where can i get a sythe

[gunners71uk]

anyone know any suppliers of sythes

[Shirley]

http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/price%20list.html

I haven't used them but was considering ordering.. prices don't seem too bad either.

[Diana]

do you want a proper long bladed one or a shorter version?

I got a shorter one from a local hardware store (only really use it for keeping long grass in check)

D

[Han&Matt]

Car boot sales or salvage yards often have old tools for the garden - I have a few sythes (allotment appaulingly overgrown) and bought all second hand. There is a chap locally who refurbishes old tools and can sharpen (though expect you could do this yourself fairly easily I would probably lose a finger!).

I prefer the look of the old tools and wonder who used to own it before me...

Sure materials have improved though, in later years.

[Stonehead]

It's a bit more complicated than just buying a scythe!

First, you need to decide what you're going to cut with it and what type of terrain you'll be working on. Hay fields mean a long, thin blade; orchards need a shorter blade, rough ground and coarse grass a stronger, short blade, and woody stems need a very strong, short blade.

Then, you need to decide if you want to spend some time finding a scythe with a fixed grip snath that suits your height (can be difficult if you're particularly tall or short) or get a scythe with an adjustable snath (more expensive but easier to tune to your height).

Then, you need to decide how you're going to sharpen your scythe and get the approproate tools - a peening jig is the easiest but gives the least keen edge; a bar peen anvil (used with a flat faced hammer) is a little more difficult to use but gives a sharper edge; and the plain anvil with a bar peen hammer is the most difficult but gives the keenest edge.

You will also need a good quality stone to freshen up the edge while working.

And you'd be well advised to either buy the Scythe Book or find someone to show you how to set your scythe up, sharpen it and use it properly.

I have an 85cm Rasierschnitt blade for cutting hay in the field and a 60cm Hahnsense blade for rough ground and working around trees. I'd like a Fux blade for cutting bracken and nettles but that will have to wait until I sell the children!!

Oh, and make sure you have some cider or nettle ale ready for the end of the day's scything.