As promised this post is about something somewhat lower-tech than PBXes and server computers...While working on clearing weeds on the railroad, and thinking about hacking down tall weeds with a machete I had joked about using a scythe for a similar purpose. However after doing some research I started to feel that maybe the old-fashioned tools and ways may not be so obsolete as many would believe.
I purchased this antique, American-style scythe about a month ago, and over the course of that month as I have taught myself to set it up, sharpen the blade properly and to properly wield it I am increasingly of the opinion that with the proper skills a scythe can do the work of a bush-hog with similar (if not less) physical effort on the part of the user.
Unlike machetes and similar tools a scythe works by slicing plants; when used properly a full-length cutting stroke (a swath) uses no more energy than a miss. A machete on the other hand requires a "concentrated" swing in order to cut down plants, all but preventing prolonged use.
Since I took this photo I have put the first two coats of linseed oil on the snath (handle) , peened the blade once and applied a coat of linseed oil to the "solid" rust covering the non-cutting portions of the blade (this is to prevent further rusting. In the old days metal tools were intentionally rusted and finished with linseed oil, a process called browning. Of course a "proper" browning job is considerably more involved than simply oiling a rusty tool, see my second note below).
Pictured here are my four scythe blades. The top three blades were given to me by my grandmother. Of these three, in order, one is physically worn out, the next is severely damaged but repairable (I have already partially repaired it) and the third is quite literally in like-new condition and only needs peened and sharpened.The topmost blade is sadly unsuitable for anything except a decoration. It has simply been worn out, and deserves to be attached to a similarly worn-out snath for display. A sad but distinguished end for any good tool if you ask me... Now I just need to find a worn-out snath with a good blade...
The second blade is severely damaged, but is quite salvagable. All of the cutting edge is in excellent condition, however the entire blade is slightly twisted and (when I aquired it) the tang was bent a full 45 degrees. As an amatuer blacksmith repairing the tang was easy, however I have yet to get a chance to try to un-twist the blade. Once this blade is fully repaired, peened and sharpened it will once again be prime to cut literally acres of grass and weeds on end...
The third blade, which has been stored better (and I believe has barely been used) is in literally like-new condition. All it needs in order to be usable is to be peened, sharpened and oiled.
The fourth and final blade is the blade that came with my scythe. When I first purchased it the blade was nearly destroyed, and required a substantial amount of filing to remove the damage from the cutting edge. However after peening this blade and tuning my snath it is finally able to cut grass again. Even before this it had proved it's weed-cutting abilities, which are now truly spectacular.
A note: In this post I repeatedly talk about "peening" blades. Peening is basically cold-forging. This is the "proper" way to resharpen a scythe blade, as it both greatly reduces wear on the blade and work-hardens the cutting edge (increasing it's sharpenability without making the rest of the blade brittle). Peening the blade literally forces the edge back into the correct profile, minimizing the amount of steel that needs to be removed to obtain a suitably sharp edge.
Another note: Many antique tools are "rusty," however unlike most rusty tools the rust is always small-grained and even. This is because the tool has been "browned," that is intentionally rusted and preserved. A full browning treatment involves cleaning the tool to bare steel, applying a rusting agent (such as salt or salammoniac), allowing it to rust, removing all rust, reapplying the rusting agent, allowing it to rust, removing all rust and so on until the coat of rust is very even and "solid," that is that the rust won't flake off even when struck against a hard object. At this point the tool is finshed with linseed oil, then waxed. In this manner the rust itself provides a means of preventing further rusting. It is amongst the oldest methods of preserving iron and steel, and in some cases is still used today.
That's all I have for now. In part 2 I will show the restoration of the long blade in detail.
