Standard Austrian Blade: for grass and light weeds.
BLADES • SNATHS • PEENING EQUIPMENT •
STONES AND HONING • THE SCYTHE BOOK•
Austrian scythe blades are recognized around the world as being of the highest quality. That is why, if you search around on the internet, you can find cheaper imitations described as "Austrian-style scythes". These are most likely to be made in China or Eastern Europe. Unlike these models, our blades come triple-peened by the factory's technicians, and require only a short honing in order to mow satisfactorily. All our blades now carry the same tang angle — so no fiddling around when you change blade.
We also sell what we consider to be the best currently available snath (handle) — made in Switzerland, from ash wood, it is very light, and will adjust to suit any person's stature. If ever we locate a better snath, we will stock that instead.
Further down the page you will find information about whetstones, peening equipment and other ancillary equipment.
BLADES
NEW IN 2008!
Several people have requested a very short blade for work in the garden, so we will soon have a pilot consignment of 40 cm (16 inch) Austrian grass blades.OUR RANGE OF BLADES
We stock five basic patterns of blade.
(1) Austrian grass blade : standard all-purpose blade, for grass and light weeds. (Length: 40 cm, 60cm, 75 cm, 85 cm).
(2) Oriental: elegant, hook-nosed, grass blade; for meadows and lawns; the connoisseur's model. (70 cm; 85 cm).
(3) Stone-Blade: for topping rough weedy vegetation, especially on bumpy or rocky ground. Formerly sold in the UK as the "Turk scythe". (60cm).
(4) Ditch Blade: hook-nosed blade for tough grass and weedy vegetation; ideal for hedgerows, fencelines, in between fruit bushes etc. (55 cm, 65cm).
(5) Bush Blade: for woody growth; thick as a light billhook; no good for grass. (50cm).These blades are described in greater detail further down the page. All these blades, except the Bush Blade (5) are capable of cutting any kind of vegetation from grass up to coarse non-woody weeds, including dock, thistles, bracken, green bramble shoots, hogweed etc, but are designed to be particularly appropriate for certain conditions. The Bush Blade, is designed for heavier woody growth, and is not recommended for grass.
LENGTH
These different patterns of blade come in different lengths.
Very short blades (40cm) These are most likely to be useful for mowing ground cover around cultivated plants: for example undersown green manure to serve as a mulch, around daffodils, around closely planted fruit bushes etc. If everything is getting out of control and weeds threatening to outgrow cultivated plants, mowing with a short blade is usually a lot quicker than hoeing, and hoeing easier after you have mown,
Short blades (from 50cm to 65 cm) are for working in confined or constricted areas, or between plants that one wishes to preserve. 55 cm is good for narrow paths, gardens and allotments; 60-65 cm is good for between closely planted trees, along fence lines, banks and ditches. If you have bumpy ground you will be better off with a short blade.
Long blades are for open ground. 70 to 75 cm is a good length for novices tackling open grassland. 85 cm - 90 cm is for more skilled mowers. Anything longer than this is normally for competition use.
It is common for people to keep two blades, one long and one short. Often the longer blade will be kept finely honed for grass-mowing, while the shorter blade is kept less finely sharpened for rough weedy patches, and for lending out.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF BLADES
Standard Austrian Blade: for grass and light weeds.
These are our standard grass blades, and a common pattern used throughout Austria, and neighboring countries. Besides grass, they will also cut bracken, nettles, one -year old brambles, and most other annual growth before it has gone to seed. They are 50 millimetres wide and like all our blades, are hand-forged (from British steel). We have the following blade lengths in stock: 40cm, 60cm, 75cm, 85cm (60 cm pictured)
Oriental Blade: extra-light, hook-nosed, grass-blade.
This pattern of blade is popular in Near and Middle Eastern countries. It is the style of blade recommended by Peter Vido, and he and his family are using a similar form blade (but not exactly the same model) in this video http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/video/index.html. It is our blade of choice for scything well maintained meadows, and the best blade for mowing the lawn; but we do not advise it for novices carrying out heavy duty work.
These blades are light and have a hooked curve at their extremity, for the last six inches or so, a bit like a parrot's bill though not as exaggerated. In open field mowing this helps distribute the burden of the work more evenly along the whole length of the blade, whereas a blade with an even curve invites a disproportionate amount of the cutting at the front end. The hook-nose also makes it easier to work along fence lines without snagging the blades. The tip does not curve upwards as much as on other models: this facilitates the even cut necessary for lawns.
With hooked blades it is particularly important to ensure that the blade is attached at the correct angle for your stance (instructions are provided).We currently stock the Luxor model which is slightly broader than that pictured in the photograph. Length: 70 cm and 85 cm (pictured above).
Stone Blade: for stony ground and topping weeds.
We stock this because it is similar to the Turk blade, available in the UK in the 1960s to 1980s. It is a slightly more robust blade than the Oriental and Austrian Standard Grass blades, 60mm wide, with a reinforced point. It is designed for stony ground, and we recommend it for topping rather than mowing and for general weed clearance, for example nettles, brambles, bracken etc. It can be honed to the same sharpness as the Grass Blades, except at the very tip, and will sever grass just as well, but it is not as well-shaped for mowing a meadow. It has a more accentuated upward curve along its length, which means that it is less likely to hit stones or dig into the earth, but if you are mowing grass may leave a ridge of topped rather than mown grass to your left. It is about 15 per cent heavier than the Grass Blade. A good all-round blade to give to novices so that they don't ruin your best blade.We currently keep 60 cm blades in stock.
Ditch Blade: hook-nosed blade for light and medium weed clearance.
These are classier blades than the Stone blade, designed for mowing tough grass and weeds on ditches, banks, in gardens, around fruit bushes etc. They are an Italian model, originally designed for mowing around vines. They are more robust than the Grass Blades, but not as tough as the Bush blade. They are much flatter than the Stone Blade, and mow closer to the ground. They have a hooked curve at the extremity, where the blade is also quite narrow, but are quite wide at the near end (making them stronger, and more effective at shifting the cut weeds out of the way). The hooked nose makes it easier to avoid snagging the blade on fences when working a fenceline. The model we stock also has a stone point, like the Stone blade.With hooked blades it is particularly important to ensure that the blade is attached at the correct angle for your stance (instructions are provided). We currently stock these blades at 65cm and 55cm (pictured above).
Bush blade: horny weeds and woody stems.
This blade is much more robust than those listed above. It is a thick, heavy duty blade, 60mm wide, and about the same gauge tool as a light billhook. It is capable of cutting most woody plants up to half an inch in diameter, or bigger, depending on the species; but it is not recommended for grass. Typically used to work in areas where there are small saplings, fruit tree or blackthorn suckers, or weeds with woody stems. Care must be taken to keep the blade sharp, since heavy use of a blunt blade on tough material could damage the snath. The blade length we keep in stock is 50cm.
Competition blades
We have a small consignment of competition blades, the same form as the Standard Austrian blade, 110cm long. We can order them in any length up to 135cm.
Left-handed blades
We can get hold of left-handed blades (70 cm Standard Austrian) and left handed snaths, but do not hold them in stock, and there will be some wait. Left handed blades are not traditional, because a left handed scythesman cannot mow in a team, unless all the mowers are left handed.
Specialist Blades
We currently have a small number of specialist and vintage blades from discontinued lines or from factories which have closed down, from 35cm to 90cm long. Please enquire for details.
We have some remaindered stock going cheap, including 60 cm and 75 cm Austrian grass blades. These are Schrockenfux blades, but they do not come "ready to mow" and require about half an hour's preparation. Some of the blades have had their tang angles adjusted. For more information see under the Bargain Offer at the bottom of the price list.
ETYMOLOGICAL NOTE The word snath can be spelt about as many ways as the name Shakespeare: snaith, snathe and snead are the most common variants. The Oxford English Dictionary gives ten different spellings which it says are "irregular and difficult to account for". The word comes from the word snead or sned , meaning a lopped pole or branch from a tree, and a snedding axe is still the term for the tool used for limbing felled trees. It is related to the German schneiden, to cut. The US pronunciation (which is what we use) rhymes with US pronunciation of the word "bath" or the English word "hath". In the UK, as well as the US pronounciation, I have heard snathe (to rhyme with bathe), snaith (to rhyme with bathos), sned (to rhyme with bed), sneed (to rhyme with bead), and snuth (to rhyme with the Northern bath), but never snarth (to rhyme with the upper-class bath).
The Swiss Adjustable Wooden Snath
Finding a good snath can more difficult than finding a good blade. Your stature, your style of mowing, the blade you use, the topography of your land, and the kind of vegetation you are cutting all influence the shape of the snath that is right for you. If the snath isn't right for you, or isn't set up right, then you will tire quicker, or experience muscle pains.
The main challenge for a snath designer is to get the right hand grip and the left hand grip swinging at approximately the same level, even though they are attached to a shaft which is held on an incline. This can be achieved either by making an S curve in the wood (as in the traditional Anglo American snath); or by sticking the right hand grip on a spur projecting from a straight shaft; or by a combination of the two (as in our Adjustable Wooden Snath).
For two years we sold a choice of snaths — fixed and adjustable, metal and wood. However, we found that almost every single person, of the seventy or more people who visited our shop, chose the Swiss adjustable wooden snath, even though it was more expensive. We therefore now only stock this snath.
Swiss adjustable wooden snaths are designed by Peter Vido and technicians at Schroeckenfux, in conjunction with the manufacturer. They have a lightly curved ash shaft and both the right and left hand grips can move along the shaft. The method of fixing the grips to the snath, which involves a single bolt, is ingenious, secure and not at all cumbersome. The snaths are light, quite slim at the top, but with sufficient meat at the bottom to trim the end to adjust the angle of the blade. As of the middle of April 2007, the blades we sell are all compatible with the wooden snaths we sell.
The adjustable snaths are supplied in two sizes of shaft, and three sizes of right hand grip. Here is what we estimate the ranges of sizes are, bearing in mind that there is considerable variation in people's preferred stance, and in the length of their limbs:
Size 1 (fits Ronny Corbett) Short snath, short right hand grip. For people up to 5ft 2in.
Size 2 (Ronny Barker) Short snath, medium-sized right hand grip. For people from 5ft 2in to 5ft 11in.
Size 3 (George Bush) Long snath, medium-sized right hand grip. For people from 5ft 10 in up to about 6 ft 3in. It can be set for use by shorter people, but for people under 5ft 10in, a size 2 will be preferable
Size 4 (John Clees) Long snath, long right hand grip. Over 6 ft 3.
If two people of very different height want to share a snath, this can sometimes be achieved by buying an extra right hand grip; please phone or e-mail for advice.
Children — Some children of eight years and over take to mowing. For a child of 8 to 12 years we recommend a size 1 wooden snath, with a 50cm or 60 cm blade.
All the above is rather complicated. Please phone or e-mail for further advice, or else stipulate the height of potential users and we will sort out the correct combination for you.
Snaths should be treated from time to time with raw linseed oil.
An adjustable wooden snath, with a 60 cm Austrian style blade (left) and with a 75 cm Oriental blade (right).
Why We No Longer Stock Other Snaths
We have deliberately stopped stocking fixed grip wooden snaths . This is for a number of reasons:
(i) They require a slightly differently formed blade from those we now stock.
(ii) They are no good for tall people.
(iii) Of all the customers who have come to the store (probably about 70) and compared the snaths, not a single person has opted to buy a fixed grip snath, because most people consider the extra £20 to ensure comfort is well spent.
(iv) They take up a lot of room, and we are short on space.
(iv) They are awkward to pack.We do not stock metal snaths for reasons (i) to (iii) above and also (iv) because it is hard to adjust the angle of a blade on a metal snath and (v) because the handgrips are turned cylinders of wood rather than shaped and angled to fit the human body.
We are aware that the adjustable snaths are expensive and have some misgivings about not stocking a cheap option. If you want a cheaper or a metal snath try http://www.get-digging.co.uk/.
BASIC ADVICE
• If you plan to mow grass on any scale you need to understand what peening does (see our guide to the Austrian scythe) and consider acquiring peening equipment.
• If you only want a scythe for occasional weed control, then you may be able to do a satisfactory job without peening.
What Is Peening?
Scything is far less effort, and far more pleasant if your blade is sharp, and more than half the skill in scything is learning how to keep it sharp. However repeated honing brings the edge back into thicker and thicker metal, and make the bevel at the edge bull-nosed. If you aim to cut grass in any quantity you will need periodically to peen or cold-forge your blade. This involves tapping out the edge of the scythe to get rid of the bull-nose and make it thinner. Peening takes about 15 minutes.
Peening is also used to reshape the edge of the blade after filing out the cracks or chips that can occur if blade meets a stone, tree stump or other obstacle.
Peening with hammer and anvil requires some skill, and unless you have experience at working metal you will benefit from tuition. Peening instruction is a considerable part of our day courses for beginners. Courses There is more information on how to peen the blade in the section on "peening" in our guide to the Austrian scythe; in The Scythe Book; at http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/docs/peening.html; and in illustrations on www.scythesupply.com
If you only want a scythe for occasional weed control, then you will be able to do a satisfactory job without peening. However it would be a good idea to file the blade down to a thinner bevel every so often. A chainsaw file can be used for this job, but you have to be very careful not to rip into the edge of the blade (and not to cut your fingers). A safer alternative is a grinding wheel, providing it is running through a water bath.
We stock three kinds of peening equipment, but advise that you get either the bar peen anvil, or the peening jig. The hammer and flat anvil system is trickier, but is useful for repairing chipped or cracked blades
Bar Peen Anvil
We now stock Bar Peen Anvils from Germany or Eastern Europe. This system involves placing the edge of the blade upside down on the anvil, and tapping it with an ordinary carpenter's hammer, of 16 to 20 oz. Most people find this an easier method than the flat anvil system described below, because it is easier to see where exactly where you are hitting. It is also cheaper because you only have to buy the anvil, not the special hammer.
Peening Jig
We now have a source of reasonably priced peening jigs. The jig is an alternative to the hammer and anvil which ensures that you hammer out the blade to a prescribed thickness. It requires less skill than freehand peening, but on its own will not achieve as good a result as accomplished freehand peening. The jig is also not as good as a hammer and anvil for repairing cracks and nicks in the blade.There is a lot to be said for peening initially with the jig, to get the basic profile right, and then finishing off with hammer and anvil to get a keen finish. There is a small reduction in price if you buy both.
Peening Hammer and Flat Anvil
An alternative peening system comprises a cross-peen hammer and a small flat anvil (pictured above), with a face about two inches square (though in fact it is slightly convex). The blade is held flat on the anvil, normal way up, and the edge gently tapped with the hammer. It requires skill, concentration and practice. This is the trickiest way to peen — but it is the best set up for hammering out chips and small cracks.
We currently sell, a 16oz "Warrington" made in the UK by Footprint. We also have some flat anvils. However, you can make a serviceable anvil by grinding and polishing the top of a splitting wedge, or the back an old axe head, or the head of a splitting maul, to a slightly convex curve. For more information on how to do this, please contact us by phone or e-mail.
HONING EQUIPMENT
BASIC ADVICE
Ideally, you should have at least two stones: a medium grit artificial stone for occasional use, when larger amounts of metal need to be removed (for example when repairing a nick or dent in the blade, or after using the peening jig); and a fine natural stone for regular touching up in the field. For information on honing, see The Scythe Book or: http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/docs/sharpening.html; or http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/docs/peening.html
Whetstones
We supply four kinds of stone. All our whetstones, natural or artificial, come in the "boat" shape (as opposed to the "cigar" shape, sometimes used on English scythes).
• Synthetic coarse whetstone, silicon carbide, 23-24 cm. This is mainly used for profiling the edge, repairing nicks and cracks. It will get the blade moderately sharp, with a rough slightly serrated edge, good enough for topping weeds — but if you use this blade for regular honing you will eat through your steel quickly. These are cheap, but wear away quickly.
• Synthetic medium whetstone "Silicar", silicon carbide. A high quality intermediate stone. It is less aggressive than the coarse stone and lasts a lot longer. If you want a "one size fits all" whetsone, this maybe the best choice. I use it as an intermediate stone between the coarse and the fine, and for refreshing a tired blade at the end of the day when really it needs peening.
• Natural fine grit Bregenzer sandstone (21-23cm ); about 300 grit; this will get a pretty good working edge on your stone, but it is not as fine as the Rozsutec — cheaper, but more fragile. It will break easily if you drop it.
• Natural extra fine grit Rozsutec sandstone (23-24 cm); this is the stone to use to get a well-peened blade as keen as you can. It will also get a good edge on a pocket knife.
In our sets we supply two stones, the coarse synthetic stone, for profiling and repairs, and the Rozsutec for regular peening.
Stone sheaths
We normally stock copper sharpening stone sheaths. These attach to the belt and hold water, allowing you to move around with your whetstone in easy reach. Since it is desirable to give your blade a few passes with the stone every five minutes or so, these are more useful than one might think. They will only take the smaller 23-24 cm stones. We also sometimes have cheaper galvanized sheaths.
Hand-carved wooden sheaths
We sometimes stock wooden stone sheaths, hand-carved from oak or chestnut by Steve Tomlin. These sheaths are more comfortable than a metal sheath, hug the body more faithfully, and don't slop around so much. They are polished smooth, and designed as blanks for the woodcarver of your choice to emblazon your personal design upon the exterior face.
Garryflex rubberized sanding blocks
These hand sized rubber blocks, impregnated with sanding grit (medium, 120 grit, and medium coarse 60 grit) are much the best tool for cleaning rust and gunge off your scythe blade, prior to peening and honing. 120 is best for the edge, 60 for polishing up a neglected rusty blade. They last for ages, and are useful for many other tasks.
x 10 Magnifying Lens
These little eye-pieces will open up the wonderful world of friction to you, and are extremely handy for understanding what is going on when you are learning how to peen, profile and sharpen a blade.
ADVICE AND TUITION
All our complete scythes are sold with a 24 page A4 information pack called Notes on the Use of the Austrian Scythe. If you come to the store to buy a scythe, we will spend an hour explaining how to set the scythe up, use it and maintain it. Please phone for an appointment. We give advice over the telephone, and if you are having problems will do our utmost to help you overcome them.
We also sell copies of The Scythe Book , by David Tresemer with an addendum by Peter Vido, published by Alan C Hood and Company, Chambersburg Pennsylvania, USA, paperback 191 pages.
The Scythe Book provides a history of the Austrian scythe, explains why it is so effective, and gives detailed information on how to choose the correct scythe for your purpose, how to use it and how to maintain it. Here is the verdict of one reviewer:
"Armed with book and scythe, I approached my grass.
I can report that I laid waste to a quarter-acre of weeds, including occasional poplar and sumac shoots up to half an inch in diameter. I felt good after performing this chore. Last year I did the same job in twice the time with a "weed eater' made by a chain saw manufacturer. It vibrated. I vibrated. Though I wore anti-noise ear-muffs, I got a headache. David Tresemer has converted me to scything."Tom Manwell, Horticulture Magazine.
We also provide tuition on one day Courses
BLADE COVERS
We don't stock any protective blade covers, and are looking for a supplier. We would like to hear from anybody who could design and produce a simple blade cover out of leather or canvas, preferably adaptable to various shapes of blade. We are also interested in contacting a supplier of wooden hayrakes and forks.
OTHER EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE IN THE UK
The following tools, available in the UK, are useful for scythe maintenance. In the future we may stock some of these for customer's convenience:
• Flat, half-moon or rat's tail chainsaw files, available everywhere, useful for filing out cracks and dents in the blade, prior to peening. Single grain files are better than cross-grain.
• Tormek sell a modern electric grinder with water bath for around £200. See http://www.tormek.se/index.htm
