Who else uses a scythe?

I did my grim reaper impression scything the yards yesterday. (Keeps the neighbors at bay.)

Greatest invention ever...at least one of 'em.
 
Blues said:
I did my grim reaper impression scything the yards yesterday. (Keeps the neighbors at bay.)

Greatest invention ever...at least one of 'em.
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Grass is only about 3-4 inches here in the mountains of Vermont (still had snow 2 weeks ago, and there is always the threat), but I have my user scythes ready to swing (on Vermont made snaths).
 
Glenn Bailey said:
I caught me a mystery scytheView attachment 1819073
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Glenn Bailey said:
or was this made by ALTCO because they acquired some naming rights?
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It looks to me that ALTCO had the name on your scythe.

First, in 1954 American Logging Tool Co (ALTCO) was bought by Broderick & Bascom Rope Company:
L7hE89K.jpg

www.theheraldreview.com

Back in Time

40 Years Ago
www.theheraldreview.com www.theheraldreview.com


"AMERICAN RIXFORD" was filed by Broderick & Bascom Rope Company in 1959 (first used in 1958):
jxA38eb.jpg

books.google.com

Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office

books.google.com


Bob
 
If I were to ignore the label, that blade was clearly made in the 1950's era by the North Wayne Tool Co. Taking the label into account it appears to be a contracted blade made by NWT Co. as a private label for ALTCO under the "American Rixford" branding. A very curious piece as a result and I'd consider it a collector's piece. It would be a shame to actually use that one because the decal would become almost immediately destroyed. Due to there being few collectors in this space besides myself it's not so much that it has a high monetary value as a collectible, but as an artifact it's an excellent example of a piece with historical significance.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
If I were to ignore the label, that blade was clearly made in the 1950's era by the North Wayne Tool Co. Taking the label into account it appears to be a contracted blade made by NWT Co. as a private label for ALTCO under the "American Rixford" branding. A very curious piece as a result and I'd consider it a collector's piece. It would be a shame to actually use that one because the decal would become almost immediately destroyed. Due to there being few collectors in this space besides myself it's not so much that it has a high monetary value as a collectible, but as an artifact it's an excellent example of a piece with historical significance.
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This went in a completely different direction than I expected. Thanks Ben! So, what are the characteristics you are seeing to come to that conclusion? I was going off of the paint color and shape (of the tip and the shape of the paint on the tip) for concluding it was made by Rixford. And it only made sense to me. The tang I couldn't reconcile with my other Rixfords. Maybe some puzzle piece from post number #2138 from this thread (page 107)?
 
First and foremost the presence of NWT Co.'s "Monitor Heel", which is that groove going into the shank of the tang. It was a feature not found in blades from other makers, with True Temper having made a very weak effort at copying it with a shallow and narrow groove that could be basically considered cosmetic. No other makers to my knowledge attempted to produce blades with such a feature, and the method in which it was done on this example is consistent with NWT Co. examples. Furthermore, the shape of the tang as it approaches the knob gets down to quite a thin "neck" before the upturn that is quite common on the NWT Co. blades, and the pill-shaped oval outline of the ALTCO stamp is identical to the "footprint" of the stamp they used on their regular blades of the late 1940's through 1960's when they went under and uses the same typeface. The wedge-like form to the toe's crest (the ridge running along the spine side on the underside of the toe) is likewise in line with the way they were forging blades at that time.

Meanwhile your other blades appear to be actual Rixford production, with the form of their tangs, the typeface and location/clarity of marking, and the transition of the rib into the toe, and their overall less uniform surface finish along the chine (Rixford blades tend to be very knobbly along the spine, particularly on their grass blades for some reason) all being typical of what I see from their work.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
First and foremost the presence of NWT Co.'s "Monitor Heel", which is that groove going into the shank of the tang. It was a feature not found in blades from other makers, with True Temper having made a very weak effort at copying it with a shallow and narrow groove that could be basically considered cosmetic. No other makers to my knowledge attempted to produce blades with such a feature, and the method in which it was done on this example is consistent with NWT Co. examples. Furthermore, the shape of the tang as it approaches the knob gets down to quite a thin "neck" before the upturn that is quite common on the NWT Co. blades, and the pill-shaped oval outline of the ALTCO stamp is identical to the "footprint" of the stamp they used on their regular blades of the late 1940's through 1960's when they went under and uses the same typeface. The wedge-like form to the toe's crest (the ridge running along the spine side on the underside of the toe) is likewise in line with the way they were forging blades at that time.

Meanwhile your other blades appear to be actual Rixford production, with the form of their tangs, the typeface and location/clarity of marking, and the transition of the rib into the toe, and their overall less uniform surface finish along the chine (Rixford blades tend to be very knobbly along the spine, particularly on their grass blades for some reason) all being typical of what I see from their work.
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Damn, thank you! I'm seeing everything you described, but would not have seen it if you had not described it. And the Receipt of Rixford ordering scythes from NWT Co (#2138 from this thread (page 107) only strengthens this deduction. Thanks!!!!
 
Square_peg said:
Everything about it looks nice starting with that snath.
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Thanks! Total weight of the snath with all hardware should be about 2lb 12oz (it was something like 2lb 7oz with the nibs off) which is a bit stouter than it needs to be for the work done with this blade, but good for a slightly rugged "all-purpose" snath for up through moderate bush work.

The shaft was a Seymour No.1 blank they'd sent me years ago that had some minor delamination issues and the collar cuts were already made crooked on it, which defeated the purpose of buying the blanks for correct in-house assembly, but it had more than enough wood in the end to correctly orient it for use with my North Star hardware. When I got the little trimming blade all tuned up I realized it'd be convenient to throw together another snath for it so I wouldn't have to keep swapping out blades, and leaving the extra mass in the snath not only allows me to use other blades on it for heavier work if I want, but helps keep the flywheel effect going despite the ultra-short grass blade so it still carries through long cuts in weighty vegetation smoothly and rides the ground well.
 
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