Using a scythe to cut grass

Champion mower Simon Damant shows how to wield one safely.

The answer is yes and there are many people in the UK doing just that! Lawn mowing can be a test of a scythers skill, it takes some thought and practice to do well. Here is a summary of the factors you need to consider if you are thinking of scything a lawn. Part 1 is about your lawn; Part 2 will be about your scythe and blade; and Part 3 about scything techniques for short grass. Lawns as we know them arose in 17th century England at the homes of large, wealthy landowners. Beyond the ha-ha , vegetation was controlled with livestock.

Using a scythe to cut grass

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. It is used to trim grass and light brush. During use, the operator is standing and making controlled sweeps to cut plant material. The benefit of a grass cutting scythe is in the management it gives on high grasses without using fossil fuels. Scythes are also relatively inexpensive and readily available. A scythe was used widely in Europe and North America up until the early 20th century. After that, mechanization methods took over. But the scythe is still used in many regions. The versatile scythe requires frequent peening and stoning. Peening is the process of cold hammering the blade to restore it.

One Scythe Revolution. There is also some burdock growing in the corner, that I tackle as well.

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.

Are you looking for a way how to use a scythe to cut weeds and grass? You have come to the right place- here; we will illustrate everything you need to know to use a scythe for cutting grass. For example, before cutting the grass, you must have a basic knowledge of scythe parts, the right time to mow the grass, sharpen a scythe, etc. A scythe consists of a blade and a snath figure 2. The blade parts include edge, heel, back, knob, beard, and neck, whereas the heel, knob, and neck together form a tang figure 3. Blades are different in length, usually 12 inches to 50 inches long. The longer blades are helpful for wide-open fields and lawns, while the short blades are suitable to work in tight corners and around barriers. Bush blades are usually heavier than grass blades to make up the increased stress pretended by stems and brushes of one or two-year-old trees. The snath of the American scythe contains an intricate curve; on the contrary, the European scythe commonly has a straight snath. Both American and European grips can also be fixed on the European scythe, in which to make up the dimensions of the mower they have to mount at the right place on the snath.

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. However, the scythe is gaining new interest among small farmers in the West, and could be a useful tool for farmers in the tropics who do not have the resources to buy expensive mowing equipment. This becomes more important with the increasing demand for dairy and meat products in developing countries. For example, the dairy sector--and the need for forage with it--is growing rapidly in the east African highlands. While animals can be grazed in the rainy season or fed fresh fodder when grass is plentiful, stored hay, or haylage, is needed to guarantee milk production in the dry season. Additionally, because milk is often produced near urban centers due to the absence of milk-cooling facilities, fodder needs to be transported to the dairy regions even in the rainy season. Because properly dried hay has a low moisture content, it is preferred over silage if transportation is required.

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You will have less to mow in any one session and it is beneficial to wildlife too. 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. Below is a video that shows what mowing a prime hayfield with a scythe looks like from all angles, plus how long it takes to stop and hone the blade not very long! The area in this video had been left to grow all summer, the previous year, and then was mowed with a tractor in the fall, but the grass was left in place as mulch. It can be fitted with a variety of different blades, depending on the job in hand. Rotating from the hips, he slides the blade along the ground from right to left, simultaneously moving his weight from right to left foot. It is also eco-friendly and adds no noise pollution because it is human, rather than gas powered. Then the rest of the curve of the blade escalates the initial sliding cut into a slicing cut. Bush blade work is often a combination of quickly switching between more of a full stroke for when mowing easier weed stems and kurt trimming strokes for thicker woody stems. It takes some practice to learn the correct angles to use on a whetstone, but over time the process is as quick as a few strokes. 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.

Home » Grass. It takes practice to learn the correct technique.

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. Lawns and the scythe — a brief history Lawns as we know them arose in 17th century England at the homes of large, wealthy landowners. The English scythe is pictured on the left and Danish scythe at the very back. If you're not convinced scything is for you, here's the best cordless mowers. Kit out your shed with our selection of the best gardening tools on the market today. If you plan on cutting a lot of grass at a 6-inch height, I would suggest lowering the grips on your adjustable snath and using a light grass blade, to make it more comfortable on your arms. Beginners, especially if working near tree trunks or fences, may find a shorter blade around cm is easier to manage. I have a push mower but it limits how long u can let the grass grow before needing another option. Grasses with stiffer stems, like timothy, brome, and foxtails, are the easiest to cut at a 6-inch height, which would simulate regenerative grazing. Scythes are not like lawn mowers — it is easier to mow damp grass rather then dry. Here's more on designing a meadow. When thinking about how to mow your lawn, it is easier to follow the way the grass is lying rather then trying to mow in straight lines.