Weapons of Grass Destruction
Weapons of Grass Destruction
I have had these two "Weapons of Grass Destruction" kicking around in my garden shed for several years, and after looking at them closely I believe that both are handmade by someone, somewhere, with some blacksmithing skills. They both look too crudely finished to be factory made, and I've never seen a left-hand grass cutting sickle before.
During my college years I had a summer job working in the Construction Department for a large gold mining company which owned most of the town. One of the jobs for us young guys was to keep the vacant lots around town cleaned up, so the boss would take us out with a hand sickle, a file, a canteen of water and our lunch bucket and put us to work. Usually he would check in on us once a day and pick us up at quitting time. We worked 8 hours a day, six days a week for $1.59 per hour. If we put as much as we could in the bank, in three months we could save almost enough to cover college expenses for a year at a local state-supported college. We could just about wear out a sickle in a summer of work.
The sickles we used were always right-handed, probably made by Ames or True-Temper. As a southpaw, I learned to use a right-handed sickle with no problem and could use either hand pretty effectively. A left-hand sickle feels really strange now, even though I'm left-handed.
During my college years I had a summer job working in the Construction Department for a large gold mining company which owned most of the town. One of the jobs for us young guys was to keep the vacant lots around town cleaned up, so the boss would take us out with a hand sickle, a file, a canteen of water and our lunch bucket and put us to work. Usually he would check in on us once a day and pick us up at quitting time. We worked 8 hours a day, six days a week for $1.59 per hour. If we put as much as we could in the bank, in three months we could save almost enough to cover college expenses for a year at a local state-supported college. We could just about wear out a sickle in a summer of work.
The sickles we used were always right-handed, probably made by Ames or True-Temper. As a southpaw, I learned to use a right-handed sickle with no problem and could use either hand pretty effectively. A left-hand sickle feels really strange now, even though I'm left-handed.
- Mumbleypeg
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
I’ve spent many an hour using one of those, or more likely a long-handled version. The blisters are long gone as are the calluses. When my boys were growing up I put them to work with those also - for some strange reason the sickles (and hay hooks) seemed to disappear frequently.
Ken
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If your religion requires that you hate someone, you need a new religion.
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Nice old hand sickles! I acquired this one years ago as more of an oddity than anything else. I cannot verify it's usefullness(or lack thereof)as I have yet to try it out.Manufactured by the N.Wayne Tool Co. of Oakland Maine under the name,"Lawn Razor",it uses old double edged razor blades inserted in a crescent shaped housing as a cutting edge.They are easily replaceable(or turned over)by unscrewing the housing wing nuts. The guard over the edges when not in use folds out to act as a safety to keep the handle from closing.
This was likely made in the 1950's although it might be pre-WWII as there were many devices that utilized used razor blades for other than shaving.I have several old utility knives that used them.Anyway I thought I would add this to the pile.
This was likely made in the 1950's although it might be pre-WWII as there were many devices that utilized used razor blades for other than shaving.I have several old utility knives that used them.Anyway I thought I would add this to the pile.
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Wow Ray that looks nasty!
Though it is not chain, it would be the perfect cutting implement if someone was going to remake the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies without using motors!
Though it is not chain, it would be the perfect cutting implement if someone was going to remake the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies without using motors!
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
That was the reason I bought it Dale;it is so bizarre looking!Goes great in my accumulation of oddball cutting devices.
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- 1967redrider
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Ray, your collection never ceases to amaze me. That thing could take out yard rodents as well!
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!
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You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Thanks for the kind words but I must correct you:I do not,"collect";I,"indiscriminately accumulate"1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Dec 12, 2020 2:57 am Ray, your collection never ceases to amaze me. That thing could take out yard rodents as well!
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
knife7knut wrote: ↑Sat Dec 12, 2020 6:35 amThanks for the kind words but I must correct you:I do not,"collect";I,"indiscriminately accumulate"1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Dec 12, 2020 2:57 am Ray, your collection never ceases to amaze me. That thing could take out yard rodents as well!
Pocket, fixed, machete, axe, it's all good!
You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
You're going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking out of your @#$. -Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Here is a True Temper.
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They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Being curious, I went looking for info on this thing. I found a "1951" No. 117 catalog for the North Wayne Tool Company and it is not in it. Another reference said that catalog No. 117 is 1941. One of their lines was the Little Giant Scythes.knife7knut wrote: ↑Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:04 pm Nice old hand sickles! I acquired this one years ago as more of an oddity than anything else. I cannot verify it's usefullness(or lack thereof)as I have yet to try it out.Manufactured by the N.Wayne Tool Co. of Oakland Maine under the name,"Lawn Razor",it uses old double edged razor blades inserted in a crescent shaped housing as a cutting edge.They are easily replaceable(or turned over)by unscrewing the housing wing nuts. The guard over the edges when not in use folds out to act as a safety to keep the handle from closing.
This was likely made in the 1950's although it might be pre-WWII as there were many devices that utilized used razor blades for other than shaving.I have several old utility knives that used them.Anyway I thought I would add this to the pile.
http://site.baryonyxknife.com/blog/2017 ... og-no-117/
The company was in business from 1879 to 1969.
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
I clicked on the link you provided and the Lawn Razor IS LISTED almost at the end of the sheet. Thanks for finding that;I appreciate it very much!zzyzzogeton wrote: ↑Sun Jun 13, 2021 1:41 amBeing curious, I went looking for info on this thing. I found a "1951" No. 117 catalog for the North Wayne Tool Company and it is not in it. Another reference said that catalog No. 117 is 1941. One of their lines was the Little Giant Scythes.knife7knut wrote: ↑Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:04 pm Nice old hand sickles! I acquired this one years ago as more of an oddity than anything else. I cannot verify it's usefullness(or lack thereof)as I have yet to try it out.Manufactured by the N.Wayne Tool Co. of Oakland Maine under the name,"Lawn Razor",it uses old double edged razor blades inserted in a crescent shaped housing as a cutting edge.They are easily replaceable(or turned over)by unscrewing the housing wing nuts. The guard over the edges when not in use folds out to act as a safety to keep the handle from closing.
This was likely made in the 1950's although it might be pre-WWII as there were many devices that utilized used razor blades for other than shaving.I have several old utility knives that used them.Anyway I thought I would add this to the pile.
http://site.baryonyxknife.com/blog/2017 ... og-no-117/
The company was in business from 1879 to 1969.
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Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
I'm not sure how I missed seeing that full page ad for the Lawn Razor.
Looking at the document again, one of the pages (5 below the Lawn Razor page) is a full page ad for the Stetcher Scientific Swing Easy, which lists it as a NEW item, patent number 2,718,700.
Looking up this patent number, this patent number was issued 27 September 1955.
That means that the references on the other websites that Catalog 117 is from either 1941 or 1951 are incorrect.
The catalog must be from late 1955 or early 1956.
Looking at the document again, one of the pages (5 below the Lawn Razor page) is a full page ad for the Stetcher Scientific Swing Easy, which lists it as a NEW item, patent number 2,718,700.
Looking up this patent number, this patent number was issued 27 September 1955.
That means that the references on the other websites that Catalog 117 is from either 1941 or 1951 are incorrect.
The catalog must be from late 1955 or early 1956.
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Here is Scythe I picked up over the weekend.
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They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Here is a scythe I am going to clean up for my "Old Tool Display" I found that beer helps to clean old tools. Now, I am not using beer to clean them but it helps the cleaning process..
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They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Glad you cleared up that cleaning process . Nice Scythe there G dog . We’ve got a few long handled and odd stuff in the shed . No electricity in there so will try to remember to dig them out and get pics when light out this week sometime.
The old tools are kind of neat. Always been drawn to them .
The one you posted from Australia sure traveled a long way .
JP
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Ripster wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:19 amI am a sucker for old tools. Maybe it an "Old Guy" thing. I see them there young'ens sitting around with their faces jammed in a phone 24/7 and I think nobody will care about the old tools someday in the future... think about the barns and fences and sheds and houses that were built 70 or 100 years ago or more, with some of these tools that we find in a dark corner collecting dust and rust. I think they have a story to tell... if somebody cares to take a look at them...
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They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:28 amI, too, appreciate the kind of work these tools accomplish as well. I have always admired old scythes, sickles, even grass whips. A well-built grass whip can mow down quite a bit of out-of-control lawn growth without having to drag out an electric-powered "weed-eater". It simply requires a bit of muscle and concentration.Ripster wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:19 amI am a sucker for old tools. Maybe it an "Old Guy" thing. I see them there young'ens sitting around with their faces jammed in a phone 24/7 and I think nobody will care about the old tools someday in the future... think about the barns and fences and sheds and houses that were built 70 or 100 years ago or more, with some of these tools that we find in a dark corner collecting dust and rust. I think they have a story to tell... if somebody cares to take a look at them...
We had to use them when we were children, and they're still useful today.
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Please visit my AAPK store: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... er_id=2383
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
Re: Weapons of Grass Destruction
Time for some cleaning!
Please visit my AAPK store: https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... er_id=2383
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.
They say, “Hard work never hurt anyone”, but I'm still not willing to risk it.