Scythes and Machetes

Scythes and Machetes

Scythes and Machetes

The Grim Reapers favorite landscaping tool. A scythe is a hand tool with a sharp blade for mowing grass, or reaping crops. Great for hacking down overgrown grass and weeds. A machete is a simlar long bladed tool but much shorter and used to hack down brush.

The technique for mowing with a scythe is done by holding the top handle in the left hand and the central one in the right, with the arms straight, the blade parallel to the ground and very close to it, and the body twisted to the right. The body is then twisted steadily to the left, moving the scythe blade along its length in a long arc from right to left, ending in front of the mower, thus depositing the cut grass to the left. Continue with a steady rhythm, stopping at frequent intervals to sharpen the blade. The correct technique has a slicing action on the grass, cutting a narrow strip with each stroke. Do not chop or hack at the grass with the blade length at right angles trying to cut too wide a strip of grass at once. This is much harder work, and is ineffective.

Remember not to cut too close to the ground as this can contaminate the blade with soil, rapidly blunting it. Much of the skill is in keeping the blade close to the ground and the cuts even.

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