"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Douglas" writes:
|
| If left for some time you are talking about using a hand sickle which
is
| very laborious and bad for the back , or if later on, a harvesters lei.
| That's one of them there big curved scythes the farmers used to harvest
| wheat crops ..

Yes, scythes are easier for large areas, but sickles are NOT bad
for your back if you get down on your knees ....

A sickle is fine for up to about 100 square yards (not 100 yards
square!) of long grass. Above that, I agree about the effort.
But make sure that the sickle (a) is a proper agricultural one
and not a footling little 'grass hook' and (b) keep it SHARP.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

******
Glad you wrote that word, - SHARP!.
Sharpening a sickle or a lei is a dangerous game. They are sharpened with a
rod-like honing-stone which tapers a wee bit towards the ends. There is no
hand guard. Skill and care is required because you make long hardpressing
strokes using the stone along the sharp business edge of the implement. Your
clasped fist is in great danger because the distance between fist an the
cutting edge of the implement is small and it's very difficult to judge
unless you are a splendid old gaffer who has done plenty of hand-mowing
and knows what he is doing
Doug.
******