The Scythe

February/March 2002
By Elliot Fishbein 
sythe
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The European scythe blade is made light, thin and strong without excess material.
Elliot Fishbein
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The scythe is simply the most efficient and graceful tool for mowing. It cuts heavy weeds and tall grass with ease, and with practice can be precise enough to cut and trim your lawn. It will silently outcut your string trimmer and venture where a push or gas lawn mower becomes useless. The scythe does all this with little physical effort, noise or pollution.

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There are two styles of scythes, the European and the American. The European scythe blade is made light, thin and strong without excess material. Its strength comes from the curves and tension of the skinlike structure. This design has been refined through the centuries to be efficient and minimal. The blade is fitted to a lightweight wooden handle called a snath. The grips are comfortably positioned, permitting an upright, stress-free stance, and the blade is adjusted to skim parallel to the ground. For maximum performance and enjoyment the snath should be customized to fit the user's body proportions.

To mow, the blade is drawn from right to left in an arc. Only the leading third of the blade enters the uncut grass. This shearing action slices the grass like scissors. Falling grass caught by the blade and snath is deposited in a tidy pile at the end of each stroke. A stroke takes about as much effort as paddling a canoe. The mower can set a pace that is sustainable. The European blade has a curved back that allows it to ride in close contact with the ground. The blade remains in contact with the ground during both the cutting and return stroke: There is no reason to lift it.

The stroke does not require great physical strength and does not rely on blade speed. It is not necessary to quickly rip the scythe through the grass. The stroke is deliberate and accurate. The shifting of your weight from side to side and the twisting of your torso power the blade. Occasionally you must stop to hone the blade and look behind to admire the precision of the windrow that's formed. In a good stand of grass even a child can cut a 7-foot-wide swath with each stroke. For full details on how to use and maintain a scythe, see the workshop pages of Scythesupply.com.

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