A Pahoia family has been re-united with a unique piece of equipment brought from Switzerland 20 years ago thanks to Robbie Rogers of Rotorua and Coast & Country News.

Ornella Weber and her son Elias have also solved a mystery, which has been bugging Robbie ever since he was asked to identify the intriguing device.

The preening machine set up for sharpening scythes in Switzerland.

“I had no idea what it was, so called it a ‘gizmo’,” says Robbie, a fencing contractor, who also has a private museum and is pretty knowledgeable about old machinery.

The April issue of Coast & Country featured a photograph and story about the foot-operated device which has a series of springs and cogs and two interlocking jaws that move backwards and forwards over each other.

It also has a plate on its side with the name ‘Famos’, a cross, and the words and numbers ‘Patent’ and ‘Contr. No 198U6’.

It is in fact a Swiss machine for peening – or sharpening – scythe blades. Its name is ‘T’angeli’ and it was Ornella and her late husband Stephan, who brought it to New Zealand from Switzerland where they had used it when they were farming.

The machine, along with other processions, including a small and very heavy wood-burning stove, were stored for a time with a friend of Stephan’s in Rotorua.

After Stephan died three years ago his son Elias tried to find his dad’s processions only to discover the friend had also died and no one seemed to know what had happened to Stephan’s things.

“It was very upsetting and we just couldn’t get any answers,” says Elias.

Then last month Ornella received a phone call from a Swiss friend Walter Stahel of Katikati.

He had seen the photograph in Coast & Country News and contacted Robbie, who agreed to bring ‘gizmo’ from Rotorua for him to identify.

While pretty sure he knew what it was, Walter thought Ornella may have actually seen one.

“I have used a scythe for cutting grass in Switzerland and always wished I had one of these machines as it would make sharpening the blade so much easier,” says Walter.

Instead of using a machine, he ‘peened’ the scythe blade by hammering it, finishing
off with a wet stone.

As soon as Ornella saw the device she not only knew what it was, but also knew it was the one she and Stephan brought from Switzerland. “We are delighted to see it again and have it returned.”

Another Coast & Country reader, Luke Smits, also knew what the ‘gizmo’ was. “It looks very much like a scythe sharpener, which squeezes the edge of the blade into a thinner edge which then gets sharpened. This used to get done with a hammer and small anvil,” says Luke.

Robbie took the machine back to Rotorua to explain its working to members of the Rotorua Tractor and Machinery Club and Elias and Ornella will collect it when they visit Robbie’s private museum in a few weeks.

“Now we would just love to find my father’s stove, which also went missing,” says Elias.
The stove stands about 1200 high, has tiles down both sides and a chimney fitting to one side. If anyone knows where the stove is, please contact Coast & Country News on
07 578 0030.

This small wood stove belonged to the late Stephan Weber and his family would like to find it.