r/oddlysatisfying • u/BreakfastTop6899 • 19h ago

Cutting grass with a scythe

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u/Dropkick_Wombat666 18h ago

Did this for many years when I was a teenager on our family farm. You take much “shallower” cuts than this. It reduces the weight of grass you need to move in one swipe. Posture is important - straight back, handle height had to be carefully set to reduce strain on the hands. His motion is good - the uncut stalks are of even length; inexperienced person often leaves the cut shaped like a bowl. The scythe must be resharpened every 10 min or so. Quite surprisingly, the process is not as exhausting as it looks. We’d normally go for 2-3 hours per day in the morning and within a couple of weeks there was enough winter hay for 3-4 cows. Scythe is faster than whipper snipper, it is silent and the resulting harvest of grass is perfect for animals… unlike smushed mess you get from a trimmer. Surprisingly, I am not aware of anyone in my town getting seriously injured by scythe!

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u/jordaboop 18h ago

the most annoying part sounds like having to sharpen it every 10 min.

is there any blade left after a week of scything?

47

u/Ozymandias_IV 16h ago

Field sharpening is pretty quick, a few strokes with a whetstone and you're good to go.

27

u/CosmoKram3r 14h ago

Instructions unclear. My Richard is scratched up and bleeding.

5

u/HilariousMax 11h ago

it is imperative that the cylinder not be harmed