I forge a small peening anvil, used to sharpen scythes Check out my recommended tools/gear: www.amazon.com/shop/torbjorna... If you like my videos you can support me at: / torbjornahman
I'm a pretty inexperienced smith, and I haven't seen a lot of blacksmithing, either on the Internet or elsewhere. But yours is some of the best I've had the pleasure to witness, due more than anything else to how methodically and meticulously go about your work. Very well done, sir, and thank you for your dedication to the craft.
Wonderful craftsmanship! Tomorrow I'm going to try making a scythe peening anvil because I have a mission to cut down long grasses in a couple of months time. My teenage daughter is apprenticing with a local blacksmith. She is doing very well. Thank you so much for your inspiring, teaching video. Many blessings and nice juicy watermelons to you! ~Wenndi
The ever novel pleasure, a strange wistfulness we all have, for honest effort and the use of such in kind. It seems to me that there will always be people who wish only to observe in reverent silence, and there will always be those like this channel to reciprocate. To quote Tolkein, "It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life."
@@torbjornahman Everything is fine, but square and flat scythe anvil is proven better. The rounded one, you are using, requires more precision. In the other words it`s more tricky :) There are more films on RU-vid, regarding this matter, from the other parts of Europe. Just type "klepanie kosy". Btw: I remember my grandfathers, using square one, some 50 years ago.
@@Kinggg679 Ok? With the square ones you need to have crazy precision with the hammer! With this you can hold the scythe exactly where you want the blow and the hammer hit doesn't matter that much.
I used to harvest hay for the calves and trim the grass of the gardens with a practically identical scythe, when I was a boy. I worked with a honing steel in my back pocket and adjusted the thickness of the scythe blade on a common anvil, so as not to get thick, from filing and filing it ... All this in Viamão, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the 60s.
Wow! I thought I had seen all your projects but I was wrong and look what you have done...! What a master of your craft you are! I wish I was a young man and apprentice in so many different crafts such as yours, and sword and knife 🔪, pottery, pastry chef, and glass blower. And many more. When I was a kid we weren’t given choices like kids have today. I didn’t even know a man could be a pastry chef or Iron smith or heck a guitar maker. We were geared for industry, and women for the kitchen...I fought working in a factory and hit the world! Saw so much but decided on Medicine. No not a doctor....no, I became a Registered Nurse for 40 odd years. I’m retired now. Watching you and others blow my mind with your skill...so I shall shut-up and watch again and again. Thank you sir! Bless you all!
My dad had a scythe at the cottage for the tall grass. I learned how to use it and once you have the handles set, learn the arc and keeping the blade sharp it was an easy, low effort way to cut the grass.
Jorge Perez , Your comment reminded me of a fellow saying that his wife was not afraid of hard work. Then he added that she could lay down next to it and go right to sleep. It is enjoyable to watch a useful tool appear from a piece of steel, and then see it used.
I really enjoy watching your videos and learn a lot from them. In particular, I like that no background music is heard; only the sound of metal being shaped and entire process it undergoes. Refreshing and inspiring, indeed!
No music, no blather, nothing precious...I think these videos should be required viewing for students (of all ages), because even though they would be watching another screen, they would see elemental truth in timeless human activities.
I remember reading about this technique. Probably in the 1970 Last Whole Earth Catalogue. Always wondered just how it was actually used. Only took about 45 years to find out. At any rate,a puzzle finally shown. Thanks for that.
On reflection. Have you ever tried instead of following the length of the blade,but at 90 degrees to what you are doing ,so the hammer strikes put a series of shallow depressions,similar in concept to a scalloped blade ? Stoning would then touch the slightly thicker metal. Would that improve cutting grain stalks as opposed to tall green grass such as you demonstrated? I remember as a teenager my 85 year old great uncle was unsurprisingly a master of axe and scythe. Ripe grain cuts differently from tall green grass or alfalfa or clover. Have you tried other types ? Cheers.
No I haven't tried that. Not sure if would work so well... Might be better to hone the edge with a corse stone maybe, to crate kind of micro teeth? If you peen the edge perpendicular to the edge you will end up with a warped edge since you elongate the edge with each strike.
Torbjörn Åhman You are there,I am not. Probably correct ,especially with repeated sharpening. The last thing desired would be to warp or embrittle the working edge. My guesstimate back when was that this technique was dependent on type of steel. Changing the carbon content or increasing the hardening would tend to create cracking as the thinned edge was worked. Still,stoning removes metal,this simply thins the edge. Smart idea for a frugal people. Thanks for the replies.
Really love your videos, man. I've been in the hospital for a few days and I've gone back through and binge watched a ton of your stuff. Very inspiring!
Thank you for taking the time to pass on traditions of old because sometimes the best ways are the old ways and regardless the value of the old ways is precious and in this particular case the style of sharpening is a little bit more difficult but a lot safer and the quality of edge is as fine as any
The way these videos are shot and edited is beautiful. Very calming and flowing, no distracting or annoying elements, and a story is told smoothly. Apparently, that is hard to do, because I've seen so many bad and annoying videos on RU-vid.
I haven't mowed with a scythe in years, to peen it I used to use a $9 auto body dolly and a small ball peen hammer with a good flat face. I would find it really hard having to move the scythe around a fixed anvil like that. many ways to skin a cat though! My neighbor was 72 when he taught me. he had three acres of grass he would cut as winter feed 3 times during the summer. It would take him a a weekend to mow and the 3 acres by hand. He had a really old truxk with a PTO. Hi you use a hand anvil along with a small Ball peen hammer to thin the cutting edge down, it's peened down thin enough that it's razor thin. No filing, just stoning to "stand" the blade back up.
Very nice useful project! Hurricane should hit South Texas today or early tomorrow. The grass will grow quickly after the storm. How many acres can you cut per day and what is the fee? The hospitality is priceless. Su Amigo
Tip from a fellow scythe user: peen the blade with a heavier hammer, about 800-900g, using a radiused head or the crosspein if your aim is true. Then sharpen the scythe with a natural whetstone and apply more pressure. The sharpening is done whetting, the peening is just preparing the blade, getting kinks out and keeping it thin. You'll find it will actually cut the grass much easier and require less effort. Also keep the blade as low to the ground through your swing as you can. The closer to the root you cut, the smaller the change of the grass leaves dodging the blade.
That type of scythe is actually sharpened by bashing not whetstone. Basicly because it's much faster to sharpen that way and keeping it sharp is everything. I think it was more common in eastern europe.
@@rocksummit3375 I know, I made a video about it on my channel. Still, you need to sharpen them with a whetstone every now and then. In a full day of using it, you would peen/bash it maybe twice and easily tune it up with the whetstone 50 times for maximum cutting performance. A dull scythe is a very tiring tool to work with…
Need a tool, make a tool. Very nice video. And believe it or not but from September on, I'll be in an apprenticeship as knife-smith. It was either that or the military. And not because I wouldnt cut it in any other job. I already had a finished apprenticeship. I 'collected' work experience from a lot of different branches. And most of them would have taken me right away. But I always struggled to find my place. That's why I was always interested in being a soldier. Thought it would give me that companionship and place I was looking for. I was really into it. Almost signed the contract. The duty, brothers in arms, order. You know all of that misguided bs about joining the army. Its true so far but it leaves out the unhealthy working conditions with all the lead in the air and your family life doesn't profit either from the situation. But then came my yet-to-be master around with the offer to take me under his wing. I worked for him 2 months, although without payment just to see how it works for me, how we get along etc... And I realized that is what I want to do for a living. Also you far less likely to be shot. I hope everybody who reads this already found his place or is on the right way. It can be a pain in the ass not knowing what the hell you supposed to do you with yourself next year. Or the 50 following. Greetings from Germany and be safe
Congratulations, Hopefully this will be your life’s work. I have been a machinist/toolmaker for over fifty years and know your concerns. You will need to earn a living for a long time, and if you enjoy your craft, the years will fly by. I have always looked forward to going to work, and I wish the same for you.
Some lucky ones pick in grade school but all I knew is after high school I didn't have a welcome so I left home months before gratulation time.But I did always welcome my own kids.I sign up to test for millarty but 5 people advise not to ,one was mom.
While others are still making swords, you only make weeding sickles, and you don't use a weeder. You have come to peace from war, maybe this is Sweden. You only use stamping to make the steel into a perfect shape, and your craft is simple and fine. I used to think of Tao Yuanming, the earliest idyllic poet in China, from the Swedish architectural style, and now I think of this poet.
In this world, people like that are needed, true artisans who recover old trades in danger of extinction or that have already become extinct. Thank you for giving a small opportunity to ancient humanity! if the grass was still cut with a scythe, the world would be better ... ¡Congratulations!
Посмотрел видео до конца ,ждал когда будет нож из косы, но у вы,кузница у тебя хорошая да и кузнец ты не плохой, а вот косарь ты не какой и окосья короткая не под твой рост. А бабку или как у нас называют пятка, можно сделать из рессоры грузового автомобиля применив только болгарку
Коса не под руку человеку. И точит так как будто в левом кармане пальцы запасные есть. Обух в землю, косою вверх и в перед. Левой рукой взять за кончик косы и обхватить обух подмышкой. Держать так, чтоб обух не соскочил и упереть в грунт. В правую руку камень, локоть прижать к телу!!! чтоб служил центром радиуса и круговыми движениями вымерять так, чтоб пальцами не торкнуться лезвия. Шаг в перед/назад регулировать высоту. А так да, клепальник конечно мастерски сделан. Особенно полировка)))
Забей. Чел для еуропейцев старался. А так да... С улыбкой воспринимаются манипуляции с косой и травой😁. 21 век хули там. Вот бы он скотине сено бы заготовил таким методом.... Я бы посмотрел. Может посмеялся. Может поплакал. Но чел молодец. Старается.
Максим Гура: Да, главное здесь ремесло кузнеца...но как "нас" разделили искусно!!! Раньше, если ты даже это не умел делать, но точно знал - как, для чего и зачем. Сегодня это для многих непозволительная роскошь...
Thank you! Scythes are very efficient really, with the right technique (which I don't claim I have, yet). No motor noise, no exhaust fumes, light weight.... and you get fresh air and a workout!
Mark Schweter yeah I do like how you do thing. Slot of people forge things like knives etc and dont take the time to show us viewers how good there forge is.
not only did i not know to to sharpen one, I had never seen one used before! I am currently in the latter stages of my forge build. I would like to say thank you, you are one of the few RU-vidrs who inspired me to get out there and get it going. You are an inspiration.
Love your videos mate. Always interesting projects and beautifully made but also really well shot and edited videos which is a whole other skill and one that not all you tubers possess. Please, keep it up.
Beautiful job on the anvil. You need to straighten your left arm though, and move it round behind you so that the blade stays flat on the ground as you finish your stroke. The scythe can't cut grass when it is up in the air in a pendulum action!
You are unquestionably one of my favorite smiths to watch work. All of your lines are so clean! You have a shop to dream of (and I do haha). I enjoy how you show each piece you make being used, and the little glimpses into your world.
