Scythes again

[@newtracetriad]

In 2460, historians are going to argue whether or not 21st century soldiers carried around war chainsaws.

[@titushickman4918]

FLYING PANDAS Only the american ones they'll say.

[@supremecaffeine2633]

...i'm very much ok with that.

[@johnded3874]

a chainsaw would make an awful weapon imo.

[@kahwigulum]

hail to the king baby

[@bernardoheusi6146]

"as you can see in this game Gears of War, it was totally viable to have a saw in your rifle".

[@reedscott3]

I'm going to write the ultimate compendium on dueling with lawnmowers.

[@MrFleem]

Weed whacker fencing!

[@redrounin1440]

how about riding mower jousting with weed whackers?

[@wiledwiredweasel560]

shit man, i'd buy a copy.

[@The1stImmortal]

Called "combatative haircutting"?

[@l33th0b0]

TAKE MY MONEY !!

[@morallyambiguousnet]

"Why would they use scythes?" 1) Because they were caught out in a field and only had a scythe at hand. 2) Because they were bloody loonies with a death wish. 3) They didn't have a tin of baked beans handy.

[@kookiplops8444]

1 and 3 seem plausible, 2 I'm not so sure about.

[@Treblaine]

Ahh, as we learn from video games like Final Fantasy all encounters are random encounters. In really small close knit villages someone isn't going to walk right up to you in the middle of a field in the middle of harvest to attack you with a sword without everyone noticing. And why would they? To... kill you? That's all? Bandits attack travellers as people tend to concentrate their wealth when travelling and more than that, concentrate into a form easy to transport in remote places between jurisdictions of responsibility. Also attack people in their home late at night where they concentrate their wealth... but while tilling the fields? Only if you didn't understand why one would be attacked in the first place. PS: this is for those who take your postulation seriously, on the funny side, lol.

[@DanielBlack82]

You underestimate the power of the Rock or the War Rock

[@KageRyuu6]

Treblaine Most wealth of the feudal age was agricultural, that's how feudalism worked, peasants didn't get paid in coin for their services, no they grew wheat or something else and paid their taxes by handing over a portion of their harvest which was then used to feed the lord's men at arms and barter further services from his peasants. So unlike modern times which are known for their relative stability and safety, the early feudal age was one of wide spread anarchy where villages were always targets for foreign invaders or even domestic brigands, especially if they didn't live within view of their Lord's keep. Now what would be the chances of having to defend oneself with a scythe out in the middle of a field, not very likely but it might happen, most brigands would likely wait for the end of the harvest and wouldn't be interested in wanton slaughter but in taking what they can. Though foreign invaders might not be so patient or even be interested in the harvest itself, maybe they're just interested in sowing chaos and ruin across their neighbor's lands either to weaken his army or to scare his peasants into changing allegiance, a tactic which Henry the 5th attempted to use in the north of France, which back fired and led to the battle of Agincourt.

[@Treblaine]

KageRyuuUji "not very likely but it might happen" That's such a bullshit excuse to justify such mall-ninja nonsense, disregards all reason in terms of probability to cater to the most implausible yet technically possible. Scythes are valuable yet fragile, how many scythes will they damage and destroy as well as as time wasted and great likelihood of self-injury trying to use such tools as weapons? It's stupid. Its the equivalent of a dojo based around lawnmower combat for "what if some junkie tries to mug you while mowing the lawn? Not likely, but it might happen" No, but in 500 years some fool may watch a zombie movie where a lawnmower was used as a weapon and concluded people in 20/21st century used lawn-mowers in self-defence. There is a very good foolproof plan: drop your useless agricultural implement and run screaming hell's bells. You're on home turf, you know the way around, you know your friends and allies. WHY THE HELL do you feel the need to stand your ground? Regroup, re-arm, attack 20:1 and string him from the highest tree. What could they make off with? A few bails of wheat? Grain is valuable by the sack-full but you're hewing the whole wheat, the stem and the chaff.

[@TheSquidPro]

I always knew Ninja's were behind my fathers assassination after that freak baked bean accident.

[@nopushbutton]

Who's gonna be the one laughing when the killer grass attacks??

[@LeondreWilsono0o]

Ikr

[@warewolf435]

Certainly him, he bought a scythe.

[@warewolf435]

Jenny Zalmanovich I believe he will hold the line with his mighty scythe! He's not the hero we deserve, but he's the hero we need.

[@nopushbutton]

Jenny Zalmanovich Well said. Alternatively, a flock of sheep.

[@warewolf435]

nopushbutton Enlisting the aid of our herbiverous allies... well thought out friend. Perhaps we could also employ horses, for additional mobility as well as grass destruction?

[@tf2whackyengineer]

"More points about scythes." Haha, Lindybeige. I've finally got you. Scythes only have one point!

[@Sgrunterundt]

... and that is cutting grass

[@6sawa889]

@@Sgrunterundt HE MEAN THE POINT OF DA BLADE

[@Sgrunterundt]

@@6sawa889 I know

[@tf2whackyengineer]

@@Sgrunterundt NICE!

[@Sgrunterundt]

@@tf2whackyengineer :)

[@mattd6931]

New life goal: get the British Army interested in my baked bean tin fighting method.

[@squirrelknight9768]

I hope your system includes a prominent role for Bacon protective gear?

[@Zamolxes77]

+Matt D (Frizbee) Try to get Riddick to be your PR :)

[@Shotokan1001]

Matt D put the can in a large sock and you have a quite effective beanbased impact weapon.

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

HEHEHEHE I caught that one.

[@frykasj]

What if they come at you with a point-ed stick?

[@Harry-ct3hw]

ahhh, but what if you attached a sniper rifle to it?

[@pcarrierorange]

Or a pommel, to end your opponents rightly?

[@RealityBoy101]

There was a reference in his comment, and I feel ashamed of being the _only one_ to understand it.

[@Harry-ct3hw]

I like this lad! on point with the references! :D

[@jayfeather7676]

"It's also a gun"

[@koboldparty4708]

Sadly, the secrets of Scyifle creation are closely guarded by the crows, and the war between politicians and birds means that they are unlikely to share it. Maybe if you could outdrink one?

[@Birdblizzard]

As for fighting with farming implements I personally hold the common shovel in honor. You could quite easily break someones neck with one.

[@Shadowling]

Shovel, pitchfork, hammer, even a sturdy stick is a better option than a scythe.

[@WARL0CK_P4]

@@Shadowling damn their not that bad dude

[@Sam-ot8lm]

@@WARL0CK_P4 But to be fair, hitting someone over the head with a broomstick it's pretty easy to do damage compared to a scythe which would be unwieldy to use as a weapon.

[@cinnamongum466]

Spiky rakes would hurt but would get stuck

[@whydoweHistory]

look at troops in ww1 who sharpened their shovels and turned their tool handles into trench clubs, personally I like the swing blade/ bush axe.

[@TheRealityJack]

I am looking forward to the "More points about baked bean tins" video

[@marcinnawrocki1437]

Those polish scythes were made from agricultural scythes, during Kosciuszko rebellion in 1794. So those are re purposed real scythes.

[@CreepyHisoka]

Agreed. the grafic even showed how to turn a regular scythe blade into said weapon

[@Brave_Sir_Robin]

That’s what Lindy was saying. You’d have to _convert_ a normal scythe for it to be of any practical use on the battlefield.

[@kentknightofcaelin4537]

​​@@Brave_Sir_RobinNo, he specifically said they were *not* converted agricultural implements. 1:15

[@PurpleHurrple]

You laugh now, but the youth of 2958 will adore my historical compendiums of automobile-jousting!

[@mchagnon7]

There's an army training video that shows modern soldiers doing drivebys out of their humvees.

[@IAmCaligvla]

"automobile-jousting" This needs to become a thing ASAP.

[@SteveSmith-ty8ko]

@@IAmCaligvla It is a thing I’m pretty sure

[@gamernick1533]

"You can sell 15 year old boys... *pause for far too long...........................* all sorts of daft nonsense" lol

[@sebimoe]

That part really got my attention haha

[@SomeGuy-qh6rw]

I thought the same exact thing. That pause. Amazing.

[@fsmoura]

maximum dramatic effect

[@jaredfayette2567]

Gamer Nick You could probably turn that into a black card for game of Cards Against Humanity. It actually sounds like something you could find in one. lol

[@Saw321lol]

He didn't even pause, the fuck.

[@RoninDave]

A collective sigh of disappointment goes up from scythe enthusiasts

[@MrSzymonSz]

Well, I suggest you read more around the topic. Unless you prefer to take the author's word for it. Sadly, little information is available in English.

[@IFY0USEEKAY]

***** Good one!! The way it feels in their bony fingers gives them a, well, you get it... .

[@ComradeAlpharius]

***** Gods can get away with it due to being magical.

[@GrrrIamMad]

Maybe they dual wielded using a katana/scythe combination that they carry on their back so that they can look like the Grim Reaper while cutting machine gun barrels clean off.

[@Theduckwebcomics]

Best comment! ^_^

[@crackedemerald4930]

Machine guns would still fire with cut barrels, the shooters might fall into shock, but with that shock, they could have pulled the trigger

[@yourmotherandthesandpeople2298]

Katanas are fucking garbage.

[@fy8798]

Pretty sure that's nonsense. They actually triple wielded them, one in each arm, and one in the mouth (they would bite down on the curved bit). I think I saw that in an anime once, so it must be true.

[@squidfeet7278]

@@fy8798 its in one piece lol yeah it has to be true its in anime

[@Kanut2]

Scythes used by polish soldiers in the photo, are in fact converted agriculturals tools. In Poland such a knowladge is really one of basics when you are interested in history. They are NOT made from scratch weapons, they are MODIFICATIONS of agricultural tools. In the second picture we can see stages of MODYFING scythe: number 1. from left is ordinary scythe blade used for garss cutting (that is what the description in the picture says) number 2. i 3. is stages of modyfing it 2. - preparing blade to be put in proper haft 3. it is final result number 4 is also agricultural tool and it was used to cutting "dry" tree branches (also it is translated from the picture) number 5. shows how you should modyfi it and the rest of weapons in the picture really are made for war weapons (link to whole picture) upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Kosy_i_piki.jpg PS: Great videoblog Lindy, can't wait for more of yours videos - especially about ancient history.

[@jonmopjovi2734]

Thank you for this great comment! (It looks really obviously to modify the scythe now)

[@Brave_Sir_Robin]

His points still stand- you can’t just pick up a scythe and go into battle- you’d have to do a lot of work to convert it. Also do think they would be mainly using the guns in the picture or the scythes?

[@TheBaconWizard]

Anyone interested in War Scythes, especially the polish scythemen as depected in the first photo could read "Krótka nauka o kosach i pikach" ("A Brief Treatise on Scythes and Pikes") by Chrystian Piotr Aigner. Essentially, because they WERE peasants, and the entire army under equipped, is why they DID make war-scythes by converting the heads of the agricultural implement. And the first photo (it was me that posted it) is of such an example: Polish Scythemen of the January Uprising.

[@seriva648]

4:11 "You can sell 15 year old boys" Me: D: "...All sorts of nonsense about ninjas" Me: Phew

[@OtakuNoShitpost]

+Seriva Well, you can sell the boys themselves too. They make great farmhands.

[@EvelynDayless]

+Nathan Holstrom I learned this watching the Blues Brothers.

[@Phlebas]

Here's another possibility to explain the manuscript: In duels, the combatants would agree upon a weapon, so whatever the weapon is, no matter how ridiculous it is, the combatants are evenly matched. Perhaps, on some occasions, duels were fought with less conventional weapons and so people made a point of practicing with them, just to be ready for such an occasion.

[@LamiaDomina]

There are historical documents of people intentionally demanding ridiculous weapons as well in order to get out of a duel or just make a mockery of the challenger. Some early American politicians who disapproved of duelling sent challengers for things like war elephants or hot air balloons and pea shooters.

[@Phlebas]

LamiaDomina I was actually thinking of a scene from a novel series, _The Baroque Cycle_ in which a duel was fought with mortars.

[@normanlesley1867]

And socks filled with cow dung .

[@olstar18]

Don't remember those weapon choices but I do remember one politician choosing shit piles as weapons when he was challenged to a duel.

[@Hawk_of_Battle]

+Phlebas I would pay to see that.

[@CRokkan]

"These baked beans are dynamite!" Sounded like it came straight from a Monty Python skit.

[@singami465]

So, first of all - the "Scythers", if I can poorly translate their name this way, weren't soldiers. They were peasants and all manner of people from the lower classes, taking a part in an uprising. Their scythes weren't just "reminiscent of" scythes, but reworked and reforged from their daily tools. You could argue, that by remodeling them they've effectively changed them into "war scythes", but they still use all the same parts. The second picture you've shown is not a description of a scythe built for war, but a handbook on how to make a war weapon out of your normal scythe. From what I saw, there isn't even an English wikipedia page about them, so here are more cool pictures. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Emila_Plater_conducting_Polish_scythemen_in_1831.jpg/607px-Emila_Plater_conducting_Polish_scythemen_in_1831.jpg upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Che%C5%82mo%C5%84ski_Modlitwa_przed_bitwa.jpg The point about a tin of baked beans is just a strawman. Those are not tools for armies, which can have spears, swords, bows and all manner of deadly things - those are weapons for people that have to improvise and can't just get a bunch of maces and pikes from the nearby barn.

[@lindybeige]

Those pictures quite clearly show war scythes, not scythes for cutting grass.

[@singami465]

Lindybeige They were made from normal scythes, used for cutting grass. There was no point nor time for Kościuszko to arm his peasants with proper weapons (like actual war scythes), so they've used improvised weapons. It's weird that there are no articles about it written in English, but they're quite well-known over here.

[@lindybeige]

Koza It may be true that in a much later period some European weapons were made using agricultural scythe heads as raw materials, but the result was a different thing. The point I am trying, and it seems failing, to make, is that _agricultural_ scythes were rubbish as weapons. In WW2, they collected aluminium cooking pots to make military aircraft. This does not mean that cooking pots were good weapons.

[@demonprince108]

he is talking about non modified scythes once modified if it can not cut grass it is just a spear with an unusual head

[@Gilmaris]

Lindybeige Just a little aside: they mentioned the "Pots and Pans" campaign in "The World at War" documentary series (the one narrated by Laurence Olivier), but the pots and pans apparently just ended up on the dung heap, because they weren't actually usable - or needed - for aircraft production (which didn't rely that much on metal anyway, except for the engines and armaments), and most pots and pans handed in would have been copper or iron. It was simply a campaign to get people to realise that "it's business this time", and to make them feel as if they were contributing. I thought of that campaign right away when the administration of Bush jr., shortly after 9/11, urged people to buy massive stocks of plastic sheets and duct tape. It had no practical purpose, it was only to instil a certain sense of urgency in the people.

[@warkocz1981]

I am not a scythe fanboy, I'm just Polish. It is tought in elementry schools in Poland that people used scythes as weapons while fighting for independence betwean 1794 and 1864. The law in non existing Poland at that time was very strikt about weapons in households, and peasants were executed for having them. People tried to make weapons from anything at that time, just to have a chance of fighting for freedom. They would even use stones and twigs, just to fight. And they did make scythes to work as a polearm. In just minutes a blacksmith could reforge and strengthen a normal scythe to a weapon. And they did this in vast quantities, arming peasants and forming units of levi in mass and willing millitia. And im glad that you had swords and firearms in England as a law, to arm people. We did not have that commodity back in Poland. So please be a bit more emphatic, and think how desperate those people had to be, to march with scythes against armies with rifles and cannons. Normal people, peasants with no military training. Fighting for theyr country armed with agricultural tools.

[@MrHendrix17]

I'm pretty sure that was a point in his previous video, that only really desperate people would use a scythe as even peasants should have access to better alternatives. Also don't forget that history books aren't strictly the most accurate things ever.

[@SaladBoy72]

Ja pierdole, only wieśniacy used scythes. Mam spocony jaja, spoko?

[@Jakob_DK]

I find the story quite likely. Danish people have also tried unsuccessful to use tools against the English in the wars in early 1800. Iron can be heated in a fireplace and bent so go from farm tool to war scythe.

[@fartmerchant762]

You don't have to specify you're polish with a last name like that

[@homersimpson7068]

They should have used tinned food...

[@mandolinic]

There are 57 ways of killing someone with a tin of baked beans.

[@deadaccount7275]

+Mandolinic And 94 ways of killing someone with a green bean

[@MedievalGenie]

Oh yes, I really need to buy that Heinz treatise of 1869.

[@cronoslight4930]

there are also over hundred ways to use a Dildo as a shotgun

[@RealityBoy101]

I'm so done with this website.

[@balintkristof8442]

there are 156 way to kill people with a lightbulb, and 86 of these techniques are lethal

[@edi9892]

Scythes were reforged (blade broken off and socket attached). This happened in countries where, peasants were not allowed to have weapons, especially in the early modern times. The reason they did not use bills and forks is probably that they had not enough, as scythes were ubiquitous, and fordging more made less sense than fording a purpose build spear.

[@Medved725]

"It was a legal requirement for every man between the ages of fifteen and sixty, to have arms." Take that America! You think you're so special with your right to bear arms.

[@Medved725]

Yeah, well then it's British idea, not an American one. You don't see any second amendment proponents credit their British heritage.

[@Medved725]

You're missing the point. Sure it was because of a revolutionary war against Britain that they practiced their right to bear arms. My point is people nowadays act as though the right to bear arms is some sort of an exclusively American thing, as though no one else practiced that before. And anyway any other country who armed their populace also didn't say "because the deer are coming" they were put in place to keep the peace, and in case of invasion- national defense. You don't make it a legal requirement to arm every man from 15 to 60 just so they can all go hunting.

[@michaeltariga5285]

+Nathan Holstrom What will be funny is when a new, non-black president tries to repeal the laws that the current president has tried to enact, everyone will go up arms specially the media with how the new nonblack president is trying to to bypass the Congress. Just wait and see.

[@michaeltariga5285]

Nathan Holstrom Sad really.... the fact that the decisions in the US can affect everyone in the world one way or another is another sad thing too. Its no wonder why everyone around is concerned who will step in next.

[@attrem]

+Медвед Before we were American, we were British.

[@DanielLCarrier]

What if your scythe was also a high-impact customizable sniper rifle?

[@lectan]

Then you would use your sniper rifle and boast to your mates after the fact that it could also double as a scythe for a bit of after victory laugh.

[@NoahWeisbrod]

Someone watches RWBY...

[@quetch2]

i know you're just making a RWBY reference, but i'm gonna analyze it anyway. first off, crescent rose is closer to a warscythe than an agricultural scythe. is has a straight haft, and when she goes serious mode the blade moves to be in line with the haft rather than perpendicular to it, bringing it closer to a conventional polearm. even in its normal mode its suited to its purpose; unlike real people, she has to decapitate massive creatures that she simple wouldn't be able to using a blade on a stick ala warscythe because of the mechanical disadvantage of whats effectively a large leaver working against her. but in agricultural scythe mode, once she has the blade hooked around something she can heave from behind with all of her weight, something that almost no other weapon will offer you the the capacity to do (because its not something any real person would have need to do). the in line recoil from the unsuppressed rifle just makes it that much more effective at decapitating monsters

[@Sudo512]

quetch2 or you know, it a cartoon that isn't based on reality?

[@DanielLCarrier]

xirta1 Sometimes it's fun to analyze cartoons.

[@existingdark]

Here's my question. Why not just use a pitchfork?

[@Manualatice]

+existingdark Easy, they don't look as cool.

[@nmarbletoe8210]

+Manualatice Flaming pitchforks look cool tho.

[@joshuahadams]

It makes more sense. It's pretty much a short, multi-pronged spear.

[@MrClickity]

Because torches and pitchforks are for rioting and storming the local mad scientist's/wizard's laboratory/tower, not for warfare.

[@he-shyanbalnave8053]

And for that matter, why not use a pitchspork?

[@AceKylar]

ask precilla for life-hunt scythe

[@Discitus]

Even if a peasant didn't have a proper war weapon and wanted to fight, he probably had access to a rather significant collection of appropriate farm tools - hammers, axes, knives, a billhook... all of which would be much more appropriate than a scythe: straight shafts, straight blades, actually used for hitting or slashing things other than wheat, and ready to use without any modifications.

[@jorgepeterbarton]

I can imagine they might have been used in the pitchfork rebellion. They had no proper weapons. But probably a reason why its called pitchfork rebellion and not scythe rebellion, because those are probably more effective.

[@AnnaTheFallMaiden]

there's only one reason why a peasant wold use a scythe to fight: because they didn't have anything better and fighting in a host with a scythe is still better than fighting with your bare hands

[@Trigunnie45]

You would be far better off arming yourself with a staff than with a frail farming scythe,

[@therflash]

Baked beens are off... You should learn how to protect yourself against fresh fruit.

[@Steamrick]

using what, a swordfish to cut it down?

[@MrUnknownzz1]

And point-ed sticks. :D

[@blackbaron9544]

So say a man comes at you with a pineapple

[@jankansi5679]

+Black Baron WHERE!? WHERE!?

[@Moerp100]

We already did that topic.

[@Rezkeshdadesh]

Paulus Hector Mair: 16th Century LARPer.

[@nopenope7184]

*"You can sell 15 year old boys"*? Um...Ok?

[@muffinman4515]

Nope Nope Isn’t it amazing how damaging a quote out of context can be?

[@PainstakingPole]

I was one of the people who pointed out the use of scythes in peasant armies in the 18th and early 19th century, and while I have to admit that you are spot on when talking about the absurdity of using scythes in middle ages, I still have some problems with your point about war scythes being built specificaly for warfare. I do recall reading about the use of scythes in Kosciuszko Uprising, and about the way an agricultural scythe was converted into a weapon. However since I can't cite my sources from memory, I'll just have to do some more research, and I'll try to put my thoughts into a comment some other time. Perhaps you will be willing to revisit this topic one day Oh and thanks for your videos. I always find them very informative and entertaining - even if I don't agree with one point or another.

[@TanitAkavirius]

I agree with the fact that unmodified agricultural scythes are incredibly ineffective. But you can modify them rather easily to make a deadly cutting pole-arm.

[@clayxros576]

Yeah, even fantasy media tends to have combat modified designs of scythes portrayed. Rarely if ever is it a proper Grass scythe, and usually that's given only to the Grim Reaper himself.

[@ArchArturo]

The only way to properly respond againts an opponent wielding a scythe is to end the opponent rightly.

[@Seyfudin]

Actually Polish "war" scythes were converted (often by local black smiths) farm tools. They saw massive use in the Polish national uprisings. There is enough historical sources for it.

[@bartolomeonew]

In regard of Poles in January Upraising - they had scythes, mainly being a converted agricultural scythes (some were made specially from scratch, but we can imagine it was not so easy to get a blacksmith for each such job). This is exactly shown on the second picture you showed by yourself. The drawing is a tutorial how to convert the agricultural one, spread to peasants which joined the Upraising. They were used to repel cavalry, I suppose, but in a situation of lacking firearms - to charge as well. The most famous battle (won!) with significant number of scythe-men (ca 2000) was the Battle of Racławice (4 IV 1794) led by Tadeusz Kościuszko (ppl in USA should be familiar...) - Russian regular army (including 1200 cavalry) was beaten pretty badly. Regarding the straight pole - you're still a bit wrong. I have used (just a bit, but my grandpa was and even my father still is very fluent with it) the one with perfectly straight pole. Also, there are no very long handles on it - just single short one, close to the main pole, to have comfy grip. Indeed, I have seen, with a lot of surprise, that in Britain or USA people are having these weirdo curved ones... blah :) e.g.: niespodzianka.pl/presents/e71d43a1b836d2b99a50096296950145.jpg

[@muffinman4515]

Unfortunately, most Americans are completely unfamiliar of Kosciusko. I only found out about him recently upon visiting the Battle of Ninety Six in which he helped with siege engineering. I followed up by getting a biography of him so that’s how I’ve heard of him but he isn’t taught in most schools.

[@robertlinke2666]

1 thing i could see a scythe being used for in actual combat, is getting above a defensive line of shields. you send a volley of arrows, shield are up, you send people in with scythes made for killing, reached over there shields, hit 2 to 3 men each, and retreated as the cavalry and knights came charging in at the chaos in the enemy lines, being backed up footsoldiers. or something

[@srdjan455]

You mention crossbows by the end of the video. Where they still banned by the pope at the time? How did that law work with the "you must have a weapon law"?

[@lindybeige]

The Pope's ban had very little effect. Almost everyone ignored it.

[@ant4812]

Lindybeige And they were perfectly fine as long as you didn't use them against other Christians

[@mikeromney4712]

ant4812 In the late 13th century the backbone of german armys consisted of drafted peasant crossbow militia...^^

[@DaytonaRoadster]

srdjan455 why would the english care what the pope said?

[@Talbot6832]

+Brass 'n Barrels Firearms Channel Perhaps because when Pope Innocent II banned their use against other Christians England was still very much a Catholic state?

[@LunerKunai]

"Not that I am being defensive or anything... baka"

[@M45H00DAHM4D]

holy shit there's a lizard on the back wall right side!

[@grenadiergemini6109]

A war scythe is just the medieval equivalent of a lawnmower that is being held on it’s side.

[@VelmiVelkiZrut]

Not to be defensive, but: You state in your video (quite clearly, in my opinion) that this applied to England. The area where you hear about scythes being used is primarily Central Europe and the Ukraine, where improvised weaponry was a common sight on the battlefield during the various revolts by minority groups. And even in England (in the early medieval period, before the various efficient weapons were widespread) you had an improvised weapon in the form of a billhook, which is quite clearly a bundle of farm tools and scrap pieces of metal hammered together at a blacksmith! If someone was willing to go to that length to manufacture a polearm, is it not logical someone looked at a scythe and decided to just re-mount it and thicken the spine so it doesn't bend? Oh dear. I am being defensive, aren't I?

[@Killer9ss]

But then it's not a farming implement being used in combat but rather a farming implement converted into a weapon of war (e.g. something similar to the War Scythe he presented)

[@BlaineCraner]

Well, yes, those were used as improvised weapons... but not on the fly. They prepared the scythes by hammering them straight. If the staff wasn't straight enough they would mount the blade end on a different, more straight one. Thus it changes into a war scythe and doesn't look at all like the original farming implement, so often used in fiction as a weapon, that is discussed in the video

[@MrTintin850]

A billhook is a woodcutting tool that would have been available to mount on a pole, no forging required.

[@BlaineCraner]

MrTintin850 Oh, right, the billhook. That one looks nice. But, you know, the video is about scythes. Nobody is disputing that other tools are better.

[@Birdblizzard]

Mate, have you ever tried to do anything involving smithing? Thickening the spine of a scythe would be really hard. It would be easier to smelt it down and start from scratch.

[@barghestblue731]

Weren't war scythes just scythes remounted at a different angle, possibly on a different haft?

[@adam-k]

Scythes may not had been efficient weapon in England. In eastern Europe peasant class basically meant serfs. It was illegal for them to have any weapon on the other hand every male had one or more scythes on hand. Shafts were straight the handle could have been easily removed. You straighten up the blade to point forward and you have the best weapon a serf could ever own. And in eastern Europe the enemy of the peasants were not knights in full plate but rather Tatar and Turkish light cavalry marauders.

[@brettknoss486]

Or you could use a sickle which already has a parrell blad thats going do be stronger based on length.

[@gediminasmazutis975]

brett knoss sickle wasn't popular in easter europe as a tool. because Scythes can do most of work witch can be done with sickle, but a bit easier. And Scythes most of a time already has longer shaft.

[@reedolfkekler7860]

Gediminas Mazutis Sickles where actually VERY popular in the Balkans and Eastern Europe and where used to cut and split hay and short grass for life stock . If peasants weren't raging with pitchforks and sickles they would've probably throw a sharp rock at you , even poor foot soldiers would be found throwing sharp rocks at their enemies . The serfs of that age and place where among the well treated ones because their rebelions would last months , a common practice was to dig trenches and link wagons together creating forts forcing the army to attack all sides of the place while being under full attack of the dreaded sharp rock . If you're a serf or peasant your best bet is to nacker someone over the head with a rock or run

[@MrMleczkp]

"the enemy of the peasants were not knights in full plate" Czech hussite mob used them extensively and thanks to unconventional tactic they won many battles against heavy armored western european knights sent to extinguish the rebelion.

[@opmdevil]

I've heard that in modern military, they carry sidearms. I guess that in past, they were carrying a scythe arms. I'm very sorry, but I just had to make a pun here.

[@longpinkytoes]

pinoy?

[@deektedrgg]

Scythe fanboys. Officially worse than katana fanboys. I feel sick.

[@khosrow]

Please exclude us mowing scythe nerds in your statement!!!

[@deektedrgg]

khosrow Shouldn't that fall under gardening/farming fanboying?

[@Roxas935]

but still quite close...

[@khosrow]

deektedrgg Absolutely not!

[@ruVader]

This. It looks like a war scythe is a new "katana". I also beleive most of them are former katana fanboys who had to surrender to logic and historical facts and just found a new fetish.

[@TheMacqo]

The scythes used in Kościuszko uprising were not specially made war-scythes but modified agricultural tools. The unit was called 'Kosynierzy' which would translate roughly to 'Scythers' and there is even an idiomatic expression 'Stawiać kosę na sztorc' which literally translated would mean 'To switch the scythes blade to point front' and it's idiomatic meaning is 'To take up arms, to militarize yourself'. Were they a shitty, make-do weapons? Yes they were.

[@ccswelding1599]

16th century larping

[@desktorp]

yeah sounds like even back then larpers were total scrubs

[@HUNdAntae]

you are thinking in an anglosaxon context. in the eastern parts of europe peasant uprisings were fought with whatever they could put their hands on like straightened scythes as polearms. And once the uprising was broken, blacksmiths who were known to do such modifications were severely punished.

[@rancidmarshmallow4468]

realistic or not, scythe fighters still look 200% more badass than sword fighters in close combat.

[@jirihavel9766]

Badass? Every one of these illustrations looked like they will cut themselves _at the same time_. Even on the picture, scythes look equally dangerous to the user and the opponent.

[@fan9775]

Jiří Havel Like lightsabers.

[@jirihavel9766]

Something like that. :) But in my opinion, lightsabers at least _look_ usable on the first glance.

[@Hawk_of_Battle]

Ruby Rose would like a word. Though it helps that she has superpowers and that her scythe is also a gun.

[@titushickman4918]

TheRancidMarshmallow Being dead doesn't look cool.

[@janstepien7327]

Scythes from that one picture might have been made just for battle but trust me, majority of them were tools of polish peasants that they used on patch, the blades were reforged to stay verticly. They were highly effective on russian soldiers in 18-19 century. There were some cases when battle was won because of the peasants rushing with their scythes into the front line of the enemy and they were called "kosynierzy" there are many paintings and pictures from that period of time (18-19th century) like "Artur Grottger- kucie kos" of cycle "Polonia" and paintings showing how they were used in battle like "Panorama Racławicka".

[@AndreaRoll]

am i the only man around who in his real life doesn't give a fuck about weapons but can't miss a single video of this man? so many interesting points every time.

[@charlesfyler3878]

If I'm killed by a ton of baked beans, please let them be Heinz brand.

[@celestialsalamander]

well of cause backed been cans never caught on as a military weapon. By the time canned food became common plane guns had already been invented. Now if they had backed been cans back in the saxon era then you would have had quite a few of them on the battlefield.

[@fmhummel]

The only difference between a war scythe and an agricultural one is the angle in which the head is mounted. A "straight-bent scythe" was considered was considered a weapon in many German towns in the early modern era, in the way that owning one was sufficient to do your mandatory part in the town's defense as a citizen. Whether these were reworked tools or purpose built arms is unknown. However there are accounts of punishments for pesants and smiths if they were found to won bent scythes or known to bend them. So the consensus I learned about this back in university was, that it was simply a very easy way to create a probably somewhat effective lance.

[@Kunai1988]

A good source to look for references would be the peasants revolts in the 14th/15th Century in Germany

[@clutch1141]

These baked beans are dynamite!! HAHA

[@longpinkytoes]

- insert biological weapon joke here -

[@LintonHerbert]

Many years ago I and a friend, bigger and fitter and younger than I, were having breakfast at a nearby café. Each of us got a bagel and a pat of butter, and he put his plate down to make tea while I walked off to get coffee. Now the café was infested with Emergency Medical Technologists, who were generally quite cocky because if you interfered with one who was on his task, you'd go to jail. Don't mess with an EMT. When I came back with coffee, my friend was facing one of the EMT's, four others standing a bit father back. I pulled up beside my friend, expecting to bask in the warmth of some unusual social interaction. However the first word I heard made it clear that this was a confrontation between young men. An incorporeal voice said to me, "Extend your line." In less time than it would have taken for the message to have been passed by a mortal voice, I took one long step sideways. The others seemed to think, "Oh, d**n. They've got a drill." They dropped back twenty feet to safety. The nearest one looked shaky and then dropped back to join his friends. I later learned that he had stolen my friend's butter. Had I known, I'd have taken it back, but we never did recover it.

[@WakarimasenKa]

I recon the whole thing stems from rebelious peasants having the scythe blade reforged or altered in some way to make a decent blade or spear head. And While the english peasantry were required to have and train with weapons. Other countries had situations where the last thing you would do would be to arm the peasantry... But if you were in a hurry.. you would be far better off with a pitch fork, shovel, or axe as a weapon. And they would be just as readily available as a scythe.

[@Wnations95]

That seems to be the case. From what I've read pitchforks and scythes were occasionally used as improvised weapons by people that couldn't afford more expensive weapons like sword or (in later centuries) firearms, or possibly just due to the situation preventing them from getting one of said weapons at the moment. Also found that groups such as the Hussites would commonly recruit peasants and equip them with scythes that had been modified by blacksmiths to better serve as a weapon. That, combined with the common depiction of the grim reaper carrying a scythe that looks like a mix between the agriculture tool and the war scythe, is likely the reason it's become a common sight in pop culture (primarily anime and fantasy games) as a weapon, despite how in real life such a design would likely be ineffective in combat.

[@ArtypNk]

I would imagine just as these days some civilian who is a part of an uprising might use a double barreled shotgun, in olden days some peasant might use a scythe in some uprising. Or a pitchfork, or a sickle, or a kitchen knife.

[@olstar18]

Someone needs to do research. War scythes ARE improvised weapons made from scythes often by peasents.

[@AGermanFencer]

I think, in many cases, youre right. I know certain examples in 1848 Germany.

[@UlsterOrange]

A desperate man's weapon.

[@olstar18]

Kevin J. Dildonik Last I checked war was never counted as a good time unless it was fought in some other country.

[@NakMuayify]

The baked bean can argument was the most perfectly articulated argument against impractical weapons I've ever heard in my life. Brilliant!

[@King_Of_Midgard]

Oh, and Lindy, I would very much enjoy a video on the flail (not the hinged ones so much as the ball and chain kind of ones), so as to better inform one of my friends who has been acting rather high and mighty when he is spouting alot of gibberish. I mean, the man actually believes that it is the optimal weapon for arming minimally trained troops, when I know it takes some good training to ensure your men dont beam themselves or eachother.

[@Shadowling]

One wrong move and you swing that blasted ball on the back of your head. I know, I've tried (with a padded ball, thankfully, but it still hurt - I can only imagine the damage it'd do to the back of your own head if it was one of those nasty spiked balls). Swinging such a thing definitely requires training.

[@Shadowling]

Also consider that most of the 'untrained farmers' who used flails used the farming implements, which were the hinged ones, and also had a great deal of training in using that - not against melee opponents, definitely, but against loads of grain and other products in need of a good thrasing.

[@animematt99]

ShadowSerpent000 "untrained farmers" would likely use thise yes. I think they are even in the Hector treatises mentioned. Or they would use the cudgel (it is a big whomping stick. pretty easy to make, etc). Although, if you have a bunch of untrained farmers fighting for you...you...are not in a very good spot.

[@King_Of_Midgard]

Well, usually a conscripted peasant army would be used as quick replacements for actual soldiers, and the peasants would be arming themselves anyways to defend themselves, so its of importance to make sure your military sets up a command for them and makes sure they have some spare armor and such so as to be an effective support for the main troops.

[@lukepippin4781]

This is what's wrong with modern people. If it has a blade or the slightest capacity to kill someone, it's suddenly a weapon. Like at school for instance. I was kicked out of high school for a day for having a clay carving tool which had a half inch pointed blade on the end.

[@skudzer1985]

Jason Bourne kicked ass with that pen though.

[@obamagaming3802]

4:21 that makes me remember the 'how to defend yourself against fresh fruit' sketch

[@theMedievalBadass]

Am I the only one that saw the picture of the polish soldiers and their war scythes and wanted to have those stylish jackets?

[@TanitAkavirius]

I wanted them before that :P

[@theMedievalBadass]

>.> showoff

[@roybatty-]

Taking an agricultural scythe into a battle would not only get you killed but you would be severely ridiculed in the process.

[@cronoslight4930]

If you take to it battle it won't , if you try to use it on the battlefield it will get you killed

[@rosomak8244]

No you are wrong! It is well known and documented that the polish Kosynierzy where actually using a converted agricular implement.And contrary to your assumptions the blade of one is actually quite reinforced! Only if you go too cheap the blade will be feable. Otherwise it's actually the force pushing the grass what makes the significant effort when using one. And tools have to be durable. How do know that? When I was a youngster those things where still in common use. (BTW> when I hear those loud mowers nowadays I consider them idiots - a scythe is almost as efficient and far less disturbing.)

[@Washeek]

+rosomak Yeah but requires far less practice... But there was something calming about hearing the "swish" of a scythe...

[@mikolajdubiel1384]

As it has been pointed out times before, the second picture (the one with multiple blades shown) is actually a manual on how to turn two different kinds of scythes (grass cutting scythe on the left, and a hay cutting scythe on the right) into impromptu war-weapons. Now it is quite definitely impossible to fight with a scythe without making any alterations to it such as straightening the socket, because as Lindy showed in the previous video it's just too unwieldy and the blade is pointing in a useless direction. Now, by following the instructions from the manual you can change an agricultural scythe into a war-scythe, which is a semi-decent weapon and is readily available in the countryside. And yeah, both war-scythes and regular scythes do share a name in Polish, which doesn't help in doing the research nor arguing the points in the comments (I don't know of instances of straightened scythes being used by other nations). Now, as much as I love Lloyd's videos and he is truly doing a tremendous job on youtube and his website, I believe there's been a little misunderstanding between him and the fans stemming from the 1:08-1:20 part of the video. He literally says that the scythes used were purpose made from scratch and only 'reminiscent' of the agricultural tool. He then proceeds to use the manual on how to change one into another to further make his point, which is ironic. Lloyd, if I may ask, for the sake of all your Polish viewers, just acknowledge the honest mistake and bygones will be bygones. P.S. You are one of the most entertaining youtubers, so yeah, keep up the good work!

[@sewagedweller]

dude no one was disputing your point about agricultural scythe being useless in combat. People just pointed out that there were scythes made for combat.

[@Theduckwebcomics]

They're not really scythes if made for combat though.

[@sebastianpidek2943]

Take an eastern-style scythe (straight thick stick with heavy blade mounted at 90 degrees and small handle in the middle). Remount the blade at 180 degrees. Congratulations, you've got yourself a war-scythe. It takes lika 10 minutes and can be done by any smith in any village. Lindy argues it's not a scythe because it has been turned into "war-scythe". I argue if it contains all the parts of farming scythe and converting between them takes 10 minutes then it's a scythe.

[@willfreedo]

"These baked beans are DYNAMITE!" -Lloyd, 2014

[@Cragified]

I doubt you read these comments anymore on such old videos but I would actually hypothesis that war scythe is just a modern term. When you think about it when you armed the conscripted peasantry with simple glaive-like polearms for war they would be quite likely to refer to them to the tools they are familiar with that are similar to them such as scythes. Ever painting of 'war scythes' I've seen from poland and such are simply long bladed glaives.

[@isaweesaw]

+Cragified That's a good point. In affect, they're not actually scythes, except in the blade shape.

[@Keairan3]

After the 'tin of baked beans' bit all I can think of is the Monty Python skit on how to defend yourself against someone armed with fruit.

[@Ostsol]

Funny how in Wikipedia most points about scythes being used in war are followed by: "citation needed." I can see scythe blades being modified and remounted to be used as a viable weapon of war -- the blade mounted vertically on a straight shaft. This takes forethought and significant effort on the part of a smith to convert large numbers of these things, though. I think that a man who simply grabbed the unmodified agricultural tool would likely be rather ineffective. It's big and awkward, not suited to being used amongst mass formations of men. I'd rather grab a pitchfork (perhaps with the tines straightened and definitely sharpened).

[@MrSzymonSz]

I don't think it's funny. It's just because most sources are printed in Polish. If you want I can provide all the sources you need. Get these books, read them, and then tell me I'm wrong. Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz, Od rycerza do wiarusa, czyli słownik dawnych formacji, funkcji, instytucji i stopni wojskowych, Lubuska Oficyna Wydawnicza, 1993, s. 1993. Skocz do góry ↑ Józef Pawlikowski, Czy Polacy mogą się wybić na niepodległość, Warszawa 1789. Skocz do góry ↑ Stefan Bratkowski, Tadeusz Kościuszko. Z czym do nieśmiertelności, Wydawnictwo Śląsk, Katowice 1979, ISBN 8321601855, s. 340. Skocz do góry ↑ Tadeusz M. Nowak, Jan Wimmer, Historia oręża polskiego, tom I. lata 963-1795, Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa 1981, ISBN 8321401333, s. 604. Skocz do góry ↑ Jaroszewski T., Chrystian Piotr Aigner. Architekt warszawskiego klasycyzmu, Warszawa 1970. Skocz do góry ↑ Tadeusz M. Nowak, Jan Wimmer, Historia oręża polskiego, tom I. lata 963-1795, Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa 1981, ISBN 8321401333, s. 608. Skocz do góry ↑ Franciszek Ziejka, Panorama Racławicka, KAW, 1984, ISBN 83-03-00206-6, s. 11. Skocz do góry ↑ Bronisław Gembarzewski, Rodowody pułków polskich i oddziałów równorzędnych od r. 1717 do r. 1831, Warszawa 1925. Skocz do góry ↑ Marian Maciejewski, Broń strzelecka wojsk polskich w latach 1717-1945, Wydawnictwo Glob, Szczecin 1991, ISBN 8370070663, s. 23. Skocz do góry ↑ Marian Maciejewski, Broń strzelecka wojsk polskich w latach 1717-1945, Wydawnictwo Glob, Szczecin 1991, ISBN 8370070663, s. 22-23. Skocz do góry ↑ Włodzimierz Kwaśniewicz, 1000 słów o broni białej i uzbrojeniu ochronnym, MON, Warszawa 1981, ISBN 8311076669, hasło „Kosa bojowa”, s. 114. Skocz do góry ↑ Marian Anusiewicz, Wypisy źródłowe do historii sztuki wojennej. Polska sztuka wojenna w latach 1832-1862, Zeszyt 13. Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1959, s. 84-85. Skocz do góry ↑ Kronika powstań polskich 1794-1944, ISBN 8386079029, s. 27. Skocz do góry ↑ Kronika powstań polskich 1794-1944, ISBN 8386079029, s. 36. Skocz do góry ↑ informacja na stronach Muzeum Wojska Polskiego. Skocz do góry ↑ Mała Encyklopedia Wojskowa, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, Warszawa 1967, Wydanie I, Tom 2. Skocz do góry ↑ Eligiusz Kozłowski, Mieczysław Wrzosek, Historia oręża polskiego, tom II. lata 1795-1939, Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa 1984, ISBN 8321403395, s. 287. Skocz do góry ↑ Stefan Kieniewicz, Powstanie styczniowe, Warszawa 1972, ISBN 83-01-03652-4. Skocz do góry ↑ Stefan Kieniewicz, Powstanie styczniowe, Warszawa 1972, ISBN 83-01-03652-4. Skocz do góry ↑ Zdzisław Żygulski, Henryk Wielecki, Polski mundur wojskowy, KAW, Kraków 1988, ISBN 8303014838, s. 49. Skocz do góry ↑ Zdzisław Żygulski, Henryk Wielecki, Polski mundur wojskowy, KAW, Kraków 1988, ISBN 8303014838, s. 49. Skocz do góry ↑ Marian Anusiewicz, Wypisy źródłowe do historii sztuki wojennej. Polska sztuka wojenna w latach 1832-1862, Zeszyt 13. Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1959, s. 84-85. Skocz do góry ↑ Piotr Aigner, Krótka nauka o pikach i kosach, Warszawa 1794. Skocz do góry ↑ Nauka o urządzeniu kos i pik, Warszawa 1830. Skocz do góry ↑ Stefan Bratkowski, Tadeusz Kościuszko. Z czym do nieśmiertelności, Wydawnictwo Śląsk, Katowice 1979, ISBN 8321601855, s. 339. Skocz do góry ↑ Władysław Ludwik Anczyc, Trzech moskali. Opowiadanie Walentego Kurka kosyniera spod Bodzentyna, Kraków, 1863. Skocz do góry ↑ Władysław Ludwik Anczyc, Trzech moskali. Opowiadanie Walentego Kurka kosyniera spod Bodzentyna, na stronach PBI Enjoy.

[@Ostsol]

Ah, I stand informed. Still, do citations on Wikipedia have to be in the same language as the article?

[@MrSzymonSz]

dwkjo Well, I guess that rather makes sense eh? Besides, even if the citations were in english, the books are not gonna magically digitalise and translate themselves.

[@Ostsol]

MrSzymonSz I understand that, but any claim made should have some form of attribution. At the very least, the text of the claim itself should mention its source, even if it is not available in the language of the claim. This is beside the point, though. For now I will admit that I lack what might be key information regarding the historicity of agricultural scythes being used in battle. I do remain sceptical, though.

[@lordplenty]

Just use Polish Wikpediai, and Google Translate. You will get all the citations you need, and a far more robust information on a subject.

[@NickGully]

This was important information for Nobles to know, seeing as how their peasants would only have clods of dirt and scythes to come after them with.

[@SolidSnape84]

Your videos have saved me countless hours of arguing with fan boys.

[@l3anditor]

yesterday after a hard day on the field I encountered angry peasant and I could use the newly learned scythe techniques to cut him in half. Thanks .

[@TheLazyGoalie]

scythe fanboys get rekt

[@iamzid]

even if scythes weren't used in any sort of ordinary historical combat, i still wouldn't mess with a scythe wielding maniac.

[@gaoth88]

the best part in this video is when you talk about when every citizen was allowed or at least legally could wear arms. you weren't talking about the world, but *England* There is a beautiful spark of nationalism and pride in that. You are really proud to be English. If that is possible at least. Anyway. I love your videos :D

[@Tyler_Lalonde-]

he didn't say wear just own and know how to use.

[@gaoth88]

Tyler Lalonde a minor detail, I just liked the way he pronouced England

[@longpinkytoes]

- reads that England is the gloomiest, drizzliest, overcast place in the world - YES! we're number ONE! xD

[@Hibernicus1968]

Another point that is not covered here, or in the other video (unless I missed it, in which case, apologies), is that the scythe heads themselves were not all that robust. The scythe in the other video was a typical mass-produced blade that came out of a factory, and was pretty heavy. I have Scythe made in Austria and with a blade much more like the old medieval hand-forged ones, and it's incredibly thin, almost delicate. It has a stiffening spine down the back, but the rest of the blade is almost paper thin. It didn't need to be thick and heavy to cut grass, and lighter scythes were much less tiring to mow a whole field of grass with. So if medieval scythes were indeed like this one, there's another reason they would have been rubbish as weapons: the blades were made out of steel hammered so thin that they wouldn't have been very durable at all.

[@Vialythen]

What about chain scythes? I know next to nothing about them but they seem pretty cool. I would really appreciate a video about them if you could!

[@isaweesaw]

+Vialythen Find "Kusarigama" is a more common name for the weapon you're thinking of. I believe there are quite a few videos about them.

[@GoblinKnightLeo]

+Vialythen The weight was the actual striking weapon for those. The weight on the end of the chain often massed 5 kilos or more; quite an effective striking tool in a place like Japan where most people couldn't afford decent armor.

[@raisedbybears1991]

The kusarigama/kusarikama. It's the comibinatiom of two Japanese weapons: The Kama and the Kusari The 'scythe' part, or kama, has a very short shaft, which was held in one hand, and the blade is much shorter and far less severely curved than the huge farming scythe we're familiar with , so it would be very simple (and effective) to just plunge that into somebody like an ice pick or make a pretty nasty cut. The weighted chain is a kusari, which the Japanese used to entangle opponents' weapons or hands or keep them at a distance. With enough training, you could lob the business end like a stone right into somebody's face and yank it back. The pieces together are great (with extensive training) at defeating a single opponent by disabling them at a range by trapping them in the chain, disarming them or stunning them with the weight, and closing in to finish them with the kama. Contrary to movie and video game depictions, the sickle part was NOT thrown or spun. That would be unwieldy at best and downright dangerous at worst. And they weren't a partitcularly common weapon; the kama was a simple piece that was often used on its own but the kusari took a deft touch and precision, so they were usually wielded without a kama attached, and were often kept fairly short for control. But like other so-called war scythes, those are very different weapons from the traditional farming scythe or the more polearmish war scythes we saw at the beginning. Kusarigama are often called scythes or sickles just as a rough translation to get the idea across, but they don't really factor into the scythe discussion unless we're going by semantics.

[@raisedbybears1991]

Sorry for all the typos- my phone sucks. Anyway, if you search up Kusarigama on KZbin there are some cool demonstrations, but they're treated as a traditional martial art now so it's less about practical function and more about form. You're unlikely to find anything beyond kata or some choreographed routines, but considering the inherent danger of swinging a long, hefty chain at someone that may be for the best. What little has been recorded in the days when they were still used for combat states that they were an absolute terror in the right hands, but were pretty much just kama with a chain trailing at the end if you could get the jump on them or push/lure them into a tight spot like dense woodlands or the interior of a building. It was said that a master could keep the chain moving constantly and unpredictably, so foes would hesitate to attack

[@King_Of_Midgard]

I can tell you this. I have stories of some ancestors of mine, who chose to carry straight hafted scythes of medium thickness into battle, to hook around shields, and split up the fingers of anyone unlucky enough to be lacking hand armor, or pull them into their swords. these things were shorter, stockier, leashed to the arm, and had one handle, and you'd be aple to either rip a shield off an arm, or pull the man towards your weapon. The thing is, they often couldnt accomodate shields themselves if they chose to do this. It worked as intended, but a good archer would lay you low, so this was only done in more urban areas, and usually only during times where they had already lost their shield. It went about as long as a common shortsword. I believe the ancestors im thinking of were from somewhere around Austria.

[@Exima_yt]

Hi, I'm working on a medieval game at the moment, and now I have a question to you: How did a man carry a longbow? I know in all the Movies it's with the bowstring over the shoulder, stressing the bow. I think that's kinda bullshit... So if he had a bag or something, how did he carry a bow that is longer then himself? Without it getting in the way?

[@CarnelianUK]

It would be kept unstrung until it was time to use it, the stave itself would probably be carried resting on the shoulder like a spear shaft

[@Exima_yt]

Ben Kirkby really? just like a spear shaft? there's not like a bag... or something?

[@CarnelianUK]

You might have some cloth to wrap it in to protect it, but there's no reason why you would need a bag

[@amphionification]

They would travel with it in a canvas "sock" that could be slung over the back. The bow was left unstrung until needed. Humidity and a strung bow do not go well together.

[@ChrisParrishOutdoors]

Here I am a year after this video was posted finding and watching said video. Thank you, I've just enrolled in a canned baked bean defense course.

[@JacobPaprotskiy1]

hehehe I have used a scythe myself a myriad of time... to cut grass... it was the eastern european variant with a straight shaft; and being the youngin I was I explored the practicality of killing people with it and I have to say it would be as impractical as fuck... the center of mass is to the side meaning that you would have to apply force to keep the blade level... if you were to hold it by the handle that force would need to come from your forearm, anywhere else you'd have to use your wrist... and holding the blade level with your wrist does get tiring... combine that with the limited methods in which you can attack plus it is virtually impossible change the direction of the attack or to follow through when attacking... you would be a dead man in a quick instant... personally if I had to choose a farm weapon to defend myself with i'd choose a pitchfork...

[@lordplenty]

Those "war scythes" of central and eastern Europe (please check the geographical location of the region) were actually reforged agricultural scythes, used by peasants during uprisings. They were never a weapon of choice, but they were cheap, and so was commoners life. The uniforms were cheap as well. Basically reforged scythes were used for overhead slash and spear-like thrust against an unarmored opponent, if you could get close enough. All it required was to heat up and straighten the shank of a scythe blade, that was typically looking very much like modern scythes of the region (static.abstore.pl/img/max-tool24/97069a57-139b-4545-9e75-1074b9f4388e/m/kosa-kuta-nr-6.jpg), and a blacksmith could arm an entire village overnight that way. In other words, it made a cheap cannon fodder that would inflate the size of the waning and poorly supplied army. Typical batalion had on average ~65% of firearms and ~35% of war-scythes and/or spears. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Stachowicz_Kosynierzy.jpg

[@Reket11]

To add to what Yagi wrote (and clarify a little). 1. They where used around the 17th century in Polish uprisings against Russia, Prussia and Austria. 2. They where converted farm tools, not a choice weapon (the peasants didn't have anything better). 3. During this period, you have fewer and fewer troops wearing any armor. As you can stab and (mainly) slash with this weapon, it is effective against unarmored men. It had more reach then a musket with a bayonet but not to much - they where used in single combat, not in a disciplined formation (like a pike formation) - we are talking about a bunch of peasants after all. 4. Yes, the scythes in Poland have strait shafts. 5. The pikes of this period where quite short too (about 2 m). 6. I'm sure that everyone would like a firearm better, but those on the picture must have been taken on the enemy - most of them (the scythers) had non and arming just a few wouldn't make sense (and this was a hand to hand combat formation).

[@Obyvvatel]

Read about battle of Racławice

[@HavocHerseim]

I have a scythe and it rocks... as a grass cutter here in Alaska were the grass gets well over six feet tall and I use it for thatching on my animal pens. As a weapon? NO. It is WAY too thin. People just don't know how thin these things are. My 67 year old uncle and I had a test. He used the scythe and I used a Stihl weed eater and he cleared more than me by FAR in a very short time. When used properly, they are awesome for their purpose.

[@longpinkytoes]

super fast at clearing a grass field neglected for a summer and gone to seed. about as durable as a letter-opener. xD

[@Ratstail91]

What about Ruby from RWBY? She has a Scythe. It's also a gun!

[@GhostInTheShell29]

+Ratstail91 Ruby's Scythe is awesome. Granted it be terrible for actual scything, but yeah it works pretty well as a weapon. The only thing that bugs me with it are the blades. Its not a single blade on the inside and outside. Its composed of several smaller blades that fold into place. Granted that is a necessity since its a fold able weapon. But depending on where or how she hits a target it might not actually cut it well, especially if she's trying to use the outside part of the weapon. She usually relies on the inside blade for cutting and that means getting into close quarters fighting. Which seems kinda silly having such a long weapon and having to get close to use it. The sniper rifle is definitely a good idea to make any scythe more versatile.

[@Ratstail91]

GhostInTheShell29 Getting close to a Grimm isn't a problem thanks to Ruby's speed, plus it's made fairly apparent in episode 1 that actually using a scythe is super hard.

[@ukaszkos8233]

And about third point... Mair didn't invent the wheel, he gathered and learnt every art of fencing from every book he can gather. We don't know how much he was a practitioner, did he learnt from masters of fencing, and so on, so I don't bother on this topic any more. What I want to say is... Science of fighting with normal scythes exist among peasants, but it depends on where. Late period medieval English peasant should have ease access to weapons, but in the same time in the Holy Roman Empire, peasant could wear a messer, at best. You need something to defend yourself when you are on the field, harvesting. You can't expect to successfully defend against a mounted opponent with a 20 in blade. In combat you will be forced to fight with a tools that you have with you. That's why some peasants knew how to efficiently defend themselves with a scythe. It's very similar to using of flails in late medieval period by peasants in wars (e.g. Hussite Wars). It didn't came out of nowhere. Best regards and keep up good work.

[@timetuner]

Even if you think about the fantasized version of the scythe, it would be almost impossible to use in combat. If you straighten out the haft that makes it so unwieldy, remove the handles that would get your arms all tangled up, and make the blade heavy enough to reliably cut sturdy cardboard; best case scenario, you now have a really long club. The center of mass would be pretty far outside the haft so if you try to swing it in any direction other than exactly where the blade is pointed, it's just going to turn in your hands so you're dragging the blade behind your swing. You could theoretically add a counterbalance to the base of the blade, but then we're talking about swings with so much rotational momentum behind them that you'd end up doing a few pirouettes before you could stop the thing. Once you get dizzy and loosen your grip a little bit it would leap out of your hands and go spinning off into the distance.

[@simplysolus8916]

It wouldn't be that hard to wield. I have a branch cutter that resembles a straight poled scythe. (Or I can pull the string and turn it into something that resembles a war scythe) It is rather easy to maneuver. A big advantage a scythe has over other weapons is its weird. It doesn't work like conventional melee weapons. If your opponent gets inside your range, during an extended thrust, unlike with a spear in a lot of situations, when you pull the blade in, its still threatening. You wouldn't want that blade behind you without keeping focus on it. The unwieldy nature makes it intimidating.

[@AnnaTheFallMaiden]

Simply Solus except you don't generate a lot of force when you pull the blade in like you suggested. the power of a sharp weapon comes from thrusting or slashing. thrusting, because the point is narrow, slashing because you put a lot of power into a short piece of the blade (when slashing with a sword, you usually hit with the weak, because leverage is the greatest there). What do you gain from pulling in the scytheblade? When you pull it in, it hits with the entire width of the blade and you don't generate power using either leverage (from the slash) nor rotational energy (because you draw in the blade) if you did draw in your blade and attempt to cut, you face another problem, your slicing will become clumsy because the scythe is so unwieldy and because the blade is curved into the other direction, the blade will cut less, because a bigger portion of the sharp blade has contact with the body (you get more cutting power the less contact there is between the blade and the target, which makes curved weapons better at cutting than straight weapons)

[@simplysolus8916]

True, but keep in mind the fear factor. Even if you won't be able to do much damage with such a strike, people will still likely focus on dodging or defending it.

[@AnnaTheFallMaiden]

Simply Solus that's straight up bullshit, sorry. what you call fear is usually called respect and everybody has a healthy respect of ANY weapon

[@timetuner]

Simply Solus So they focus on dodging or defending the awkward and slow scythe swing. Then they easily succeed at dodging/defending, because it's a big awkward scythe swing. Then they move in because a scythe in recovery is less threatening than a bare stick. Then you get cold cocked by an unarmed opponent because scythes are not functional weapons.

[@MasterYoshidino]

5:26 Thank goodness. For a moment I thought they were against persons born with no arms.

[@SpazzyMcGee1337]

Maybe they used scythes as their weapon because they legally obligated to have a weapon but didn't want to buy an actual weapon? :\

[@18Krieger]

+SpazzyMcGee1337 Im sure that their superiors would complain if they showed them a scythe and were telling them that thats is their weapon.

[@SpazzyMcGee1337]

18Krieger Yeah, but people will go a long way to save some money. Worst case scenario you get called out calling a farm implement a weapon and have to spend the same amount of money you would have otherwise. Maybe the dude in charge of the militia might even decide arguing with you about a scythe not being a weapon is more trouble than it is worth and move on.

[@christophedlauer1443]

+18Krieger If they had a scythe, they most likely had a pitchfork too. Take that and call it a spear, wastes less of your time figuring out how the heck you could defend yourself with that scythe.

[@sednabold859]

+SpazzyMcGee1337 Im sure anyone who had any sort of work to do would have either an axe or dagger to fall back on especially farmers as the scythe is such a specialised tool and ill suited for 'daily life'.

[@IllIlllI]

Artist from the time: Writes ironic theatrical play instructions of some rich dudes having the time of their lives using the “agricultural tools” to fight. Historians: “write that down! Write that down! No, literally!”

[@Usammityduzntafraidofanythin]

I always like a lot of these 'more points' or follow-up videos. More more points please!

[@InfiniteMonkeysSA]

Sounds like the poorest people might've claimed that their scythes used for farming were weapons because they legally had to have weapons but couldn't afford 'real' ones like swords. Maybe it was a legal loophole that started the myth of scythes being used as weapons.