“WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR,
IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?”
One stalk,
one swing.
That’s how it’s done.

Death is a fixed concept. What happens after is all in the flux of belief and uncertainty, but no matter the story, no matter the culture, everyone has a one on one with The Reaper Man. All the different stories reflect different perceptions of the same thing. However, there is no better metaphor for his equipment than the scythe. Anything with an edge might seem appropriate, but we must stick with harvesting tools to properly express the nature of the transition, and unless you think a hand sickle or two is less threatening, I’d say the scythe remains the “correct” choice.