throw away your mower and get a scythe

[robin wood]

The Austrian scythes are very light and when well tuned and sharp it is not hard in the slightest, in fact if you are getting a sweat on your doing it wrong.

Have a look at Christiane mowing in this vid 45 secs in
[video]http://youtu.be/1WC-QgiMF7Q[/video]

Stately home lawns were always mown with a scythe and you can keep it trimmed very short if you like but it is much more fun to let it grow 2 or 3 inches long before cutting.

 

[Samon]

The Austrian scythes are very light and when well tuned and sharp it is not hard in the slightest, in fact if you are getting a sweat on your doing it wrong.

Have a look at Christiane mowing in this vid 45 secs in
[video]http://youtu.be/1WC-QgiMF7Q[/video]

Stately home lawns were always mown with a scythe and you can keep it trimmed very short if you like but it is much more fun to let it grow 2 or 3 inches long before cutting.

that video is brillaint, I have never seen a scythe being used like that.. I always used them to clear graveyards of brambles and bits of woodland (not my choice of tool).

how often would a good scythe need resharpening? and how much for a good one?

 

[robin wood]

how often would a good scythe need resharpening? and how much for a good one?

Sharpening is crucial and is little and often. Most folk who scythe carry a little stone in a water filled holder and literally every 4 or 5 minutes give it a quick touch up.

The kit I am using retails for £140 that is hand forged blade, fully adjustable ash snath (handle) coarse and fine stones, stone sheath water trough thingy, peening anvil and instruction book. You can set up for less, hand made snaths are nice and I suspect in time I will make one but it is handy to start with a set up that works really well so you only have the technique to worry about. Having said all that the whole lot is half the cost of a posh bushcraft knife and no more than a cheap mower that we all know will be in landfill in 10 years time.

 

[Samon]

Sharpening is crucial and is little and often. Most folk who scythe carry a little stone in a water filled holder and literally every 4 or 5 minutes give it a quick touch up.

The kit I am using retails for £140 that is hand forged blade, fully adjustable ash snath (handle) coarse and fine stones, stone sheath water trough thingy, peening anvil and instruction book. You can set up for less, hand made snaths are nice and I suspect in time I will make one but it is handy to start with a set up that works really well so you only have the technique to worry about. Having said all that the whole lot is half the cost of a posh bushcraft knife and no more than a cheap mower that we all know will be in landfill in 10 years time.

it sounds like a sound investment as I don't have much knowledge to repair any faults on my big petrol mower. other than the having to rake the grass up afterwards it looks simple and quick!

my garden is somewhat uneven, will this make a big difference to the ease of use?

 

[PaulSanderson]

this is ace...used one as a kid to earn some pocket money but that was almost 20 years ago. if i have to replace the shear bolts on the head of my Husqy Bio-clip ride on mower one more time im going to scream...this seems perfect! although my garden is relatively large this would keep me fitter too....great idea...