Grass scythe

[ren531]

Does anyone have any experience with sharpening a scythe , just acquired one and want to put it to use , lots of info on YouTube, but the main issue is whether to peen ( hammer the blade edge flatter) or not , apparently American style blades shouldn't be peened but European ones should , if so not sure my knowledge of metals would be up to it . Done lots of sharpening of other garden tools but none that involved a hammer.

 

[T4tomo]

we always sharpened ours with a sharpening stone. i wouldnt peen it.

 

[derrick]

File then stone.

 

[classic33]

Always sharpened.

 

[dicko]

My Grandfather used a scythe to cut grass back in the 1950s he was head gardener at RAF Hullavington. He would take me to work on the aerodrome and I would watch him cut the grass with a scythe. He would stop frequently and sharpen the scythe with a stone which was about the size of a cucumber. The scythe was extremely sharp and it was kept in sacking. There is a knack to using the scythe. Happy days.

 

[oldwheels]

As @dicko says there is a knack in using one. My grandfather cut acres of grass for hay and during my summer holidays which I spent on his croft I spent a lot of time scything.
I now have a scythe but the knack seems to have gone awol and I cannot get it properly sharp either.

 

[OldShep]

Always used a sharpening stone and only experience will make you good at it. I used them in the sixties mostly for mowing thistles and nettles which are a lot easier than grass to cut. I’m pleased I have a strimmer now 😀

 

[Ridgeway]

Are you planning on some grim reaping 😁

 

[Profpointy]

I have used one a bit and they're a lot less back-braking than a sickle to use for more than 5 minutes. Never sharpened one but have sharpened bill-hooks and sickles. A fairly fine cigar shaped oilstone is probably the best. Lots of the ones I see on the 'bay look a bit on the coarse side. I have a 3" diameter round flat stone (double sided / course-fine) but that's really for an axe rather than a concave curved blade but would likely still be OK for a scythe if not a sickle

 

[postman]

having floaters in my eyes,i read that as glass scythe,i thought what use is that.

 

[ren531]

we always sharpened ours with a sharpening stone. i wouldnt peen it.

I was a bit surprised at the suggestion of hammering a blade to sharpen it, perhaps someone very experienced in using and sharpening sythes but filling and wet stone or oil stone would be something I'd be more comfortable with

 

[ren531]

My Grandfather used a scythe to cut grass back in the 1950s he was head gardener at RAF Hullavington. He would take me to work on the aerodrome and I would watch him cut the grass with a scythe. He would stop frequently and sharpen the scythe with a stone which was about the size of a cucumber. The scythe was extremely sharp and it was kept in sacking. There is a knack to using the scythe. Happy days.

I posted this not expecting any response at all, it's great to hear all these fond memories of scythes in use and hands-on experience and advice on sharpening .

 

[ren531]

Always used a sharpening stone and only experience will make you good at it. I used them in the sixties mostly for mowing thistles and nettles which are a lot easier than grass to cut. I’m pleased I have a strimmer now 😀

My interest in scythes is due to having asthma I cannot go anywhere near anyone using a strimmer let alone use one myself nore any other mechanised grass cutting equipment, but I can cut grass with a simple push mower or grass hook with only minor negative affect so I'm wondering if I could cut longer grasses with a scythe .

 

[Profpointy]

My interest in scythes is due to having asthma I cannot go anywhere near anyone using a strimmer let alone use one myself nore any other mechanised grass cutting equipment, but I can cut grass with a simple push mower or grass hook with only minor negative affect so I'm wondering if I could cut longer grasses with a scythe .

Apparently a gardener my dad knew when he was a boy would cut the tennis lawn of "the big house" with a scythe

 

[ren531]

Apparently a gardener my dad knew when he was a boy would cut the tennis lawn of "the big house" with a scythe

That definitely was sharp .