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Old March 12, 2015   #1
Worth1
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Default The Sythe

I got enterested in the scythe a few years ago and ran across these videos again today.

I looks as though there is a mother, father and daughter doing the work.
The first time I saw the videos it made the rest of the world look like idiots with their weed whackers.
I would really appreciate it if you guys would look at these and see just how far backwards we have went with dependency on oil.

The first Video is called the hay pusher.
I dont think many kids would work this hard these days but my first girlfriend did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIVAlV8YVF0
The second video is an old one with the whole family out cutting with scythes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL2_chKPWjE
The rest I will put a link up to here.
https://www.youtube.com/user/kaivido

Everyone seems to be working bare footed.

Worth
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Old March 12, 2015   #2
drew51
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Time is money, it would cost me too much to spend that kind of time.
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Old March 12, 2015   #3
bughunter99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post
The first time I saw the videos it made the rest of the world look like idiots with their weed whackers.

Worth
Speak for yourself! I would slice my leg off if I tried to use one of those things and would look like an idiot if I didn't.

Signed she that has zero coordination and prefers weed ripping over weed whacking
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Old March 13, 2015   #4
Redbaron
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I have used a scythe before on about 1 acre. Faster than a weedwhacker for sure. Not that bad actually. But that was the young me. And to be honest I still prefered the riding lawnmower. So I tended to make sure I didn't let the grass and weeds get so tall I needed to scythe it. Later we got a couple beef cows and a milk goat 200 chickens and a few geese. They took care of that pasture quite well after that.
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Old March 13, 2015   #5
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I have a couple of scythes that I use mostly at the end of the season to clear the pigweed that managed to grow in my melon patches. One of the scythes is my grandfathers from probably the 40s. I like the rhythmic motion of using one, it's almost like a dance. Enjoyed the videos, the hay pusher and the family were my favorites. Love to watch people that know how to work.

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Old March 13, 2015   #6
Worth1
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I also watched a video where they introduced the scythe to Nepal.
The people there had never seen such a thing and were flabbergasted that it had been in use for centuries.
The reason for the scythe introduction was so the people could be dependent on themselves.
It they were introduced to modern machinery they would be dependant on oil and all of the spar parts they would need.
The local blacksmith shop can supply them with what they need.
I cant tell you how many times I have seen people use dull chainsaws.
They would say they haven't had time to take it down and have it sharpened.
This is sad.

I have yet to buy a leaf blower I use a broom and a rake.
I noticed my neighbor a while back blew all of his leaves over to my side of the yard.

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Old March 13, 2015   #7
Redbaron
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post

I have yet to buy a leaf blower I use a broom and a rake.
I noticed my neighbor a while back blew all of his leaves over to my side of the yard.

Worth
Did you tell him thanks for the free resources?
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Old March 13, 2015   #8
Worth1
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Quote:
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Did you tell him thanks for the free resources?
He already knows I like the leaves in the yard.
I showed him some time ago how my soil was black on top and his was red.
They come from one of those snooty tooty HOA places in Texas City where you cant even have your trashcan in view.
They probably made them keep their yards raked too.

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Old March 13, 2015   #9
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I still use a rake too. There is a leaf blower here that I could use, but I actually like to rake leaves. We use one of those trash tote things they use on garbage day in the city - to move huge piles of leaves to the garden. Those toter things hold a lot of leaves and a young child could pull it around easily. Ours has never had garbage in it. We bought it to move leaves with.
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Old March 14, 2015   #10
creister
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I clipped my vetch cover crop in 7 4x12 beds with lawn shears this year. All the vetch had grown onto the cages laying in the beds. Wasn't as bad to do as I thought, and the cut pieces didn't fly thirty feet out of the bed.
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Old March 18, 2015   #11
macmex
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I have a scythe. Though I don't use it for cutting grass or my pasture, I do use it from time to time. It took some practice and study to learn how, properly, to use it. Most newbies tend to use their arms too much for swinging it, rather than turning their torso. My lower back gives me trouble at times. I've learned that a session with the scythe is a pretty good remedy for that. It actually gets things back into alignment!

George
Tahlequah, OK
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Old March 18, 2015   #12
bower
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Great videos, Worth!

There's quite a large and rusty scythe at my Mom's place - I don't think they ever used it, it was there when they moved in. The place has a big meadow and it's a huge chore just to mow the small bit of it my Mom likes to see cut...
I may have to try and clean it up and sharpen it... I think it's a bit heavier than the ones in the video, so I hope not too big for me to use. It would be a lark to mow a few nice paths for her down through the field that's gone wild.
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Old April 23, 2015   #13
lrussillo
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Tolstoy in Anna Karenina, Levin goes into the fields during harvest to scythe with the peasants... gives a good description of what is involved, and how entire fields are handled. The book talks a lot about agriculture.
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