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The sharpening has always stumped me, with knives and now scythes.
Bought a scythe!
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Ridgetop
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I bought a scythe 2 years ago in an antique store. Rusted blade, but I bought it to join my sickles hanging on the wall. LOL I figured it would look good with great grandma's washboard and some other interesting items. The only problem is that it has the curved long part and I am not sure how to keep it attached to the wall. Don't want it to fall down and scythe someone. LOL
I had no idea you could actually buy them new. As my friend and I were leaving the shop, a lady ran u and said she had been looking for one for several years. I should have sold it to her and made a profit! Especially now that Stephine says you can get them new! I will look into that teaching video. I have always wanted to learn how to use a scythe. And how to sharpen it. Daddy used a whetstone on his knives and said you could ruin a good blade if you did not know what you were doing. My grandfather had a grindstone in the garage where he sharpened the lawnmower blades when I was a child.
I had no idea you could actually buy them new. As my friend and I were leaving the shop, a lady ran u and said she had been looking for one for several years. I should have sold it to her and made a profit! Especially now that Stephine says you can get them new! I will look into that teaching video. I have always wanted to learn how to use a scythe. And how to sharpen it. Daddy used a whetstone on his knives and said you could ruin a good blade if you did not know what you were doing. My grandfather had a grindstone in the garage where he sharpened the lawnmower blades when I was a child.
Stephine
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Oh, very cool - from whom? I am hoping to get some babydolls next year and have been in contact with a couple of breeders around here.
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Suzanne Harmon of Moon Hollow Ranch.
We are swapping my 4 ewe lambs for her 4 ewe lambs. If I had more OEBSR ewes born, I'd trade more with her!
Stephine
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Yes, the sharpening is the tricky part. I finally learned to hone properly when I watched some videos of Alpine farmers. And I got a couple of really good whetstones from One Scythe Connection - that made a huge difference, having good stones! Eventually I even figured out the peening (hammering out the edge of the blade), after ditching the peening jig (never worked well for us) and using a narrow anvil. It definitely is a learning curve, but it could have been so much faster if I had had better information and the right tools from the start. With that, I probably could have mastered it in one mowing season , not 4....
Stephine
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Yes, I have emailed with her. She has a waiting list of 200 for 70-80 lambs! I will apply, maybe we‘re lucky... Maybe I‘ll even end up with one out of your ewes - how fun!
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I believe I inquired in 2017 and 2018 didn't work out, but this year luckily did.
That would be neat! Grandlambs & great grandlambs on the west coast.
Send me pictures, if you end up getting some!I tend to have a similar wait time, for ewes at least. Which is nice, but not at the same time, lol. Really wish my Billy was dual. Ah well, he'll always be here.
Ridgetop
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Are you driving out? or arranging for yours to be shipped out and hers back?
Ridgetop
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Stephine, if you don't want to wait another year for sheep, and are interested in White Dorpers, Wes Patton is located in Chico. He used to teach AG at Chico State. Excellent stock and no shearing. 
But maybe you want the wool to spin. We learned how, but don't want to bother with it, and don't knit much, although it is a very soothing activity. We just like to eat lamb! Several other good breeders up there too.
But maybe you want the wool to spin. We learned how, but don't want to bother with it, and don't knit much, although it is a very soothing activity. We just like to eat lamb! Several other good breeders up there too.Stephine
True BYH Addict
Thank you for the tip!Stephine, if you don't want to wait another year for sheep, and are interested in White Dorpers, Wes Patton is located in Chico. He used to teach AG at Chico State. Excellent stock and no shearing.
I have my heart set on babydolls - I really like their small size and robustness, plus they are just so stinkin cute! It’s a breed they use in the vineyards here, so I know they do well with the climate here... We will likely just have three of them, so shearing won’t be so bad, and I like wool. If it won’t work for spinning (I knit and crochet
) I‘ll definitely use it for stuffing. We all have wool filled comforters, which are just the best kind of warm and breathable - so much cozier than down - and even the dog has a wool filled bed...And unfortunately we have to wait a year at least before we get them because we aren’t actually living at the farm while we are rebuilding from the wildfires. We are 20 minutes away and it’s enough of a job to take care of the chickens like this. The poor things are penned most of the time, because they need our dog for protection who is of course with me... The sheep would need him too, so we’ll need to wait. Oh well. Good thing I am finally mastering the mowing!!
