Large Fierce Mammal

The title of this piece carries forward from one I wrote back in April of 2014, and is motivated by fallout from my joyous efforts in restoring a very nice old scythe to service. It joined the LFM stable of steel about a month ago courtesy of the Esteemed Peter Thompson. Wooden snathed (the handle portion of a scythe is called the “snath”) with sensuous curves and fitted with a lively Austrian blade, its debut here has prompted me to much research that, up until now, would have been motivated more out of interest in the subject than practical application.

Speaking as a Bladesman by the broadest definition, and knowing that my audience contains a significant component of like mind, I’ve paused today to reveal three bits of Wisdom that, to my mind, hold comparisons speaking to the universality of steel, in all its incarnations. For your consideration Goode Reader, I believe each holds relevance to the realities of the world, and those of us who strive within it.

The first …

“Besides, even if one knew the exact number of stems per area, real life is often more colourful than an arbitrary classification based on head counts. Are the stems young and juicy, or are they old and tangled? Equally important, how sharp is your blade?” ~ Scythe Connection

How sharp indeed!

The second …

“… for every ‘rule’ or tradition I have for scythe design and technique, somebody someplace else did it a little differently and got the grass cut.” ~ David Tresemer

And the third …

“There are only two transgressions for which a blacksmith can go to Hell. The first is hammering cold steel; the second, not charging enough.” ~ From The Scythe Must Dance by Peter Vido, published in 2001 as an addendum to The Scythe Book by David Tresemer, 1981

Until next time.