Thread: Clueless about this sharpener/hone?

Originally Posted by Utopian

I could bring one of mine up some time and you could mow Randy's yard!

How many you got ? Inquiring minds want to know

He probably has a seven day set..............

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

How many you got ? Inquiring minds want to know

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Just guessing but it might be a scythe hone. ...........

Might be a broken scythe stone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usb055-5ex0

Man, he beat the devil out of that blade! No wonder they break in half like that.

When I first saw that hone the thing that came to mind was an Aladdin/Wizard brand hone I saw on Ebay. It was advertised on the box for kitchen cutlery. The yellow color and fact that it was 'made in Germany' is what brought it to my attention. I kinda wondered what the chances were it was coticule that was bought from Ardennes, shipped to Germany, and restamped. At the end of the day I decided that probably wasn't the case and it wasn't worth the (admittedly small) risk to find out.

So, as adrspach stated, different scythes serve different purposes.

I have two snaths. One is wood and the other is steel. The steel one is much lighter and fairly strong but I pushed it too hard and bent it last year. It will either be repaired or replaced. The other is wood, heavier, and slightly less ergonomic, but it can handle anything. Both are European style snaths, which are way more ergonomic than the unwieldly American snath I used as a kid on the farm.

I have four blades. One is for grass and one is for hay. Both are long and are not much different. I also have two shorter blades with one called a ditch blade and the other a bush, or brush, blade. For the work I tend to do helping on the farm, I mainly use the two shorter ones for clearing fences. They work great for that and can much more readily handle the hilly areas of the farm where no tractor can go. They can cut half inch tree/brush stems but still can cut grass and weeds--lots and lots of weeds.

There is something meditative about using a scythe. You know what the difference is between good and not so good scything? A sharp edge! You have to touch it up about every 10 minutes--more frequently if you are cutting a lot of heavy brush and crap, and when you are doing that kind of cutting, the honing excuse is handy for getting a bit of a rest! Occasionally edge work requires heavier work--peening with a hammer and special anvil to draw out the edge further. This is followed by honing through a progression of grits. Sound familiar?

Of course my brother can cut much faster with a brush cutter on the back of a tractor, but I'm different. If I ever retire to a small farm, I would be putting up a few acres of hay every year with a scythe and a wood rake; and he would think I'm nuts. He's right.

Originally Posted by Utopian

There is something meditative about using a scythe. You know what the difference is between good and not so good scything? A sharp edge! You have to touch it up about every 10 minutes--more frequently if you are cutting a lot of heavy brush and crap, and when you are doing that kind of cutting, the honing excuse is handy for getting a bit of a rest! Occasionally edge work requires heavier work--peening with a hammer and special anvil to draw out the edge further. This is followed by honing through a progression of grits. Sound familiar?

Of course my brother can cut much faster with a brush cutter on the back of a tractor, but I'm different. If I ever retire to a small farm, I would be putting up a few acres of hay every year with a scythe and a wood rake; and he would think I'm nuts. He's right.

Call me crazy, but that does sound like a good time. Any excuse to pla-ehm, work! with a sharp edged object, I guess.

I remember many hours of watching my friends dad peening them. Could not get my head arround maturing new blades burried in manure.
To return back to the original hone. I had few simmilar in my hand and they looked and felt like ceramic manmade material, simmilar to material used for old school fuse housings.

Originally Posted by adrspach

I remember many hours of watching my friends dad peening them. Could not get my head arround maturing new blades burried in manure.
To return back to the original hone. I had few simmilar in my hand and they looked and felt like ceramic manmade material, simmilar to material used for old school fuse housings.

I understand peening the blades, but why were new blades buried in manure? How were they "matured" in manure?

He was probably putting on a patina to help prevent rust - that'd be my guess.

How it was explained to me was that the acidity from the manure would thin the blade while also protect it from further rusting, but I am not sure how it would work. What is the fact I have seen them buried in the manure repeatedly by few people.
I with the Snaths I have learned with metal one and to be hones it was arkward thing. Then i had chance to use wooden one made out of Ash for cutting grass and it was completely different league. then I have tried one made for wheat and could not get on with it at all.

I have been peening my razors wrong all this time !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn70UfJcULI