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[sjc <indexer AT fairpoint.net>]

EarthNSky wrote:



>            Seems like I recall a discussion here that curved was 
> better-can'tremember why tho...perhaps we can revive this topic?
>   
Not sure that curved is "better" but it works better for me.  The way I 
figured out what I wanted was to go where there would be a lot of 
sycthes/scythe-knowledge and asked folks, tried what they had......for 
me, the curved snath seems way more comfortable, even (especially) 
compared directly to a properly-sized straight snath.  Look around for 
some sort of place where you could find info/hands-on experience; often 
such things are low-key events.  I don't know of anything specific going 
on down that way but there are a number of really good-with-a-scythe 
folks in East Tennessee (including our own King of the Scythe, James) 
who might know.  Maybe that place just north of Knoxville that does (or 
did, anyway) quite a bit of organic-farming/gardening stuff would know. 

Up here there are a lot of folks using scythes; it's not hard to find 
someone.  There are any number, over the summer and early fall, of 
informal, and a couple of more-formal, haying events where scythes are 
pitted against other methods, mostly held in good fun and with quite a 
bit of humor, but some have an 'edge' to them that I don't care for.  In 
fairness to them I will point out that competition, particularly in such 
a setting, is not very appealing to me.

Also around here there are more "utilitarian" events involving the 
scythes.  For instance, once a year the very large, steep-sided outdoor 
sit-on-the-ground type amphitheater at  MOFGA is mowed, by scythe, as 
the sides are  too steep for the horses/mules often used up there for 
the heavy work, and certainly too steep for the tractor mowing devices.  
So we mow it on Small Farm Field Day every year, then they use the hay 
for teaching various classes about low-tech haymaking and storage.  
http://mofga.org/Programs/Events/SmallFarmFieldDay/tabid/302/Default.aspx  
The first item, which doesn't get much play on the schedule, would be a 
great place to try out everything about a scythe---there will be just 
about every sort of snath and blade at such an event, and most folks 
glad to show you what they like and don't like about their rig, show you 
how to use it.  Look around, see what you can find.  Wrangle an 
invitation from The King.  Or plan a nice trip to Maine :)  or wherever 
else. 

Peter Vido used to do some workshops down there but the hassles of going 
back and forth across the border have come to be many (he's in New 
Brunswick), and the last few years he's found it easier to go to 
Germany/Austria/Hungary for classes/competitions/contacts.  Somewhere, 
don't have time to look for it right now, on the 'net is a video of one 
of his kids mowing at a pretty hefty pace, outdistancing and outworking 
adult males in a Canadian competition a few years ago.  In a dress, no 
less, barefooted, with her braids flying.  She was one cute kid, think 
she was 8 at the time.  When I have time I'll try and find the video and 
maybe when you go somewhere they have highspeed connection you can watch it.

I first learned (Well, I first learned at home with a heavy, unwieldy 
American scythe that I had to wait for my uncle to sharpen on a wheel.  
Nasty thing, and a back-killer.)  and got gear from Elliot Fishbein, but 
he's been dead for quite a while now, victim of some idiot in a killer 
vehicle....:(

SJ