What is it?

[Tim Dean]

Hi, I got this in a box-lot at a local farm sale. I think that it is some sort or specialty sharpening stone, but I don't know for sure. It looks like it has never been used. Can anybody identify it? Thanks.

 

[Phil Tibbetts]

It's a scythe stone, used to touch up a scythe in the field. My father always carried one in his hip pocket while mowing.

 

[560Dennis]

Yep

 

[rossow (mn)]

I have three or four of these stones. I've never used one to sharpen a scythe, but they are handy as heck for sharpening corn knives (machetes), hoes, mower blades, even for removing burrs on cut metal, and, in a pinch, touching up pocket knives and screwdriver tips.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Funny
It's a scythe stone, that's a big relief. lol

 

[TimV]

Norton calls them a 'utility file', meant for coarse sharpening of cutting implements and similar uses. Still easily available--amazon link below is one source. The traditional scythe stone is more oval in shape, probably for ease of carrying in a pocket. I've got several of both and they're handy on a variety of sharpening jobs when the aim is to put a rough edge on a large surface quickly--machetes and similar tools being one such application.
utility file

 

[rustred]

geez and it was a whole 1.60 back then , probably expensive to them.

 

[Caryc]

This is an actual scythe stone. I use it to sharpen my actual scythe. The metal sheath is for use for touch ups out in the field. It is water tight so one can carry it on ones belt with water in it to keep the stone wet. A scythe is a very handy thing to have. The other pic is from the scythe site but that is the scythe that I purchased from them.

This post was edited by Caryc on 10/23/2022 at 11:25 am.

 

[Moonlite37]

Over the years my dad had a couple. After one got broke he bought another.They had the inscription CARBORUNDUM On the face that was most narrow. We called them the Carborundum file. Later I saw one at a yard sale made in some overseas country, Ir was not as good and is still around as it is too coarse to work well.

 

[Caryc]

Since the edge on my scythe is like a razor, I always use one of those anti cut gloves when sharpening it.

 

[Phil Tibbetts]

I can't figure out how my father got by all those years without an oval shaped stone. Darn that old wood handle one. I'm going out in the morning and smash it.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 17:41:19 10/23/22) I can't figure out how my father got by all those years without an oval shaped stone. Darn that old wood handle one. I'm going out in the morning and smash it.

I assume you're going for the sarcastic thing here. Unless one had both stones, one would not know which does a better job on a scythe.

Did your father also have a peening jig for renewing a proper edge on a scythe? Below are pics of my peening jig. I'm guessing your father did not know what a scythe peening jig was or how to use one. This is what sarcasm gets you. If you want to be sarcastic to someone, it's wise to know what you are talking about in the first place. A proper edge on a scythe determines on whether it takes one 15 minutes to do a job or a half hour.

This post was edited by Caryc on 10/24/2022 at 10:36 am.

 

[Caryc]

This link shows what a scythe can do. It's a guy with a scythe verses a guy with a gas trimmer. I'm guessing the guy with the scythe knew how to sharpen it properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsfIHiBB6xE

 

[Jim.ME]

(quoted from post at 13:44:31 10/24/22)
This link shows what a scythe can do. It's a guy with a scythe verses a guy with a gas trimmer. I'm guessing the guy with the scythe knew how to sharpen it properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsfIHiBB6xE

Different areas, different tool choices, both have their points and different maintenance techniques.

There is a difference between European and American type scythes. Your picture is a European scythe, I am used to the American type with the curved snath, and Phil may be as well. We generally used the long thin grass blades, changing to shorter heavier brush blades if needed.

Peening is a thing for European scythes as the blades are softer, so unless Phil's father was using a European scythe, he would have no use for a peening jig. American scythe blades are harder and need mechanical sharpening methods. We regularly sharpened our American ones on a foot powered, water-cooled wet sandstone wheel, and they were razor sharp as well. As for hand stones, either will work, the rectangle ones usually rounded out to oval quickly.

One of the summer jobs I had for several years in high school included working in a crew hand mowing under apple trees for a large orchard operation, (along with trimming stone walls etc. over the years since; before engine powered trimmers) so I have some experience with American scythes. I have tried a European one but not enough to like it, of course I wasn't thrilled with the American one either.

 

[Caryc]

I live in SoCal so it's desert like country. I have 5 acres to take care of and have two full size tractors. One is my mowing tractor with a five foot Woods M5 mower on it.

I use the scythe in areas I can't get a tractor into. The blade is a brush blade. I don't have the knee high grass like other places in the U.S. The peening jig is mostly for damaged blades where one has to establish a new edge. I get by with just a little hand stoning for everything I need. I've never used a curved snath scythe so I can't say which is better, a curved snath or a straight snath. I have no problems with the straight one.

As I said, I think the length of a job depends on how good of an edge a scythe has on it. It only takes a few minutes to go to my shed and grab my scythe instead of messing around with the string trimmers, both gas and electric that I have.

This post was edited by Caryc on 10/24/2022 at 12:38 pm.

 

[blueridge]

It's a sharpening Stone for a Mowing Sythe, I have my dads under my workbench and sharpen Knives with it.