This post about a tool with many names, was brought about by a video by my old friend, and fellow kentuckian posted laying waste to some overgrown vegetation with a curved sickle.
Whilst the hand sickle he used is extremely effective, it made my back hurt just watching it. Hand sickles, and the scythe have been around for a long time, and really can get some chopping done!
I started using a tool more common to the bushcraft crowd than homesteaders. What I call a brush axe (essentially a bill hook on a axe handle) for weed clearing a few years ago. It comes by many names, and many similar designs. I get poison ivy every time I look at a weed eater, so I would rather take my time, and cut weeds the old fashioned way. Using the thumbs up grip method, and light weight allows for great ergonomics. Similar to using a scythe, but allows more hacking should you encounter a small 15 foot tree you decide needs to meet it's maker. Unlike a scythe where the angle, and design makes it hard to cut yourself with. You could easily injury your feet with a brush axe. More so if someone walked up behind you while you where swinging what is could be compared to a machete on a stick. I really do love mine. It has a slim hafting design that keeps it from getting hung up on stuff.
Happy homesteading!
