Scything: Part II. How-to

These are the basics of how to wield the scythe in the field. If you get to the stage of buying your own equipment, the conscientious retailer (such as Simon Fairlie) should help you along with set-up and fitting the tool to your height and general dimensions. Simon's site has an incredible wealth of information ranging all the way around the topic.

The main things to remember, once you've got the scythe set up ready and you're standing in front of lawn, meadow or field are:

• Keep the blade resting on the ground all the way through the arc of swing and return.
• Your swing should be comfortable from a fairly upright position, not stretching forward or leaning back.
• Don't take too much with each stroke. You should be stepping forward only an inch or two each time and taking the same amount forward with your swinging arc.
• Don't hack at it! This is a refined and elegant tool. The grass shouldn't even realise it's been cut until it falls over.

Particularly if you're using an Austrian scythe blade, which is lighter and finer than its traditional UK or US counterparts, frequent honing in the field is absolutely essential to keep the sort edge on the blade needed for optimal performance. You'll soon notice when it loses its keenest edge: the effort required for each stroke increases and the quality of the cut decreases.

You should acquire a set of three whetstones.

• Coarse: Relatively seldom used, for when you have a nasty ding from hitting a stone, bit of fence wire, whatever.
• Medium fine: Most used, primary edge honer when in the field.
• Fine: For putting the premium shiny razor edge on.

In the third part of this scything series, I'll get into a bit of advanced maintenance, namely: peening.

Scything: Part I. Introduction

The Austrian scythe

An important part of the RGL philosophy is using the simplest tool practical for any given job. I've always had an interest in traditional tools and methods as well as a strong suspicion that a fair few of their fancier modern equivalents are more about making money for their manufacturer than improving the process or outcome of the work.

The scale of the job is, of course, a key factor in determining whether a traditional hand tool or modern power tool is going to be the best way to go. I'm no Luddite, but I do believe that in general simpler is better, the easiest way isn't necessarily the best and that developing and using the skills required to use the traditional tools lead to an unparalleled satisfaction in the work.

The scythe is a prime example. Dustbin of history, right? Not quite.
Unless you have acres and acres of smooth uninterrupted lawn to keep trim, the scythe holds a number of advantages over powered alternatives.

The advantages as I see them are:

Re-skilling an otherwise dull job

1. Cost. A good mower, push or ride-on, is expensive to buy. Also, you'll likely need a strimmer and possibly a brush cutter as well. The scythe does it all.
2. Simplicity of maintenance. You've got one blade to keep sharp. No engine to maintain, no fuel or other consumables to buy.
3. Enjoyability of use. Mowers, strimmers, whatever - they make a hideous din. With the scythe, all you get is the gentle swishing sound of the blade gliding through the grass. Listen to the birdsong instead. The satisfaction of learning the skill and doing it well is immense.
4. Safety for wildlife. We have a lot of amphibians in our garden. The carnage attendant on ploughing through them with a power mower would be unspeakable. They have a lot more time to get out of the way and you have a much better chance of spotting them in time as you approach with the scythe.
5. Versatility. Terrain, obstacles, moisture levels (scything is actually best with wet grass), vegetation type, vegetation height - you can deal with it all using this one elegant tool.

Disadvantages? The ones people usually expect don't necessarily stand up to scrutiny.

1. Speed. "Doesn't it take forever?" Not really. Especially not when you include setup and maintenance time in the total. Scale counts here and if you have much more than an acre to mow regularly, you might want some power assistance.
2. Safety. "I'd probably lose a foot." You'd have to do some pretty bizarre acrobatic maneuvers to bring the blade into contact with any part of your anatomy while mowing. Particular care, however, is required when sharpening the blade.