Using a scythe to cut grass

The answer is yes and there are many people in the UK doing just that!

Sometimes the old ways are best. Scythe lawn mowing was once a very common way to manage high grasses. In many countries it is still the preferred tool since a scythe is portable and easy to manage. Mowing a lawn with a scythe isn't something you see every day in modernized regions, but the tool is adaptable, easy to keep sharp, and a lightweight piece of land management. It is also eco-friendly and adds no noise pollution because it is human, rather than gas powered. A scythe is a curved, sharp blade at the end of a long pole.

Using a scythe to cut grass

Champion mower Simon Damant shows how to wield one safely. The air is filled with birdsong and the buzz of insects as Simon Damant mows the meadows on the Wimpole Estate where he works as a forester. The scythe in his hands makes barely a whisper as it slices effortlessly through a stand of grass and wildflowers in a wide arc. The tool he is using might look primitive but, Simon passionately believes, it has yet to be bettered, whether you are cutting small garden meadows or the paths in your allotment. Simon is a regular champion at national scything competitions and has made good on this claim in strictly adjudicated conditions on many occasions. Even so, by the Second World War many in the UK had largely abandoned this traditional low-cost, low-impact tool in favour of motorised lawn mowers and combine harvesters. Only the Grim Reaper and a niche group of environmental enthusiasts kept hold of their scythes. And then Poldark hit our screens. The scene in which actor Aidan Turner stripped off his shirt for a spot of sweaty mowing was voted the best TV moment of by Radio Times readers and suddenly everyone was interested again. Good technique is key, both for safety and efficiency, which is why Simon encourages beginners to get a bit of hands-on training. The Scythe Association website is a good first port of call. Instead of battling with temperamental starter cords and smelly engines you discover that, as with all the best gardening jobs, there is real joy to be had from working in tune with nature. If you're not convinced scything is for you, here's the best cordless mowers.

If you're not convinced scything is for you, here's the best cordless mowers. After that, mechanization methods took over. You may need to fine tune the set up if you have problems mowing.

One Scythe Revolution. Whetstone Holders. Secale multicaule. Contact Info Reviews In the media Links. How to Mow with a Scythe. I have created some virtual workshops to help you start out successfully with the European scythe. Start slow and first get a feel for the cutting action of the blade.

Champion mower Simon Damant shows how to wield one safely. The air is filled with birdsong and the buzz of insects as Simon Damant mows the meadows on the Wimpole Estate where he works as a forester. The scythe in his hands makes barely a whisper as it slices effortlessly through a stand of grass and wildflowers in a wide arc. The tool he is using might look primitive but, Simon passionately believes, it has yet to be bettered, whether you are cutting small garden meadows or the paths in your allotment. Simon is a regular champion at national scything competitions and has made good on this claim in strictly adjudicated conditions on many occasions. Even so, by the Second World War many in the UK had largely abandoned this traditional low-cost, low-impact tool in favour of motorised lawn mowers and combine harvesters.

Using a scythe to cut grass

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The scythe is an instrument used to cut grass or shrub. It was used extensively in Europe and North America until the early twentieth century, after which it went out of favor as farm mechanization progressed.

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A former professional chef, she has a passion for edible landscaping. Support the blade carefully and work from heel to point, beat the cutting edge against the peening anvil with the hammer to flatten and smooth it out, before sharpening with a whetstone. The more mature the grass is, and it is developing seed stalks, the easier it is to mow higher up. Hi Cliff, Thanks for the question - costs are mainly maintainng this site - and we keep them as low as possible thanks to people Can you support Lowimpact. It is important to protect the back, so developing an easy sweeping style can minimize pain and discomfort. Photographs Jason Ingram. Only the Grim Reaper and a niche group of environmental enthusiasts kept hold of their scythes. You will have to shorten your stroke some, but you can definitely mow a slope. The stems were too big to use as mulch, so I created a compost stack with them.

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We will see. The benefit of a grass cutting scythe is in the management it gives on high grasses without using fossil fuels. As short grass is more challenging to mow, letting your lawn grow longer between mowings will help your learning process a lot. This all would have been much easier to scythe earlier in the season, while the thistles were small, but mowing them down just before flowering is supposed to set them back the most. The round bales were full of thistle seed. Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter. Using a scythe to mow low grass is difficult. Buying round bale hay can introduce a lot of weed seeds. I believe there are country shows now where you can watch somebody doing it properly i. The Scythe Association website is a good first port of call. Of course, this kind of management is ideally suited to the scythe. The scene in which actor Aidan Turner stripped off his shirt for a spot of sweaty mowing was voted the best TV moment of by Radio Times readers and suddenly everyone was interested again. Subscribe Newsletter.