Scything

Scything
2nd April 2015
By Simon Cooter
"It’s a tragedy of the first magnitude that millions of people have ceased to use
their hands. If the craze for machinery continues, it is highly likely that a time will
come when we shall be so incapacitated and weak that we shall begin to curse
ourselves for having forgotten the use of the living machines given to us by God."
Mahatma Gandhi
The scythe as a tool
Contents
 The scythe as a
tool
 Managing a meadow by scythe
 Quiet gardening
 Scything on the
Stiperstones
There are two types of
scythe that can be
acquired today: the
Anglo-American scythe,
which is the scythe that
is probably hanging up
in an old barn full of
woodworm or on a
themed pub wall
somewhere; and the
much lighter
continental model that
has seen somewhat of a
resurgence in recent
years. On first
comparison the obvious
difference is that the
Anglo-American scythe
has a curved handle, or
snath, whereas the
continental or Austrian
scythe has a straight
snath. However the real
differences are in the
blades. Traditional
English blades were
either stamped or
rough forged and then
shaped by heavy
grinding. Austrian
blades are beaten out
to a fine blade and are
a much more precise
tool. The Austrian blade
being finer and sharper
allows it to be used
with a lighter snath.
What does all this
mean? Well the result is
that anyone, even
children, can use
Austrian scythes. It
makes cutting grass a
pleasurable activity
rather than a back
breaking one and it is
for this reason that the
scythe is making a
come back. The one
down side is that the
sharpening of the
Austrian scythe is a bit
more complex, so
generally a course is
recommended, not only
to teach the practice of
scything but to teach
the all important
sharpening skills
required to keep the
blade keen.
Managing a meadow by scythe
A hay rack and hand hay baler
Before the days of our
dependency upon oil,
all hay meadows used
to be cut by scythe
rather than by machine.
One person generally
cutting about an acre of
meadow in a day. This
quantity of hay can be
turned and piled up
into hay racks to dry.
Once racked it will
withstand showers and
continue to dry. The
hay is then transported
by some means, today
probably on a trailer to
a hay store, where it is
either built into a hay
stack or put loose into
a barn.
This method of hay
making has a number
of benefits for wildlife.
Because the hay in the
meadow is cut over a
period of time, it lets
animals move out of
the way of the mowing,
it allows different
plants to flower and set
seed and this provides
nectar for insects over a
longer period.
"You can't imagine what an effectual remedy it is for every sort of foolishness."
Levin to his brother, after a day's mowing, in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina
Quiet gardening
It is Saturday morning in
early summer and the sun is
shining for the first time for a
number of weeks, the birds
are singing and there is a soft
buzz of bumblebees in the
flower beds. Just the day to
get the hammock out, relax
and read the paper in the
peace and quiet of the
garden, but then starts the
neighbour’s Flymo and
before long it is joined by the
petrol strimmer of the
neighbour from the other
side followed swiftly by the
hedge trimmers and leaf
blowers as the quiet British
countryside is engulfed by
mechanical noise. Gone are the
days of hearing the quiet
swoosh of the scythe followed
by the tinkle of ice in the gin
and tonic glass. But they don’t
have to be, we could learn
again the art of scything which
can tackle everything from the
lawn to the borders, and help
the body and soul in so doing.
Scything on the Stiperstones
Volunteers and staff use
scythes on the National
Nature Reserve to cut
bracken on the heathland
and grassland. They are a
lighter tool than a
brushcutter, can be used
on steep slopes with ease
and are more
environmentally friendly
than herbicides.
Young bracken is
surprisingly easy to cut
by scythe and training is
available to anyone who
fancies lending a hand.
Bracken management is
carried out throughout
the summer months.
Anyone interested in
helping out should
contact Simon Cooter on
01743 792294.
Scything events
14 June—Somerset Scythe Festival—www.greenfair.org.uk
20 June—Mottey Meadows NNR Hay Festival—
www.friendsofmotteymeadows.org.uk
27 June—Stiperstones and Corndon Hay festival—contact JP
01938561741
For more information on the scything revolution see:
www.scytheassociation.org
www.thescytheshop.co.uk