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  • From: sjc <indexer AT fairpoint.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Ideas
  • Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 12:54:27 -0400

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






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