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Scythe Works Without Borders

scytheworks.ca

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Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#31

Post by jiggawatts »

andrewflnr wrote: post #24
insane_dreamer wrote: post #17

> regions where sickles (or machetes) are traditionally used I don't understand how it's possible that there are regions that don't use scythes (for crops that warrant them), when scythes have been around for over a thousand years? I would venture to say that if they haven't transitioned yet it's because they don't want to (for whatever reasons--no idea what those might be).

Invention and adoption of technology, even "basic" technology, is very contingent on circumstance. Bows are pretty near universal (but not quite), but specific improvements like recurved limbs are patchy. And people aren't exactly quick to adopt new farming techniques when a failure could mean they starve. I guess that's also why this organization is pushing uphill. But I think it's very possible that lots of people…

There's illustrations inside the pyramids that are thousands of years old showing people watering their fields using a bucket on a long swinging arm. It needs just a couple of long poles, a bucket, and a rope.

I saw this still in use today when I went to Egypt. That blew my mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadoof

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#33

Post by snitzr »

This reminds me of economist E. F. Schumacher's idea of "intermediate technology." It's tech that is more advanced than an impoverished person's existing technology, but not so advanced that only a few can afford and use. Intermediate technology prevents a dual economy / neocolonialism where only a few people get rich and productive from using advanced labor-saving technology.

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#34

Post by motohagiography »

opwieurposiu wrote: post #26

A good scythe is faster then a weed-wacker but slower then a lawnmower. I have been using a scythe to cut my lawn for a few years now. It works, and is fun, but you must keep it VERY sharp. If the scythe is not razor sharp it will simply push the grass over instead of cutting it. A sickle will still work when somewhat dull, because it gathers the grass into the concave bit and/or you can hold on the grass with one ha…

it really does. I use a scythe for clearing high grass that I got from lee valley and hoped it would be a fun lawnmower alternative, but it was less satisfying than I had hoped. Maybe next season I'll get good at it, or buy a few more and and bus city people out to do scythercise classes.

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#35

Post by FirmwareBurner »

motohagiography wrote: post #34
opwieurposiu wrote: post #26

A good scythe is faster then a weed-wacker but slower then a lawnmower. I have been using a scythe to cut my lawn for a few years now. It works, and is fun, but you must keep it VERY sharp. If the scythe is not razor sharp it will simply push the grass over instead of cutting it. A sickle will still work when somewhat dull, because it gathers the grass into the concave bit and/or you can hold on the grass with one ha…

it really does. I use a scythe for clearing high grass that I got from lee valley and hoped it would be a fun lawnmower alternative, but it was less satisfying than I had hoped. Maybe next season I'll get good at it, or buy a few more and and bus city people out to do scythercise classes.

Or just monetize the scythe skills at Halloween.

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#36

Post by supermatt »

crabbone wrote: post #15
broken-kebab wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm afraid you just dismissed the question, not answered it. Plenty of things changed in agriculture in spite of simple inertia. Why does sickle-for-wheat-scythe-for-hay concept seem to prevail for different cultures in distant lands for so long?

Well, with a sickle you hold what you cut, and then you bind it together, so the grain doesn't fall on the ground. With a scythe you will have to somehow pick it up and organize in such a way that you can later collect it (without much dirt stuck to it etc.) NB. In high-school, I worked one summer cleaning and otherwise maintaining the local after-school building. It had a huge lawn behind it, which I had to trim wit…

It’s quite common to use a scythe with a “cradle” when cutting grain.

Scythes are amazing for cutting on an incline. You need to work along the incline, not down the incline, and will take shorter strokes.

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#37

Post by yetihehe »

opwieurposiu wrote: post #26

A good scythe is faster then a weed-wacker but slower then a lawnmower. I have been using a scythe to cut my lawn for a few years now. It works, and is fun, but you must keep it VERY sharp. If the scythe is not razor sharp it will simply push the grass over instead of cutting it. A sickle will still work when somewhat dull, because it gathers the grass into the concave bit and/or you can hold on the grass with one ha…

> The sharpening process takes some practice to get good at, particularly if you start peening it as well.

I wish someone invented an easier and safer way to sharpen a scythe. If you make an error, it's pretty easy to cut yourself pretty deeply, and even cut into finger joints (did it one time, cut was deep but so clean it healed essentially in a day). "Dull" scythe is still as sharp as your average knife. Sharp scythe is sharper than a razor.

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#38

Post by wood_spirit »

snitzr wrote: post #33

This reminds me of economist E. F. Schumacher's idea of "intermediate technology." It's tech that is more advanced than an impoverished person's existing technology, but not so advanced that only a few can afford and use. Intermediate technology prevents a dual economy / neocolonialism where only a few people get rich and productive from using advanced labor-saving technology.

This reminds me of Hans Rosling’s talks about poverty and washing machines

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoKfap4g4w

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#39

Post by wood_spirit »

HideousKojima wrote: post #2

I mean it's an interesting idea, but it's weird to imagine that small time farmers in poor countries are capable of obtaining and using a sickle but are somehow not capable of obtaining and using a scythe. At least looking for ones here in the US, a decent quality sickle seems to run in the $30-$60 range while places that sell scythes seem to cost $100-$300, so I can't imagine it's some massive price barrier either

This is tangent, but I’m not in the US so my price perspective might be really different, but first of all that sounds really expensive.

Second of all, I can’t imagine any of my neighbours (live in countryside and have a lot of manual tools in shed) buying these things new. Far better to buy old ones for basically nothing at garage sales.

(I watch a lot of homesteading YouTube from US and am always amazed at how many power tools are purchased just for the one next job (or perhaps for the upcoming monetised video?). Power augers particularly. Far quicker and cheaper to just roll up sleeves than drive to town and back. It’s just a whole different view on consumption.)

Re: Scythe Works Without Borders

#40

Post by tweetle_beetle »

snitzr wrote: post #33

This reminds me of economist E. F. Schumacher's idea of "intermediate technology." It's tech that is more advanced than an impoverished person's existing technology, but not so advanced that only a few can afford and use. Intermediate technology prevents a dual economy / neocolonialism where only a few people get rich and productive from using advanced labor-saving technology.

I wonder the tipping point for that status for the scythe occured historically. They are fairly difficult tools to manufacture, as far as hand tools go. And it wasn't that long ago, in the history of the tool, that a patent led to a single small site (by modern standards) exporting riveted English scythes all around the world.

https://www.sheffieldmuseums.org.uk/visit-us/abbeydale-indus...

https://scytheassociation.org/english-scythe-making-traditio...

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