This snath is made in our workshop in Perry, Maine. The shaft is native white ash, the handles are rock maple. The lower section has been treated with a waterproofing solution.

The snath is composed of a main shaft, two handles, stem and ring clamp with key.

Positioning the handles

The stem is tapered and wedges into a tapered hole. These pieces will form a very tight fit when driven together with a few *moderate hammer blows (use a wooden mallet or the butt end of a hammer handle).

Dry fit all parts together lightly for position before using glue. Position the handles at comfortable angles. The handles do not have to line up square with the main shaft. The top handle may be angled slightly down and the lower may be rotated to point slightly toward you for better ergonomics.

Assemble the snath but lightly attach the handles without glue, don't get things too tight. Grip the handles, get comfortable like your about to mow, then close your eyes. Move through the motion of a stroke. Let your hands move the handles to best suit you. Let comfort be your guide. Mark these positions with a pencil so you can reproduce this alignment when glueing the pieces together.

We recommend a yellow woodworkers glue like Franklin Titebond or a similar product. This type of glue should secure the joints. The joints may be pinned with a small nail for reinforcement . Start a hole with an awl or very small drill to avoid splitting the wood then drive the nail (1 inch long) part way through the joint.

A handle and stem piece may have been pre-assembled and glued into a unit for your convenience. If not, assemble these two pieces with glue. Drive the parts *solidly together with a hammer.

Fit the stem piece into the hole on the snath. Drive the parts together with a few * smart raps of a hammer to make a solid binding fit. There should be no play.

The handle on the end of the snath is wiggled on and tapped home for a tight fit. There should be no play.

*moderate or smart hammer blows - refers to the judicious use of force. Use enough force to firmly drive the parts together, but not enough to split or damage the parts. Use your best judgement.

Mounting the blade

To mount the blade, first loosen both screws of the ring clamp. Slide the clamp over the end of the snath, then fit the blade so the little knob of the tang fits into the hole drilled in the snath. You may have to tap the nib to seat it into the hole.

Slide the clamp up about midway over the tang and tighten the two screws. Do not over tighten the screws. Moderate pressure evenly applied will hold the blade securely. Check the screws frequently when the blade is first put into use. They will seat and need adjustment during this break-in period. If you mow in wet conditions, loosen the screws to compensate for swelling of the wood.

Now is the time to adjust the hafting angle. (see pages 16 & 176 of The Scythe Book, and http://www.scythesupply.com/workshop4.htm). This angle of blade to snath is adjusted to best suite the type of blade and grass conditions. A more closed angle is useful in hard to cut grass, a more open angle is used in easy conditions.

Here's an easy way to check the halfting angle. Kneel down with one knee contacting the ground. Lay the scythe out straight in in front of you with the upper grip butted against your knee. Visually spot where the beard (the corner of the edge closest to the tang) touches the ground. Using your knee as the pivot point swing the scythe so that the point of the blade is aligned to the reference marked by the beard. The point should be around 1-3 inches lower. Loosen the clamp, adjust, check and tighten things back up.

Care & Storage
Seal the wood from moisture with something like linseed oil. If using varnish, better several light coats than a heavy one. We like a product called Penetrol available in the paint dept. of hardware stores.
The metal parts will also benefit from an occasional oil coating. Beware - WD-40 will dissolve and smear the black coatings on some of our blades. Store the scythe clean and dry. Don't stand the scythe up with the blade at floor level, you risk stepping on it or bumping into the point. It is safer to lay the blade over a sawhorse or object of similar height. Cardboard & duct tape can be used to fashion a quick sheath to protect the blade. An old burlap, cloth seed bag, or an old leg from dungarees makes a ready cover. We also offer quality blade covers designed to fit our various sized blades for only $12. Whatever material you use make sure it can breathe to allow moisture to evaporate and prevent rust.

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