Scythe handle

[organic guy]

I have been asked by a "lady" in the village who is a professional old fashioned gardener (no power tools) to put a new handle in a scythe.

I don't think I will find an off the shelf handle so will need to cut something out of a hedge!

Best wood? Ash, elm, blackthorn, oak?

Any other suggestions?

 

TIA

OG

 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, organic guy said:

I have been asked by a "lady" in the village who is a professional old fashioned gardener (no power tools) to put a new handle in a scythe.

I don't think I will find an off the shelf handle so will need to cut something out of a hedge!

Best wood? Ash, elm, blackthorn, oak?

Any other suggestions?

 

TIA

OG

 

Ash, round it off with a stail engine and then steam it and fix it in a stail brake for the curve (easier said than done)

Edited July 8, 2023 by openspaceman
brake not break

[Treewolf]

They're not hard to find to buy, just Google "snath for sale". Quite a few suppliers of good traditional snaths around now.

[JAG63]

Seen them in Wm Eyres at Brough and Sam Turners in Northallerton, shouldn't be hard to find..

[Stere]

Needs to be sized to match the ladies height

 

Yeah theres   a few places that sells different sizes handles e.g

 

Adjustable Wooden Snath - Scythe Cymru

WWW.SCYTHECYMRU.CO.UK

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Adjustable curved wooden snath, inc movable hand grips, clamp and wedges for fixing the blade. The position of the...

 

 

 

[Stere]

The euro style snath looks alot lighter than the traditional UK ones wonder if  anyone around still making them in the UK?

 

The English Scythe Revisited – The Scythe Association

SCYTHEASSOCIATION.ORG

 

[Peasgood]

I would suggest she invested in an Austrian scythe with an aluminium handle, The wooden hand holds are adjustable and the whole thing is much lighter than the wooden ones.

I have one and on many occasions it is far nicer to use than a strimmer and does just as good a job.

LONG FOLDING SCYTHE LIGHTWEIGHT STRONG 140CM HANDLE 60CM BLADE GRASS WEED CUTTER

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

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Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for LONG FOLDING SCYTHE LIGHTWEIGHT STRONG 140CM HANDLE 60CM BLADE GRASS WEED CUTTER at the best...

 

Cheaper than a new handle and better too.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Peasgood

[Stere]

I used metal snath-ed  one on a free scythe open day i recall I did  didn't like it as much as seemed less ergonomic & adjustable versus the wooden ones

 

Instrucutor didn't rate it much either.

 

 

But maybe it ws a cheap badly designed one as there seems various different metal snath versions scythes about...some have chinese made blades fitted....other  come with austrian or italian blades.

 

Italian bladed one:

 

Falci Steel 150cm Scythe Snaith & 70cm Grass & Trimming Blade - Forged in Italy

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

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Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Falci Steel 150cm Scythe Snaith & 70cm Grass & Trimming...

 

product list.html

THESCYTHESHOP.CO.UK

 

Quote

Why I No Longer Stock Other Snaths

I do not stock cheaper metal snaths for a number of reasons (i) because they are ergonomically poorly designed, especially for tall people; (ii) because it is hard to adjust the angle of a blade on a metal snath and (iii) because the handgrips are turned cylinders of wood rather than shaped and angled to fit the human body.

I am aware that the adjustable snaths are expensive. The aluminum snaths are light, and they are often preferred for underwater scythe work. If you want a cheaper or a metal snath try Simon Drummond at http://www.get-digging.co.uk/. (His site also sells a large range of Spanish mattocks).

 

 

 

 

 

[Treewolf]

I have to say that I've never really liked aluminium snaths, wood is much nicer. I find the adjustable handles never seem to stay put on an ali snath.

 

Personal preference, of course.

[organic guy]

Thanks for all the replies. Never heard it called a "snath".

Aluminium would be a no no, she trades as the Victorian gardener.

Will try to find a suitable sized ash branch with bends heading roughly in the right direction and try to fettle something, the fun is in the challenge.