The scythe in 100 forms

For hundreds of years, the scythe was a mandatory tool for all farmers throughout Europe. It was used in hundreds of ways under various conditions, not only for mowing grass, but also for harvesting various crops, which led to the emergence of many different shapes of scythes and accessories.

Examples can be seen in the photographs taken by Mr Martin from Borský Svätý Jur in Slovakia. The scythe was attached to the snath by a blacksmith, who reinforced the snath with sheet metal. He attached the scythe to the snath using a scythe ring called a zdera, bending the tang of the scythe to fit the snath. Scythes were also used in this region for mowing grain, corn or potato tops.

The blacksmith attached a special harness called a kantár to the scythe, which prevented the neck of the scythe from breaking and remained on the scythe permanently.