HOW

TO USE THE 1SR ROLL GUIDE 1

Congratulations on your foresight in purchasing the 1SR Roll-Guide. You have
indeed done your research on scythes. Seriously. A sharp blade is the key to success,
when using an Austrian or Italian scythe blade, and your commitment to learning
how to sharpen your scythe blade is commendable. There will be no One Scythe
Revolution, if the blades are not sharp! This roll-guide (Fhrungsrolle) will make it
easier for you to learn to peen, and you will get better results, and it can even help
you achieve very advanced levels, in time. I find this roll-guide to be indispensible
for my own peening. I can now peen edges that are almost as smooth as glass, and
that have amazing sharpness. And it saves on hand-strain, which makes peening a
lot more fun!
A bit of background info:

In many parts of continental Europe, scythe blades were traditionally peened by

placing the edge of the blade on a wide (flat) anvil, and then peening the edge thin
with a crosspeen hammer. When peening on a wide anvil, your success depends on
your accuracy with the cross-peen end of the hammer. To do this well requires
tremendous skill! Otherwise, you end up with either a wavy, or a rough, serrated-
like edge. Other parts of Europe found it easier to peen a scythe blade placed upside
down on a narrow (bar peen) anvil, and then struck it on the back of the cutting
edge with a wide-faced hammer. When peening on a narrow anvil, the accuracy of
your peening depends on how precisely you can hold the cutting edge in the correct
position on the anvil face. This can be strenuous on the fingers, and on the wrist, as
you try to hold the blade very still for each hammer strike. Both tall anvils and short
anvils have their pros and cons. While I am pursuing the development of a tall anvil
for 1SR, the new Picard anvils are an excellent short anvil and I plan on continuing
to carry them. To improve them, I had the profile of the Picard anvil faces changed to
be more straight, like the SFX anvils, but with the normal (medium) radius that I
prefer. And I had the idea of designing a roll-guide for it, based on the one I had
experienced at the 2006 Scythe Symposium made by Niels Johansson of Denmark. I
wrote about it in my blog. (See
http://onescytherevolution.com/1/post/2014/02/the-evolvement-of-the-1sr-
peening-guide.html ) I found a local shop to machine them for me. The result is very
simple, but very successful. The Picard anvil is short enough so that you can rest
your hand on the anvil block. The new and improved profile is superb for the
peening method that I use. And the new roll-guide works fabulously, and is quick
and easy to adjust. I have never enjoyed peening as much as I do now! I cant wait to
see how much sharper I can get the blade each time that I peen. I hope you will
enjoy it as much as I do.

Instructions:
1. The Peening Stump
Prepare a stump as described in my manual, How to Peen an Austrian Scythe Blade
on a Narrow Anvil., included with your peening kit. To have enough room for the
1SR Roll Guide, I suggest using a square cut timber of at least 6x6, or a log section
8-12 in diameter. To determine the height that you need for your peening stump,
put on the shoes that you would be wearing while peening, and sit down on a chair
or stump that is at a comfortable height, and measure from the ground up to the top
of your thigh. This is the height that you will be supporting one end of a long scythe
blade, with your thigh, while you peen the other end of the blade. When you have
this measurement, subtract 2 inches for the height of the Picard anvil, and cut the
stump to length, or just select a stump that comes close enough in the first place.
Depending on how smooth the surface of your stump is, it might be beneficial to
sand the top surface reasonably smooth, at this point, so that the aluminum bar of
the roll-guide can more easily slide, when tapped one way or the other, with the
hammer. This may be more of an issue in humid weather.

2. Setting the Anvil into the Stump

Next figure out where you want to set the anvil. See Figure 1 for possible scenarios. I
like it in the middle, and 2/3rds toward me. To mount your Picard anvil, drill a hole
inch in diameter and 1 deep. Next use a diameter drill bit, and drill down
through the center of the hole that you have made so far, to a total depth of 2
inches. This hole will nicely accommodate the 2 7/8 long, tapered spike of the
Picard anvil. Insert the anvil into the hole, then square it up, and then pound it into
place with a piece of firewood (never use a hammer for this!). You will want the
anvil deep enough for the roller of the roll-guide to extend up higher than the top of
the anvil face, so that the edge of the blade can press against the roller, when resting
on top of the anvil face. Once the anvil is in, put your scythe blade upside down on it,
and align the edge at the beard on the anvil face. If the tang of the blade interferes
with your ability to get the edge at the beard to lay properly on the anvil face, you
will have to notch out your stump, to make room for the tang. (See 1SR Peening
Manual). My new Falci blades have very high necks, and the tang is much closer to
the beard, than on my FUX blades. So you will need to notch out your stump more
for them, than for the FUX blades. (Thats one advantage to tall anvils. There is no
need to notch out your stump.)
 HOW TO USE THE 1SR ROLL GUIDE 3

Figure 1

To mount the 1SR Roll Guide on your anvil stump, remove the screw and anchor
bolt, and place the guide plate alongside the Picard anvil, on either the left or right
side (on right is best for Falci blades), so that the far side of the roller, is lined up
with the center of the anvil face, as shown in the blueprint in Figure 1. Mark the spot
with a pencil, where you need to drill a hole on your stump. It should be in the
center of the slot, at the halfway point of the adjustment range.

Drill a 3/4 inch deep hole with a 5/16 inch drill bit, then screw the anchor bolt into
place with the scythe key that came with your 1SR wooden snath, or a 6mm metric
allen wrench. Crank the anchor bolt down into place, as in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Next place the washer on the bolt, and then place the bolt through the slot of the
guide plate, and thread into the anchor bolt. Use a Phillips screwdriver to screw
down the bolt, until it lightly holds the guide in place.
Figure 3. Next place the edge of the blade, at the exact middle of the top of the
rounded anvil face, and then adjust the peening guide, so that the roller presses
against the edge. Then tighten the screw firmly enough to hold the blade firmly in
position, but loose enough so that you can move the guide when you tap on it with a
hammer.

Figure 3

Peening:

To hold the blade comfortably while keeping the edge exactly in place, I like to hold the
blade with my thumb on top, my index finger tip on the back of the rib (see Figure 3), and
I place my middle, ring, and little finger, curled underneath the blade, and holding the
blade while pressed against the anvil (See Figure 4).

 HOW TO USE THE 1SR ROLL GUIDE 5

Figure 4

Figure 5

The edge is guided by both the roll-guide, plus the three fingers underneath. The
three fingers form a stop, that helps keep the edge from going too far over the top
of the radius of the anvil, as your are peening (See Figure 5). The roll-guide does
as well, so the blade is easily kept in position with precision.

Figure 6

Figure 6. Commence peening with the Diagonal Drawing Hammer Strike. Work your
way from tip to beard (toe to heel). For the first inch or so, the tip will not be in
contact with the roller, so you are on your own. Once youve peened enough of the
blade, for it to engage the roller, adjust the roller to meet the edge. Whenever the
curve of the blade, requires you to change position of the roller, tap the ends of the
aluminum bar to adjust it.

Figure 7

Figure 7. To adjust guide back, away from you, lay your hammer head down flat, and tap
the aluminum bar forward.


 HOW TO USE THE 1SR ROLL GUIDE 7

Figure 8

Figure 8. To adjust guide forward (towards you), reach over and tap the aluminum bar of
the guide with the cross peen end of the hammer.

See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLcg8wXxLfE

My New Hammering Technique:

The 1SR Roll-Guide has given me such a fine-tuned control of the placement of the edge
on the radius, that I have been able to develop a third hammer strike technique for
myself. I call it the Sharpening Hammer Strike. I used to use it in-between the Diagonal
Drawing Hammer Strike, and the Packing Hammer Strike. Lately however, Ive been
skipping the packing hammer strike, and just finishing with the Sharpening Strike
passes.
The drawing hammer strike works best, with the edge just a hair past the top of the
radius of the anvil face, towards you. This enables the hammer to grab a small amount
of the metal at the edge, and with the help of the co-efficient of friction, squeeze, and
drive it forward. This works best on slightly thicker metal, than a sharp edge. I think there
are diminishing returns on your energy, once the edge is pretty thin; say thin enough to
run over the cross-peen end of your hammer.
To get the edge even thinner or sharper, I added a rebounding hammering technique to
my repertoire. I could also call it the Rebounding Hammer Strike, but when its used for
the final finishing passes, I like to call it the Sharpening Hammer Strike. Once I've
reached the point of diminishing returns with the Drawing Hammer Strike, I pull the edge
back to the very top of the radius, and start hitting the edge with a straight down hammer
strike; but instead of a some what dead blow quality, as in the Packing Hammer Strike, I
instead try for an optimum amount of rebound. I do this by lightening up my hammer
strikes, and speeding up my tempo, and choking out a bit on the handle, and getting in
rhythm with the rebound. Its fun! The 500g hammer does the work of a heavier hammer
this way, without the heavy lifting. It's crucial though, to have the edge exactly at the top
of the radius. There is not much to hit, when the edge is in this position on the radius, so
to get a feel for distinguishing between when you are completely missing the edge and
just striking the anvil, and when you are solidly striking the exact cutting edge, practice
getting into the hammer rhythm, and then pull the edge back enough so that you are
certain that you are not hitting the edge at all, and then slowly bring it forward, until you
feel the hammer solidly connecting with just the edge again. The noise of this hammer
strike really rings in the ear. The German's have a good way of describing it. Es knallt
Mir in the Ohren! They would say. There is no good translation. It means something like
the sharp report of a gun. Lets just say, wear hearing protection! With this placement on
the radius, and the power of this hammer strike, you can really sharpen the edge to a
fine point, instead of just thinning it.

This requirement for the precise positioning of the edge, is where the 1SR Roll-Guide
becomes so incredibly useful. As you go around the curve of the blade, you will need to
make a lot of minute fine-tuned adjustments to the guide. But this is easy to do with just
a quick tap of the hammer.

See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05wsfFCoLRQ

After the Sharpening Hammer Strike, I used to try to toughen up the edge with the
Packing or Klopfender Hammer Strike. Once you've experienced the Sharpening
Hammer Strike, you will really feel the difference of the Packing Hammer Strike.
Klopfender means knocking, in German. I have since found out that the old
blacksmiths lore of packing the metal, to make it denser, sharper, and more durable, is a
myth that has been busted, and is probably not worth the effort. All the hammer strikes
supposedly can only thin and work harden the metal. The molecules cannot be packed
closer together. One day, however, I pushed the Sharpening Strike to the limit, and
ended up with an edge so thin that it would stay bent up, after the thumbnail test. I
instinctively started to try to stiffen the edge, with a gentler, but solid, Packing hammer
strike. Ahhh, I thought to myself. Der Klopfender Dengelschlag! Maybe it is useful after
all. Anyway, I managed to salvage the edge, and it seemed tougher after the packing
hammer strike. I mowed with it with no problems. While the packing hammer strike may
not be making the metal denser, I do think it can help smooth out your work, which would
make the edge sharper, also. In any case, do not peen the edge so thin that it bends like
foil, or worse, breaks off. When 0.5-1mm of the edge, runs over a sliding thumbnail, like
a stadium crowd doing the wave, it is plenty thin enough. Next, hone it with a finer
whetstone like the La Saurat, Dopplebock (aka Milano), or Rozsutec whetstones. (see
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rhSgD5UFQw )

FAQ:

How many passes should I do?

You get a better overlap of all your individual hammer marks, if you do at least two
passes with each type of the hammering techniques. I would say that generally, if you
start out with a new FUX or Falci blade, and mow with it until it needs peening, two
passes with each of the Drawing and Sharpening hammering techniques, it will result in
an excellent edge, and you will be able to hone with the finer gritted whetstones. If your
edge is really dull and youve been needing to hone very hard with a medium gritted
 HOW TO USE THE 1SR ROLL GUIDE 9

stone, in order to cut anything, you will need to make more passes with the drawing
hammer strike, or start several rows in, and peen successive lines to recreate the
primary bevel.

Should I peen the edge from tip to beard, or beard to tip?

When working with a straight down hammer strike, at the very edge at least, it does not
matter if you peen from tip to beard, or vice versa. Traditionally scythe blades are
peened from beard to tip because supposedly that works with the direction of how the
metal was drawn out when forged. If true, this might be of importance when working the
thicker metal from several rows in (for example when you need to re-establish the
primary bevel on a well used blade). Otherwise, when peening just at the very edge, I
have been assured by blacksmith Larry Cooper, and others, that there is no possible
way that it can make any structural difference to the steel, whether you peen from tip to
beard, or vice versa. The metal is just too thin here. I describe in my original peening
manual, why I peen from tip to beard when using the diagonal drawing hammer strike.
The diagonal hammer strike enhances the feeding of the blade, over the anvil face. In
other words, it is easier to slide the edge along on the anvil face, when you move it more
in alignment with the direction that the diagonal hammer strike is tugging it, instead of in
the opposing direction. While this is of no advantage with feeding the blade in
conjunction with a straight down hammer strike, I do find it easier to smoothly feed the
blade with my fingers, when peening from tip to beard, even though the hammer is not
tugging the blade. I find that what is generally easier for me, is to push the blade forward
with my thumb, than it is to pull it back with my thumb. Its also easier once in the habit,
to always go in the same direction. So now I prefer to peen from tip to beard, on a
narrow anvil, whenever I am peening at the edge, with any of the hammering strikes.
The importance of this subtlety, is that the more smoothly you can move, or feed, the
blade over the anvil face, as you are peening, the more it will enhance the consistency of
your work. When you use the good hammering form that I describe in my original
peening manual, along with the guiding technique of bracing your fingers underneath
against the anvil, plus the fine-tuned guidance of the roll-guide, you have a rock-solid
foundation for developing the skill to peen a very smooth, and uniform, and sharp edge.

bung macht den Meister.

I hope you enjoy learning how to peen a scythe blade!



S t e p - b y - S t e p R e v i e w

1. Clean blade and anvil Remove blade from snath. If it is dirty with
plant sap and dirt, wash it carefully with dish soap and a scrubbing pad. Dry
carefully, and thoroughly. A clean blade will slide smoothly over the anvil
surface, which will make it easier to advance the blade smoothly, and peen
evenly. Keep the anvil surface clean as well. You can clean it with the Sandflex
block followed by a rag, or just use a dry scrubbing pad.
2. Create a matte finish Create a matte finish along the edge, by
rubbing it with the rust-eraser Sandflex block, before each new pass, so that
your individual hammer marks will show up as shiny marks. That way you
can see what work you have done, and make adjustments to your technique.
3. Diagonal Drawing Hammer Strike Do 2-3 passes from tip to
beard, if you are right handed (beard to tip if you are left-handed). Place the
edge, a hair past (towards you) the very center of the top of the radius. Hold
your arm so that the upper and lower arm, together form an 80 degree angle.
Isolate the motion to the shoulder joint. Hold hammer handle more in the
middle. The hammer strikes draw and taper the metal out towards you. Each
hammer strike overlaps the previous one. Work your way down the entire
length of the blade. The hammer marks should join together in a continuous,
uniform line. Each successive pass will taper the edge out further.
4. Sharpening Hammer Strike This rebounding hammer strike
technique gives the edge drawn out by the Drawing Hammer Strike, the extra
sharpness to cut grass with amazing ease. Do 1-2 finishing passes, until the
edge is thin enough to run on the nail. Place edge at center of the radius.
Isolate motion to elbow joint. Hammer strikes are straight down. Hold the
hammer more by the end, and lighten up your hammer strikes, and speed up
your tempo. Try for an optimum amount of rebound. Get in rhythm with the
rebound, and let the hammer do more of the work. This powerful hammer
strike will quickly thin out and sharpen the cutting edge. Be careful not to
overdo it, or your edge will be so work hardened it will flake off! After each
pass, check to see how thin the edge has become, by applying firm (but not
painful) pressure with your thumbnail, and rocking it back and forth. If the
first mm of the edge, rolls with your thumbnail pressure, it is sharp enough.
5. Honing Finish the edge by honing it. Hold the blade by the tang, and place
the tip in a stump. Brace the hand holding the tang, against your body, with
the cutting edge facing away from you. Hone from beard to tip, with a wet
whetstone. If you are a beginner, start with a softer medium-fine stone,
followed by a hard and fine stone. Use the shape of the stone to engage the
edge, and feel for the correct angle that you need to hone the edge. Too steep
 HOW TO USE THE 1SR ROLL GUIDE 1
1

and you will be dulling the edge; too shallow, and you will not be doing much
of anything. Remove the burr only with the fine stone, and preferably by
honing with a polished flat side, towards the burr, instead of away from it.
Experienced scythers may skip this step, and put the blade back on the snath,
and just hone the blade like they do in the field.

Botan Anderson www.OneScytheRevolution.com Copyright 2015