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-   -   A Comical-Problem That Might Become a Kindle Book (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8483)

Glenn May 28, 2013 10:22 PM

A Comical-Problem That Might Become a Kindle Book
 
Hi,

What is comical?

It's like when a friend called me up for fresh Ideas and help. He'd built a 2
man Hovercraft in the basement of his Montana House. And couldn't get it out without Destroying the house.

Now THAT is funny.

And serious at the same time.

SAME THING is happening to me this summer.

Well.

Similar.

My father built his house in the middle of 5 acres of lawn. Got tired mowing
grass. So he planted fruit trees all over. Hundreds of trees.

His thinking went, "Now when I mow I can grab an apple or pear or plum
or a handful of cherries to munch on as I go by on the tractor/mower."

My 2 brothers and I dug a LOT of holes growing up. And we are experts
at planting and caring for fruit trees.

The Comical/Serious aspect?

FIFTY Years later my Dad is 92. The tiny fruit trees are huge. And their
limbs hang so low to the ground we can't drive under them to MOW the
grass.

The 3 acres of steep hills where the orchard of apple, pear, plum, cherry,
BlueBerry and nut trees are the thickest haven't been mowed in a few years.

So the grass is Chest High.

Funny.

Here's the goofy solution - my project for the summer. AND an Entertaining
book to s ell into a Fast Growing Niche on Amazon.

On YouTube.com - I found a skinny bearded back-to-nature-guy who used a Scythe to cut an Entire Acre of grass in ONE MORNING!

If he can do it so can I.

AND to my Amazement Many countries have regular grass cutting competitions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTnZ-rAz6VU

In Baltimore, MD where I grew up people stare when they drive by
when I use my brush scythe to trim along the road. In fact I'm the only
person I know who uses a scythe around the farm

My grandfather taught me to use a scythe.
But only for trimming around trees. And along hedges.

Hallelujah..

All I need is a bigger grass style Scythe to cut the whole 3 acre hill of grass down flat.

That is the plan.

=======
=======
STEP #1 - I looked up "Scythe" on amazon.

2100 hits. Only 2 or 3 books.

NONE about how to find and select and BUY a Scythe.

A Nice niche to sell into.

After all - the entire world of people are looking for specific - and personal
strategies they can use to fight global warming.

AND.

Turns out my IGNORANCE is a strength. I can entertain readers with all
my MISTAKES as I go about buying a new Grass Blade and Snath.

Snath is the wood handle.
Blade is what you cut with.

Then there are natural sharpening stones. From natural stones and quarries.

Synthetic stones.

Large and 12 inches long.

Round and 2 sided with different abrasive grit.

Dry.

Wet stones.

Leather Strops.

AND I discovered something called "Peening" which I've never tried before.

"Peening" is when you hammer the edge of the blade
narrower so it takes a sharper edge.

=======
=======
STEP II - I looked at my Trimming Scythe - it read "Smith & Hawken."

Visited "Smith& Hawken.com

Turns out they sold out to Target.

They sell all kinds of lawn supplies and shovels and forks - but no scythes.

DEAD END.

**********
**********
STEP III - There are CHEAP metal snaths and blades for sale at Amazon.

But No Advice about what length of Snath handle to get for your height. Or why a wood handle might be better than metal.

Or which size and shape of Scythe blade is best for mowing acres of grass
instead of trimming weeds.

Anyway...

I've started emailing questions to the owners of several USA companies.

Should be Fun to see what they say.

Thanks,
Glenn Osborn

P.S. - I learned from Watching Bill Myers and Gary Halbert and Ted Nicholas
that creating a new product while you MASTER a New Hobby is Very
Profitable.

Why?

Because there are already tons of people with the same hobby - interested
in learning a New angle or aspect of that hobby.

Or Who Buy your book just so they can LAUGH at your mistakes.

LindaC May 29, 2013 01:34 PM

Re: A Comical-Problem That Might Become a Kindle Book
 
Hi Glenn,
LindaC here.

I remember seeing wooden handled scythes hanging in
the barn many years ago.

Also, we had fruit trees, a honeybee lot, and we raised food
For the livestock.

we also raised goats. And, they kept the grass and weeds
Down in the orchards.

My Best. 2 U,
LindaC

Glenn May 29, 2013 05:09 PM

A Dairy Farmer Neighbor I Worked for Had Tools On His Barn Wall too
 
Thanks Linda,

My grandfather and the old Dairy Farmer had the same kind of Thick
and Curved - Heavy scythe handles hanging on their shed or barn walls.

I recently learned this is the "American Version."

The European type of snath is much lighter and only slightly curved or
straight.

In fact.

A large # of YouTube Videos feature women in Long dresses cutting
fields of hay.

Proof this isn't a brute force game.

Thanks,
Glenn

Cornell May 30, 2013 03:51 AM

It is almost an art.
 
My dad used one when I was a kid some 50 years ago.

When I was old enough and tall enough ...about 12...he let me give it a try.

He would use it and the weeds or whatever he was cutting just rhythmically fall. My attempt was a total nightmare with just moving them and cutting maybe just a dozen or so stems.

He let me suffer through it for about a half an hour and then stepped in to teach me....had to learn the wrong way to learn the right way.

Doesn't require much strength..but does require a bit of muscle endurance if there is a lot to do.

The whole secret to successful use of the scythe is the angle of the blade and a rhythm...hold the scythe for the correct blade angle and get the rhythm down and it is just like poetry in motion....with almost no effort....just let the scythe do all the work.

Glenn May 30, 2013 10:37 PM

Grass Scythe VS Gas Powered Stihl BrushCutter RACE
 
Hey Cornell,

Thanks.

I've discovered YouTube SCYTHE Videos from all over the world.

Usually from County Fairs and competitions
pitting the Scythe against weedwackers.

People seem fascinated that the Scythe usually wins AND does a better job.

Here's one video race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUe8AhYnhYE

Thanks,
Glenn

P.S. - If you use a scythe DO NOT Imitate this guy. You'll keel over in 15
minutes if you work your arms and upper body like this hr after hr.

I worked cutting 3 foot tall grass for four hours straight last weekend.
And felt good afterwards.

You pace yourself and use your legs instead of your arms.

It does help that my grandfather taught me when I was just a kid.

Phil May 31, 2013 03:33 PM

Who Needs a WeedWacker When You Can Use a Scythe? U.S. scythe sales {Growing} nicely!
 
Thanks Glen...

Interesting topic and worth Digging into more...

Quick research [Says] there are All kinds of interesting and Creative ways, ideas and much, much more to {Turn/Scythe} this into money making opportunities... :cool:

Who Needs a WeedWacker When You Can Use a Scythe?

(Quick copy & paste)...
While Americans persist in cutting grass with labor-saving devices, faithful scythers believe their old tool has plenty of life left in it. In the dozens just 10 years ago, U.S. scythe sales are nearing 10,000 a year now, for a kit that costs about $200. Predictably, scythe buyers are small, green farmers; unpredictably, they are also city folk and suburbanites.

At Marugg Co., which has been selling scythes out of Tracy City, Tenn., since 1873, the typical scythe buyer used to be an Amish farmer or a horror-movie prop master, according to Amy Wilson, the current owner. Now, it's "anybody and everybody," she says. "It makes it difficult for advertising, but still…"

"I get emails from people who just want to mow the lawn," says Botan Anderson, a Wisconsin scythe promoter. Carol Bryan, owner of Scythe Supply, in Maine, says: "We have backyarders who say, 'My WeedWacker just threw a rock through the window. I want a…how do you pronounce that thing? A sith?' "

Ruth Callard, 58, a personal trainer, got a scythe (rhymes with writhe) to cut the grass around six apple trees that she and a few neighbors have planted on the I-5 freeway embankment in Seattle. The city let them plant but refused to mow. "It's the budget," says Ms. Callard, "so we bought the scythe. The hips do most of the work."
https://www.google.com/search?q=Who+...ient=firefox-a

We plan to either open a new branch office in the US, or contract a main distributor in the near future. For the mean time, Scythe Taiwan sales office will take care ...
http://www.scythe-usa.com/
https://www.google.com/search?q=U.S....w=1776&bih=829

The students are holding up a scythe, which is an old tool that was used to reap and harvest plants. It is also on the Harvester logo...
http://www.thepampanews.com/news/art...a4bcf6878.html

Jan 17, 2013 – Would like to see some of these comparisons with the actual total time included: fuel, service, CLEANING, greasing, sharpening rotor blades, ...
http://onescytherevolution.com/index.html

Although caution regarding the following... ;)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...he-in-van.html

All the best,
Phil

Glenn June 2, 2013 01:37 AM

I've Been Exchanging Emails w/Marugg
 
Thanks Phil,

I've been asking questions of Amy at the Marugg Co.

Metal

Straight wood snath

Curved

Hickory.

Trying to get the details ironed out.

More Complicated than it looks for a blade and a long wood handle.

Glenn


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