bed. Battery is stupid, too. I don't have a manual push mower and I dunno how to sharpen them. I like this idea of a grass whip. My lawn is not big. It's full of moss, too.

>>2920047
A scythe is easier when it's tall, but if you're really into a manicured lawn and are mowing every week (or more) then the reel mower is the way to go. The only problem I ever have is sticks jamming it up.

>>2920222
>I don't have a manual push mower and I dunno how to sharpen them.
You can find them used for like $20 online. There are sharpening kits that work well, but they'll hold an edge for quite a while.

>>2920257
>You can find them used for like $20 online.
What is the best brand/model to get?

>>2920126
Any reason not to use a diamond file or set of rods to sharpen it? Decent quality ones are remarkably inexpensive as of the last couple of years. I love my few Sharpal products but use them for knives and scissors. Never owned a scythe. Not OP just curious.

>>2920270
It doesn't really matter, there are only a few companies who make them and they're all fairly similar. To sharpen them you usually apply a backlap compound (basically grit and oil) and run the blades backwards using a supplied crank handle or even just a drill with a socket attached. 5-10 minutes of cranking and the bedknife should be razor sharp again.

>>2920336
I just follow the guidance that came with the scythe really.
I think it’s partly just tradition, but also don’t underestimate how quickly the blade dulls. When I’ve done larger areas, I’m wiping down my blade with grass frequently, and probably giving it a quick run with my stone every 15 minutes.
You could probably work out a setup to do it with a diamond stone, but having everything hanging on my belt is convenient, and there are a lot of “traditional scything” resources out there, so I haven’t been trying to reinvent the wheel.

not op, i was looking to buy an old antique scythe to cut down reeds.
now these reeds have the old dried up reeds that can only be cut with large gardening sheers.
a machete cuts fresh reeds well, but not the old dried up reeds.
would a nice, sharp scythe cut down pic related well?

>>2919932 (OP)
just buy a lawn mower
fucking hate neighbors like you
I bet you have a couple junker cars laying around too
if you can't take care of your property, then move out to the country or some shit so the rest of us don't have to look at your failure

>>2920336
>Decent quality ones are remarkably inexpensive as of the last couple of years
it's because artificial diamonds got cheaper to make, especially tiny ones used in sharpening stones and grinding disks

>>2920364
these things exist

>>2920400
My scythe takes up next to no room (with the blade off, it’s the size of a mop), uses no power, makes no noise, and builds muscle.
My garden is full of wildflowers and bees. When the time is right, I cut them down with my scythe and compost them.
You sound like the sort of person who drives 5 minutes instead of walking 10, and complains that sidewalks take up too much road space.
A suburb full of sterile cropped lawns isn’t much better than a parking lot.

>>2920270
Anything that still has no specialty parts like weird shaped bolts is ideal, but since they're so cheap it doesn't matter that much. If the part costs more than another mower then just replace it.

>>2920364
Grass scythes aren't supposed to be used on dead material because it fills them faster. A ditch blade should take care of that though.

>>2920476
Based

>>2920500
>Anything that still has no specialty parts
still works and has*

>>2919932 (OP)
depends on the weeds
ther are more types of scythes, most of them are for tall grass or wheat or whatever grain plants, the blade is longer and thin
if actual weeds are your problem and there are rocks you might hit that you dont see in the weeds or its all at an incline, there are short bladed and stubby looking
you will also have to learn how to swing, with bad technique and unadjusted scythe handles you will break your back in 2
i only ever swung with a short stubby one, when i was a teenager, it could cut brambles and even tree saplings
you also need a sharpening stone, you will notice with good technique when the blade is dull
you also have to learn how to sharpen the blade
it all takes some practice before being able to effectively use

>>2920473
what is this thing called?
ive been using an electric hedge trimmer, but even the 80v model isnt powerful enough to go through the dead reeds.
>>2920501
cool, that looks like a good solution. any recommendation on a good non-chink brank?

>>2920587
>what is this thing called
sickle bar mower

>>2920587
I bought my scythe from scythesupply.com. They have a good selection and resources for beginners, but from what I've read online the real pros shop somewhere else.

>>2919932 (OP)
I bought a scythe to mow grass on my suburban lawn thinking myself a contrarian. I even shelled out some cash for a nice Schroeckenfux.
I could see it having its use cases, but for me it was a colossal waste of time and money. Unless you are living on a large swath of land cutting rye and millet for harvest like some Irish potato baron’s servant, just save yourself the headache and buy yourself a good gas mower.
I wasn’t even able to sell the scythe in the end. It went into the trash unfortunately. Hurt to throw away a beautiful tool.

>>2920768
Uh huh, sure you did, bud.

Just do a bit of pruning, most of your "weeds" are probably native plants, do some identifying and try to remove invasive stuff. Plant some native flowers to spruce it up, put some mulch down and then you don't have to worry about what stupid ass scythe you need to get. If your neighbors bitch about it put a sign labeling it as a butterfly conservation or some shit.

>>2920336
Yeah, it's just an archaic tool so most of information is also archaic.
There was no diamond sharpeners back then.
You can use them now of course.
Grandpa was a scythe boy.
He hated that job and said many times it was terrifying to be in a field with other scythefags.
They would do rows of hay so one width back and right was where the next guy was.

>>2920744
im talking about a ditch blade.
almost no one sells one locally, and the one place that does has bad reviews
amazon is full of bad reviews as well, either the blade is trash, the handle breaks, or its $40 for shipping.

>>2920992
Same place. I bought the snath, stones, peening jig, and two blades (bush and ditch) so I could practice and learn good technique before I tried a grass blade. If you already have the snath then you should just need the blade by itself.

>>2920992
I bought a council tool one
MAADE IN USA
HOOOOAAAAH
>it's a piece of shit
>unbalanced
>shitty potmetal blade

>>2920995
link me, i cant find shit on this circa 2004 apple wanna be website.

>>2919932 (OP)
I use a scythe to manage my acre and half plot. Fuck noisy lawn mowers and micro plastic shedding grass cutters.

>>2920336
You sharpen a scythe with a peening hammer and anvil & use a wetstone to fine tune the edge. I used to use a scythe to cut tall grass on the hills near my cabin and it takes more to maintain than a simple blade. farmers in my village still use traditional scythes because it's a very mountainous area and some pastures are inaccessible by tractors and I learned to use and maintain it from them.

You have to use a set of anvils and a hammer to gently peen the blade's edge and then when you're finished you work the edge with the whetstone. it's not completely necessary to do every time but you probably should peen the blade every 2-3 uses. you will have to sharpen the blade with the whetstone every 20 mins or so of use; the blade will get dull incredibly quickly as another anon said. also when you sharpen the blade you should do so laying down on the ground holding the tool with one hand. always sharpen downwards and be very careful, I almost cut my thumb off sharpening mine for the first time. NEVER try to sharpen it standing up with the scythe held vertically.

check this boomer showing how to properly peen and sharpen a scythe. it's not necessary to buy the exact tools he's using, I made due with a ballpeen hammer and a splitting wedge as my anvil.
https://youtu.be/IaWcNaceWWY

poorfag here. can't afford a scythe, and the one my dad has is his dad's, and over 100 years old & long retired. can't be using family history in the fields.

I have to do my shit on my knees, like a ten pence whore.

I used a grinder with a #40 flap disk to bring an antique sickle to an edge. worked great, held its edge for a week. dulled it on wild lettuce stems. I used our kitchen knife sharpener to bring it back, but it seems to dull faster and not as sharp as when I just use the flap disk.

I've got to upgrade. the time & effort does not justify the offset of just buying 635kg bales.

>>2921017
https://scythesupply.com/blades.html

They're out of stock on most of their ditch blades. The gardening blade might be the best one they have in stock

>>2921291
Read this post >>2921285

Scythe blades are softer than most steel so they can be sharpened more. You might have to repair that blade before it will be useful again.

>>2921291
>>2921304
To make it really clear, you fucked up bad by using a grinder on a scythe blade.

>>2921306
I didn't use a grinder wheel. only a #40 or #60 flap disk. mostly just to take the rust off and get a workable surface edge. didn't go buckwild, just a few very light passes to remove 60 years of oxidation.

I mean, it was free. clearly forgotten "trash" in some barn, and looks like said barn must've been on fire at some point... so it's not exactly like I'm squandering the family fortune here. I think I got it from máthair chéile.

>>2920922
a euro scythe doesnt get grass cutting sharp with onl the whetstone
Burger scythes are an entire different tool

>>2921320
Scythe are sharpened with special Scythe stones that loom like annear of corn and you can keep in your pockets.

If it's really bad it's sharpened by peening with a hammer.

I don't think cleaning it up was a problrm

>>2921291
>can't be using family history in the fields.
You should be plowing through the bones of your ancestors.

>>2919932 (OP)
If you don't rake up the cuttings it will build-up into thick thatch which is a haven for pests.

>>2920126
Ignore this. Get a dark wood old scythe. Just hold it further down or up. It's not rocket surgery.