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I've been using a strimmer (I know, I know) to control the nettles in the orchard. We want to keep the nettles on wildlife grounds, so I don't want to kill 'em off (besides, nettle beer next year is tempting). The problem with strimmers and nettles is that the stems of large nettles are ten times tougher than the strimmer (even though it's heavy duty). I've looked for an electric plastic blade job, but you'd think I was completely insane by the reactions I get everywhere I've asked. BUT ... at the back of one of the sheds is an old scythe - one of the big, wavy handled jobbies complete with crossbar.

Has anyone used one? It seems to me that if they're any good, the swathe cut on each sweep would far outperform any strimmer. On the other hand, I've heard horror stories about almost amputated legs if you don't know what you're doing. Advice would be nice - or is this just far too primitive?

bosch do a plastic blade strimmer...

But anyway, everyone here tried to convince me to get a scythe instead and I chickened out (got a rechargable b+d strimmer) - but there were many people singing their praises, I'd imagine the first thing you want is a whet stone to get it nice and sharp.

we love our scythe.. lots quicker than a strimmer.

try this site http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/

Thanks for that, Red - now at least I know how to hold it

we got one the week we moved into our house. 1/2 acre of waist high grass, nottles an docs. never used one before, took 2 days to cut the lot. a good man back in the day could do an acre a day!!! it was some of the hardest work I ever did. technique is everything, dont try to cut to big a swathe, and buy a whet stone, I didnt and paid for it!!!

yeh you have to have the whet stone with you all the time really.. and keep sharpening always sharpening.
we are nto up to lawn quality.. but its fine for doing paths, rough patches, hen run, hay etc

Well - and I thought that I'd be laughed at . OK, the scythe (complete with whetstone, which is sitting next to it) is coming back to life. And - serendipity - one of the guys offering courses in scythe use (and winning prizes for his own efforts) turns out to be living three miles down the road from me. Could be handy.

very handy indeed! - stteady - you could get addicted!
we found the videos on that website very handy.

I know stonehead is a fan of the scythe, perhaps he has some tips to give too.

Hubby uses the strimmer while I use a scythe so we always have bedding for the rabbits. It's quite easy to use, therapeutic and I still have all my limbs. The key is definitely in ensuring the blade is sharp, so get in the habit of carrying the stone when scything. I found some good tutorials on youtube. Don't know how to post them here but you'll see them if you do a youtube search.

Good heavens I spent many a summer holiday with one of those scythes as a teenager. I'd sooner have one than have a strimmer any day.

Do any of you Scythians bother to peen? When I was investigating scythes, the peening thing looked like a hassle.

I have a 'scythe' which is more of a bill-hook on a long handle. I also have an electric weed wacker which I never use. Slashing away with the scythe is so much safer and more fun (a friend managed to cut a quarter of the way through his own ankle with a weed wacker - he took photos of it with his cell phone while lying in agony waiting for the ambulance to come, with his dogs having a merry ole time licking up the blood). You can cut a much greater range of plants and shrubs with a scythe too.

I don't seem to bother much with sharpening, and certainly no peening, just relying on brute force, of which I have a seemingly ample supply.

Hey, this is so new to me. But peening sounds like the thing you should do if you want to be acceptable at country fairs ("Oh arrr - go'er pain, else oo'll ge' wavy cuts, innit?").

Besides, I already have a peening hammer.

I watched Stoney peening his scythe while I was over.

Nev

We have a petrol powered metal blade thing, anything electric is about as useful as a chocolate teapot with 10 acres.

Damn...Red beat me too it with the scythe shop link! It's very useful and has tons of info. Yes Stoney is an advocate of the scythe and there's lots of info on it on his blog too.

I have a scythe but don't use it all that often. An octegenarian blacksmith fitted a new Austrian blade for me and set it up for my height last year in return for some of our bacon and eggs. I always struggle to get the new blade sharp enough to make a decent job with it. In speaking to the scythe shop man he said not to peen the type of blade I had. Something inside tells me that's why I cant get a decent edge on it though!

It is highly unlikely that you will cut so much as a hair on your leg, never mind cut your leg off while you are using it. More likely to cut a spectators leg off, or perhaps your own when you are carrying it to and from the job!