Zero-grip snaths from Finland

Photo by Pekka Helin, Museum of Central Finland
Linked from http://www3.jkl.fi/ksmuseo/paivaeilisessa

In contrast with the typical Continental and American scythes having two grips, and the Eastern European scythes with one grip, this type of traditional haying scythe from Finland has a bent shaft with no grips. In Finnish its name is Väärävarsiviikate, which breaks down to:

Väärä ("false" or "wrong") +  varsi ("arm") + viikate ("scythe")

So it seems to translate to "false arm scythe". (Is it purely a coincidence that the French word for scythe is faux, which also means "false" or "wrong"?)

The blade is attached by wrapping with a wicker-like strip of a flexible branch, and tightening it with a couple of wooden wedges, as shown below:

Linked from http://www.helsinki.fi/kansatiede/histmaatalous/karjatalous/leikkuuvalineet.htm

The scythe pictured below is from Southwest Finland. Note the difference in section views; one portion is round and another is teardrop shaped. The end of the snath is hollowed out to hold grease (more about that later).

Linked from http://www.helsinki.fi/kansatiede/histmaatalous/karjatalous/leikkuuvalineet.htm

Modern-day scythe blades from Finland have a profile unlike the typical "continental" scythes. Instead of a right-angled rib, the Finnish blades have a wedge-shaped thickening at the back of the blade, as shown in the two profiles labelled "Finsk" near the bottom of the following diagram. The traditional Finnish scythes (Väärävarsiviikate) presumably have blades with profiles similar to the one labelled "Finsk". 

linked from melicamedia.se

The Väärävarsiviikate blades would periodically be taken to the blacksmith for renovation after damage or when the edges became too thick from repeated sharpenings. The blacksmith would heat the blade, reshape it by hammering, and then heat treat it. A grinding wheel was then used to restore the bevel.

All of this information is given as background for the following video from 1936. Seeing these scythes in action can be quite surprising. (The video starts after about 15 seconds of black screen.)







Direct link to video here.


Commentary:

The film opens with a man loosening the "wicker" attachment on a scythe and taking its blade, along with five other blades, to the village blacksmith for renovation. Afterward, the blade is re-attached with some new binding material, adjusted, then wedged tightly in two places. The hafted blade is then sharpened on a boy-powered grindstone. The scythe seems to be fairly light and nimble.

Meanwhile, lunch is packed into a wildcrafted backpack, and someone gets her dress stuck in the door on her way out (a scene for the blooper reel). The group convenes, six men with scythes and two women with rakes. The men gulp down some shots while holding their scythes, and they proceed to the fields.

The scything technique is amazing, cutting with both leftward and rightward strokes, and making a sort of figure-eight swing (more like an infinity symbol). The curvature of the snath is used to facilitate the turning of the blade from one cutting orientation to the other. For the most part, the hand positions remain the same during both strokes (with the left hand at the end of the snath), but starting at 5:31 one of the men is actually switching right and left hand positions as he swings. 

The alternating strokes cut toward the left front quadrant, and then toward the right front quadrant. With the six men lined up, the right/left strokes are synchronised, presumably to avoid injuries.

When the blade is about to be honed, note the dry whetstone hanging horizontally from the belt in a flap of fabric. At 5:57, note the grease being taken from the hollow end of the snath and rubbed on the palms and the snath.

Later, they all get busy with hay rakes. At about 6:27, one of the women reverses her rake and uses the top of the handle to move some hay.

Lunch follows with some very large "bagels", and then rest time. At around 6:49, note the woven soles of their shoes. Birch bark?

Hay is then dragged on a "sledge" made from a tree branch.  One man cuts and twists a "cord" made from whippy branches, and uses this to tie up big bundles of hay that he carries. Note the "Hay Pusher" technique starting at 7:42, with women and men paired up and each pushing a hay rake. 

After the hay is taken to the storage structure, at 8:19 a woman gets a drink of water from the lake using a dipper. A communal meal follows with no individual cups or plates or bowls. Drinks are taken from the same pail on the table, and food is shared from the same bowls.

The title of the video is listed as Hämeenkyrön heinänteko. Peltotöitä vuodelta 1936 which translates to "Hämeenkyrön hay-making. Field work in 1936". Hämeenkyrön is town in Southwestern Finland, with a present day population of about 10,000.

Altogether a remarkable video. 
 

Linked from http://asfilmsgoby.blogspot.com/2010/12/hameenkyron-heinanteko.html

Linked from http://www.helsinki.fi/kansatiede/histmaatalous/karjatalous/leikkuuvalineet.htm

Linked from http://www3.jkl.fi/ksmuseo/paivaeilisessa/paja/pajat/sepp/tee.html

Sources:

All images are linked from other sites (and labelled with the links).
Information was obtained from:
http://www3.jkl.fi/ksmuseo/paivaeilisessa/paja/pajat/sepp/tee.html
http://www.helsinki.fi/kansatiede/histmaatalous/karjatalous/leikkuuvalineet.htm
http://www.melicamedia.se/lie/lietyper.html
http://suomenmuseotonline.fi/fi/selaa?pathId=1.90.257.284.6116.&pageIndex=2
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viikate
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4meenkyr%C3%B6 

Russian variations

When it comes to scythes, the Russians evidently do some things differently (compared with the typical Western European ways).  Some of these Russian methods are presented below. Seeing different approaches to familiar problems can benefit one's understanding, creativity, and improvisation potentials.

The drawings appearing below are linked images from the Russian site Pandia.ru and originated from a magazine article titled кoси, кoса by Н. Н. Рoдиoнoв, appearing in the journal Сделай Сам (Знание) 1992-02 [journal name translated as DIY (Knowledge)].

Here is a Russian scythe with a moveable grip. The advantages of such a grip include having a wide range of adjustments possible for different conditions or different users.

The grip is made from a freshly-cut branch that is bent around the snath and secured with a piece of twine.  Willow or wild cherry is suggested, with a diameter of 25-30 mm and a length of 350-400 mm.  The size of the cutout portion in the middle depends on the diameter of the snath, but is typically around 80 mm, with a depth that's less than half of the branch diameter. A groove is made within the cutout portion, removing the pith and the center of the branch to accommodate bending without breakage.  Grooves are carved around each end of the branch to hold the twine in place, once the handle is bent around the snath.  A thin piece of rubber (like a scrap from an inner tube) between the grip and the snath will make the connection more secure during use.

Although one-grip snaths seem to be the norm in Russia, this unusual style of two-grip snath was shown as an example from Lithuania: 

The blade attachment method (shown in the first drawing above) uses one or two non-adjustable rings in combination with a substantial wooden wedge. This type of wooden wedge is used with a snath having an acutely tapered end. The snath taper is evident in the drawing below which illustrates an alternative grip arrangement:

Having the snath end taper like this, instead of being squared off, will effectively make the blade perform like it has a steeper tang, which can be good for low tangs and/or tall folks. Here's a photo from Peter Vido that shows a blade attached to a tapered snath using a wedge and simple ring (with no set screws):

From ScytheConnection.com: A snath with a very acutely tapered end. For this arrangement the common set-screw type rings do not work well. However, the simple ring in the picture, held in place by a thick wedge, is a very common way of attaching a blade; many East European and other mowers prefer this method. It is in this manner that most Russian-made blades (the tangs of which are approximately 23-24 degrees) have been used on the straight one-grip snath in Slovakia by tall mowers. For this ring/wedge to hold better, the upper side of the snath’s end remains square, i.e. flat on top, instead of rounded as it would be in order to take the set-screw ring. http://scytheconnection.com/snath-and-blade-fitting/

Another method of blade attachment is this clamp, which has a lever arm and a cam:

Peening the blade is done while on the snath or off, with anvils and hammers similar to those used throughout Europe:

The Russian-style peening jig, however, is different. Instead of having a hammered cap that fits over and around a central post, the Russian jig has a hammered post that fits within a round guide:

While the design of this jig is more complex, one apparent advantage is that without a fixed central post, the part of the blade being peened is not butted against anything during the deformation, and therefore would not be dulled by the hammering. This jig has two set screws, one to hold the bottom anvil piece in place, and the other to align the hammer post and keep the up and down movements within limits.

Along with a whetstone, some Russian mowers will carry a smooth, hard steel rod into the field with them to use like a butcher's steel (labeled 2, below).

The function of the steel is to realign the edge and recover some sharpness without having to wear down the edge with the stone. During normal use of the scythe, some of the microserrations in the edge become folded over, dulling the blade. Using the steel can reposition portions of the bent edge back into the original position, restoring the sharpness to a certain extent. Some of the regular honings in the field can be replaced by steeling the edge, effectively prolonging the life of the edge. Another Russian site suggests making this scythe sharpening steel from an old triangular taper file that has been smoothed to remove the file teeth.


Below is a Russian design for grain cradles, made from durable, dry wood, with 3-5 "teeth" (depending on the height of the grain):

1 = Teeth, fitting into 12x12 mm holes in Base
2 = Rawhide straps
3 = Base, 20x20 mm wood, length 350-600 mm
4 = Ring
5 = Twine

The wooden base is firmly attached to the snath with a steel bracket, with one end of the bracket attached to the base using two screws, and the other end of the bracket clamped between the snath ring(s) and the blade tang. The lowest tooth is slightly shorter than the blade, and each upper tooth is 50-70 mm shorter than the tooth below. The teeth are sanded smooth to avoid burrs. Dry rawhide straps are twisted to connect and separate the teeth. Wet rawhide straps are used to help firmly secure the teeth to the base, tightening as they dry. The ring is attached to the snath about 15 cm below the grip, and strong twine is stretched between the teeth and the ring, for additional stability and adjustment potential. All of the teeth should be arranged parallel to the cutting edge of the scythe blade. Fabric or netting can be added,if desired, using a U-shaped frame attached to the snath (not shown).

Sources:

Article titled «Коси, коса...» by Н. Н. Родионов, from the journal Сделай Сам (Знание) 1992-02, pages 45-69
Reprint and images from the article provided by:
Pandia.ru http://www.pandia.ru/text/77/398/102961.php
Original article appears at:
http://zhurnalko.net/=sam/sdelaj-sam-(izdatelstvo-znanie)/1992-02--num45

Wedge attachment photo from Snath and Blade Fitting page at ScytheConnection.com

Painting (upper): Haymaking by Nikolay A. Sergeyev (1855-1919), dated 1887, [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Painting (lower): From Mowing by Pyotr Konchalovsky (1876-1956), dated 1948, linked from Wikipaintings.org

The "Missouri Method" of Blade Attachment

Jeff Adams (from Ashland, Missouri) designed this method of blade attachment. He writes, "The wedge can be almost any angle to custom fit any tang angle to any height person. Haft angle is easily adjusted. So far it's working well for me (cutting lawn grass)."  Thanks, Jeff for sharing this with us.


A novel way to attach a scythe blade to a wedge, and the wedge to the snath, allowing modification of tang angle, haft angle and sideways tilt.
Designed by Jeffrey H. Adams, April 2011

Since people vary in size and mow under various terrains with diverse kinds of plants, the scythe must be custom fit to work well, and so must the blade. If not, the scythe may be all but useless. This design should work well for fitting the blade to the snath, and is very inexpensive.

The photos show an example with the following assumptions:

1) The snath is 1.25 inches wide at its bottom.
2) The blade's tang steepness is 10 degrees, but you desire a 27 degree angle.

Before reading further, it is helpful to look at the photos.

Get a block of wood 4.25 inches by 1.5 inches by 3.5  inches. (The required size will depend on angle of wedge desired and snath width.)  The 1.5 inches is the fat end of the wedge. The 3.5 inches will cover the width of the snath and provide space for the clamps bolts, described below. The 4.25 inches accommodate the tang and the pivot bolt described below. I used a piece of scrap softwood lumber.

Hollow out in the shape of the tang the bottom of the block just short of the thickness of the tang.
(That is, a rectangle about  3.5 inches long, 1.25 inches wide and an eighth inch deep). The tang will fit in the slot, with the tang's thickness rising a small amount just above the slot.

Drill a hole a little narrower than tang's knob, then with a chisel square it up to accommodate the tang’s knob.

Now cut the block to a 17 degree wedge, with the thick end having the tang’s knob hole. The thin end should have some thickness too -- say about 1/4 inch.

Clamp the wedge on the bottom of the snath and drill a hole about a half inch to the rear of the knob hole and thru the wedge and snath. Put a large washer on a bolt. I used a 1/4 inch diameter bolt. This bolt does three things:
(a) clamps the rear of the tang into the depression of the wedge
(b) is a pivot for rotation of the wedge to modify haft angle
(c) clamps the wedge to the snath.
(Instead of a washer I had on hand 2 small metal plates with bent ends that worked well. A large washer or a metal plate with a hole in it should also work.)

Toward the front of the wedge (about 1.25 to 1.75 inches from the front of wedge) and on both sides of the wedge drill holes to accommodate two bolts. The holes are drilled about a half inch from the sides of  the wedge. I used 1/4 inch diameter bolts. The distance between bolts corresponds to the distance between holes in the metal plate. The plates are 3 inches by 1/2 inch by 1/8 inch thick. Other sizes could also work.

These two bolts, in conjunction with an upper metal plate ( I used two upper metal plates) and a lower metal plate, will clamp the front portion of the tang to the wedge and will also clamp the front portion of the wedge to the snath.

Wedges that are 1.25 inches high (or whatever the snath's depth is) are placed between one (or both) bolt(s) and snath sides to lock in haft angle. Another way to lock and strengthen the haft angle is to make a 1.25 inch wide, 4.25 inch long  and about an eighth inch deep depression on the upper half of the wedge to accommodate the snath’s bottom. The angle of the depression will depend on the desired haft angle. This approach also helps lock the wedge onto the snath.

I also place a piece of leather along the lower portion of tang, i.e., between the tang and the large metal washer and between the tang and the bottom metal plate.

Instead of a single rear bolt, you can probably make another clamp for the rear part of the wedge in the same fashion that the clamp is made for the front portion of the wedge.

Tips:

1)  Use washers and lock washers with the nuts and bolts.

2)  To reduce strain on bolts and wood, it helps to countersink holes to match the angles of bolt heads/nuts/plates to wood. Or use small wood wedge washers to match up the angles.

3)  At first I angled  the wedge slot that accommodates the tang and thus modified the haft angle. But then I realized the resulting haft angle was too acute. I was still able to pivot the wedge and fix the problem.

4)  This same basic approach will likely work if you want to reduce the tang angle. The fat end of the wedge will face to the front of the snath. The narrow part the wedge would have to be a little thicker to give some strength to the pivot area.

5)  I did not need to modify the sideways tilt. But here are some ways to do so:

5a)  The wedge can be modified on its top surface to change the angle it makes to the ground. That is, a wedge is cut out of it to modify its angle to the snath’s bottom.

5b)  The wedge can be modified on its bottom surface to change the angle the blade makes to the ground. That is, the slot to accommodate the tang is modified to be at an angle.

5c)  The snath’s bottom surface can be modified by cutting out a thin angled wedge shape. The Scythe Connection site discusses this approach here. The wedge is not modified.

6)  To increase strength of attachment use a hardwood wedge and/or increase the thickness of the bottom side of the wedge.

7)  Do not hammer in the small side wedge(s) (that help lock the haft angle) too severely, otherwise the main large wedge could be split.

8)  It is possible to avoid the use of one or both of the small side wedge(s) if the bolt holes for the forward "clamp" are judiciously chosen. That is, if they can be placed adjacent to the snath on each side.


-- Jeffrey H. Adams, April 2011





.

Universal Scythe

Is there an off-the-shelf scythe which can be adjusted to fit anyone, regardless of height?  Is this even possible?  The answer is "Yes".
Here is a method of blade attachment which, when combined with an adjustable one-grip snath, can be adjusted to fit any height person for virtually any blade (regardless of tang steepness).  


A one-grip snath can be made at home from hardwood lumber, as detailed on the ScytheConnection website:
http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/snathmaking/index.html


To make this type of snath adjustable, the method of grip attachment can be changed from the mortise and tenon connection (shown in the instructions) to a bolted connection, using a hanger bolt to secure the base of the grip into a dado in the snath.  Some examples are shown at the ScytheConnection site, with dadoes made on the snath for two grip locations:
http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/retail/outfits.html


To make the snath adjustable to fit anyone, a number of dadoes (six or more) can be made on the snath for additional grip locations, and the total length can be more than six feet (with a longer rounded section for the left hand position).

Now that the snath can fit any person, it must now be fitted to the blade.  With this "Universal Scythe" design, the blade is bolted to the snath, requiring a hole in the tang of the blade.  Some blades already have a hole in the tang, such as blade #00 from the ScytheConnection catalogue, pictured here.  A hole can otherwise be drilled into the tang of a blade to make it work with this attachment method (I've previously had a local machine shop drill a hole in a scythe blade for a few dollars).


The chosen blade (in this case, the pictured blade #00) will have a certain tang steepness which in most cases will be different from the required tang steepness for a one-grip snath.  For details on the required tang steepness, refer to my previous post here or the discussion at:
http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/snathmaking/snath2.html#steepness


The "Universal Scythe" design can accommodate a wide range of wedge sizes for adapting the snath to a specific user/blade combination.  In this example, let's use a blade with a tang steepness of 25 degrees (such as blade #00), and let's assume that a tang steepness of 45 degrees is required for a given user of the one-grip snath.  A 20 degree wedge (45-25=20) would then be used to adapt the blade to the snath and user.  

The blade and wedge are bolted securely to the snath using a special "Piesslinger patent" metal plate which has been modified for this purpose.  (The Piesslinger patent attachment was mentioned in a previous post here.)  This photograph show the modified Piesslinger plate, with the wedge and two bolts used for this example of the "Universal Scythe".  This method can accommodate a blade with a single hole and a wedge of any angle. With the two bolts tightened, this blade attachment is extremely strong.  No ring clamps are needed.

In these photos, the snath has been reduced to seven inches in length for simplification.  The snath section is left square at the blade end, since there is no need for partially rounding it. Because of the added angle of the wedge, the end of the Piesslinger mount needs to be bent to conform to the snath end.  It is not necessary to nail the Piesslinger mount to the snath, as it is held quite solidly without nails.


The wedge is connected to the snath by the two bolts. The lower bolt also holds the blade against the snath. Since the bolt is a quarter-inch diameter, and the tang hole is a half-inch, a piece of white nylon bushing is used to hold the blade solidly.  

Since the nuts protrude from the snath at an angle, the tops of the holes were countersunk to provide flat contact with the wood.

A washer is used under the blade, and smaller washers and lock washers are used with the two nuts.

A groove was made in the back of the wedge to hold the knob of the tang.  Hafting angle considerations for the specific blade will influence the location of this groove.  I cut the corresponding end of the Piesslinger mount with a hacksaw and bent the metal flaps into the groove to hold the knob more securely.  I figured that this would be stronger than simply cutting a keyhole into the metal (i.e., cutting away the flaps).  The flaps were easily bent by putting the cut Piesslinger mount and wedge into a vise, and gently hammering the tang knob into place.


When the blade is being mounted to the snath, the upper bolt is first attached (since this is located under the tang near the knob).  Then the Piesslinger mount and tang are put into place and the lower bolt is attached.  The nuts are tightened with a small wrench.




















A wide range of wedges with various angles can be made available for a precise fitting of the "Universal Scythe" to the user.  This type of blade attachment can also be used for other snath designs, including the Oregon Snath (described here).








(Source:  Photo of  "Spiral Galaxy M100", from NASA, HubbleSite,
 http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/the_universe/pr1994002c/)  

Bolting blades onto wooden snaths

The Schroeckenfux company (FUX) from Austria offers a couple options for attaching a scythe blade to a wooden snath without the use of a ring clamp. 

This is the "Piesslinger-Patent-Scythe" mounting set, which is used with special blades having two slits in the tang (without the usual "knob").  The metal plate attaches to the end of a wooden snath using small nails.  Holes are drilled into the snath for the two carriage bolts which hold the blade against the snath.

Pictured are two of the blades that work with this attachment.  The vertical and diagonal slits allow for "infinite" adjustments to the hafting angle.

FUX also offers this "mounting set for patent scythe with round pivot" for use with wooden snaths.  The metal plate with the multiple holes is attached to the bottom of the snath with the two screws.  A hole is drilled in the snath for the the blade attachment bolt (which goes through the bigger hole on the right side of the plate as shown).  The square shaped metal plate is presumably attached to the top of the snath (using the four small nails) for securing the top end of the bolt with the wing nut and lock washer.  (For metal snaths, such holes can be drilled directly, and only the carriage bolt and wingnut are required.)

Special blades, with one slit in the tang and a rounded tang knob "pivot", are required for this type of attachment.  The tang knob goes into one of the holes on the left side of the bottom plate, and the carriage bolt goes through the vertical slit and holds the blade against the snath.  The choice of one of the five holes for the tang knob determines the hafting angle.  The hafting angle adjustment is limited to these five possible positions. 


To my knowledge, these blades and attachments are currently not available in North America.


(Source:  Franz de Paul Schröckenfux Ges.m.b.H. Rossleithen Austria, http://www.schroeckenfux.at/index.php/en/home1
http://www.schroeckenfux.at/index.php/en/scythe-models
http://www.schroeckenfux.at/index.php/en/scytheequipment)

Women with Scythes in Art

 Here are some works of art from www.hayinart.com which show women with scythes.  This contrasts with the typical depiction of the division of labor (dating back to the middle ages) showing men with scythes and women with hay forks and rakes.  

The earliest work I found having this theme is this 1825 oil painting by the Russian artist Alexei Gavrilovic Venetsianov, titled "Peasant woman with scythe and rake".
(Source:  http://www.abcgallery.com/V/venetsianov/venetsianov23.html, The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia,
Hay in Art Database ID: 778)

This 1883 painting by Henry Bacon, titled "Peasant Girl", shows a young woman leaning on a scythe.  The background is an English landscape with a pair of swallows flying over the partially mowed field.  
(Source:  http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/detail.php?ID=19626.
 Hay in Art Database ID: 5097)

This photograph from 1909 Russia shows a field with more than 20 women using scythes.  The title is "Monastyrskii sienokos (Haymaking at the Leushinskii Monastery)", by photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii.  The larger linked photo shows better details of the one-grip snaths being used.
(Source:  http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/prokc/20200/20224v.jpg.
 Hay in Art Database ID: 3094)

This scene from Missouri dates back to the 1930s.  "This exhausted girl symbolizes farmers' eternal struggle with the elements, says painter John S. De Martelley.  He calls this picture No More Mowing".  -quoted from LIFE magazine article, "Harvest, it inspires fine crop of paintings", August 31, 1942, p. 48.














(Source:  http://books.google.com/books?id=iU4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA44&ots=dAOr55jbHk&dq=%22no%20more%20mowing%22%20de%20martelly&pg=PA48#v=onepage&q=%22no%20more%20mowing%22%20de%20martelly&f=false, American art today. NY World's Fair, 1939, p. 68. http://www.hayinart.org/images/3593.jpg 
 Hay in Art Database ID: 3593)

This painting -- titled "Reaping" -- by Russian artist Arkadi A. Plastov was completed in 1945, and includes a woman in a group presumably using scythes.  From the Hay in Art Database notes:  "...it was included in the Russia! Show at the NY Guggenheim Museum in 2005... [the] catalog description, by Masha Chelnov, is worth quoting: ' Painted during the first summer after the end of World War II, Reaping shows the peasants' peaceful daily toil. Plastov himself was of peasant origin and lived in the village most of his life; the majority of his paintings are devoted to rural life and the kolkhoz (collective farm). The grass and flowers in the foreground are painted in with rich texture and the bright, broken brushstrokes characterstic of impressionism, which was to come under harsh criticism from government officials in the late forties.' With Harvest (ID 5036), 'Reaping' won the Stalin Prize in 1946."
(Source:  Bown, Matthew Cullerne. Socialist Realist Painting.New Haven: Yale UP, 1998. p. 232-233. Also, Russia! Catalog of the exhibtion at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in NY. 2005, p. 59.  http://www.hayinart.com/images/960.jpg
 Hay in Art Database ID: 960)

Yet another work from Russia depicting a woman using a scythe, "Haymaking", by Yuri Kuznetsov, was created in 1987.  This oil painting shows a woman in the foreground cutting swaths across the field.  
(Source:  http://www.artrussia.ru/artists/picture.php?pic_id=1250&foa=f&sort=&page=1
 Hay in Art Database ID: 3179)