badman tool: grass whip

I have heard that back in the old days of forestry and lumberjacking it was so brutal to use a two man rip saw that it was considered resting to use an axe. After digging trenches and swales all day, it's truly a resting and cooling down feeling in using the grass whip to trim up some unkempt areas and to top some invasives before they can seed. (it pays to vary one's motions in intense manual labor, dig awhile, whip awhile, weed awhile, then dig some more, etc. and a cool down period with the grass whip has become a ritual).   For a mere 3 dollars this amazingly still sharp tool makes confetti out of even the most stubborn grasses that are wrapped around in mile-a-minute or patches of ladies thumb. There is a poetry in motion in this ingeniously weighted and proportioned device and its no wonder that golfers use it to practice precise strokes as you can get pretty accurate and trim grass to a uniform level in rows and keyholes with just a slight care for the things you don't want cut. It's rather a satisfying feeling, a great workout and a sustainable alternative as well as very practical for going in areas where you don't want ultra-fine weed/grass clippings and exhaust showering and smothering your beds. after using it for several hours, I can truly say it's worth the effort to keep the farm quiet of machines and free of gasoline motors. look for them at farmer's markets and flea markets we saw at least two others at our local spot.