# What is this garden implement called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268 "2012-05-18T00:07:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/1 "2012-05-18T00:07:12Z")
I want to buy something my great-grandfather used to have when I was little, but I don’t know what it’s called. Help? It had a long handle like a broom or shovel, and it ended in a long, narrow blade of maybe 12" long by 2" wide that was perpendicular to the handle (L-shaped, basically) **with teeth** along one side of the blade. To use this tool you’d swing it at long grass or whatever to shear it, sort of like a people-powered weedwacker. What is it called? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/2 "2012-05-18T00:13:43Z")
[Scythe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythe) ETA: My grandfather had one, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/3 "2012-05-18T00:21:35Z")
How about a [weed cutter](http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=202057301&R=202057301) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/4 "2012-05-18T00:32:02Z")
Yeah, or a type of [grass whip](http://www.amestruetemper.com/uploads/images/True%20Temper/products/1942600_L_01.JPG). The blade specs sound too small to be a scythe. All the scythes I’ve seen have had curved blades at least three or four feet long, and not teethed. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/5 "2012-05-18T00:55:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, or a type of [grass whip](http://www.amestruetemper.com/uploads/images/True%20Temper/products/1942600_L_01.JPG). The blade specs sound too small to be a scythe. All the scythes I’ve seen have had curved blades at least three or four feet long, and not teethed. I immediately thought “grass whip” too ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/6 "2012-05-18T01:01:03Z")
Is it one of [these?](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2347642183_91247aa0c8_o.jpg&imgrefurl=http://agonist.org/jimbo92107/20080321/cow_tools_revisiting_a_comic_masterpiece&h=325&w=255&sz=40&tbnid=YXomCktos-i-8M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=71&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcow%2Btools%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=cow+tools&docid=C8kr95Z20h9lVM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HJ-1T9r6G5SK8QTGvID0Dw&sqi=2&ved=0CFwQ9QEwAQ&dur=53) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/7 "2012-05-18T01:16:41Z")
weed wacker or grass whip. cross training for golf or polo depending on its design. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/8 "2012-05-18T01:52:02Z")
Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade. Hrmm, hmm. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/9 "2012-05-18T02:32:11Z")
Definitely a grass whip. Thanks, folks! > [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade. Hrmm, hmm. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/10 "2012-05-18T02:43:14Z")
Another, possibly regional and definitely old fashioned name, is a lively lad. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/11 "2012-05-18T03:23:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, or a type of [grass whip](http://www.amestruetemper.com/uploads/images/True%20Temper/products/1942600_L_01.JPG). The blade specs sound too small to be a scythe. All the scythes I’ve seen have had curved blades at least three or four feet long, and not teethed. My father had one of those, he would refer to it as an “Air cooled McCormick” as in McCormick reaper. Silly I know, but seeing that picture brought back memories and made me think of my dad. Thanks. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/12 "2012-05-18T11:30:08Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Definitely a grass whip. Thanks, folks! > > 😃 Beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![dataguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eada6e/32.png) [@dataguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dataguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-garden-implement-called/622268/13 "2012-05-18T11:31:24Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a Kaiser blade. Hrmm, hmm. I meant this quote.