Preparing a New Scythe Blade

A new scythe blade, as a rule, is not ready for any serious use without some preliminary attention to its edge. (The exceptions include the blades that we sell, and those from The Scythe Shop in England and the Austrian Sensenverein.) Thus instead of unwrapping a just-arrived blade, attaching it to the snath and heading out to mow, consider taking the few steps outlined below; they are likely to make that first mowing experience a more positive one.

1. Before mounting the blade, remove all lacquer and paint from at least 4-5 mm (3/16 inch) on both sides of the full length of the edge.

Unless you use a chemical paint remover or have one of those small wire-brush wheels powered by an electric drill, this will be more than a two-minute job. A manual option involves first scraping off most of the lacquer with a cheap knife or the tip of a flat file. This will save on emery cloth or sandpaper, which would initially gum up very fast).

Follow with emery cloth (preferably using two grits in succession). Start with a 60-100 grit and finish with maybe 180-220. Folding it over is safe and effective.

2. Inspect the edge closely and notice the tiny steep "secondary bevel" (below). If you wish to know why this bevel is there, read this note.

3. Remove the secondary bevel, so that the very tip of the edge blends with the primary bevel at the same angle the whetstone will later be applied. See Sharpening Principles and Honing the Blade

There are several options for this step:

a. A fine-cut flat file
b. A relatively fast-cutting stone (synthetic scythe stone or bench stone)
c. A peening jig (using only the second/finishing cap)
d. Freehand peening along the outermost 1-2 mm of the edge, with other words a 1-line or 11/2-line pattern of hammer strikes (explained elsewhere).
e. A belt sander or other mechanical gadget

My preference is option d; real beginners might do better with options a, b, or c, possibly in that order.

4. Hone the edge well using your field whetstone of choice. You will now be ready to mount the blade on the snath and have fun mowing!