Monthly Archives: July 2011

Straight snath making – handgrips

Posted on July 28, 2011 by stevetomlin

The 30 Russian snaths for the Anna Karenina movie are coming along well.  This week I’ve been in the woods looking for handgrips to fit to the straight snaths. I’m using the opportunity to try out a few ideas for designs of … Continue reading →

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Kosenka spoons

Posted on July 26, 2011 by stevetomlin

I’ve been away in the White Carpathian area of Czech Republic, taking part in a conservation project to manage 6ha of upland pasture for wild orchids using scythes. You can read about the mowing on scytherspace, my scythe blog. All … Continue reading →

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31st Kosení in Czech Republic

Posted on July 26, 2011 by stevetomlin

The environmental charity Kosenka, based in Valašské Klobouky, has been working to preserve the forests and meadows of the White Carpathian mountain region since 1981. Headed by the charasmatic Mirek Janik, their work includes running educational programmes, an ecological advisory service … Continue reading →

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"Thus it was when Grandfather harvested"

Posted on July 24, 2011 by stevetomlin

Before Steve returns with news of adventures in the Czech Republic, here’s some from Denmark. Knowing our interest in scything, our hosts in northern Denmark pointed out an old photograph (below) in the local paper promoting a haymaking day using old methods, tools and machinery. Undeterred … Continue reading →

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Dawn mowing at Brantwood

Posted on July 23, 2011 by stevetomlin

Sally Beamish, Estate Manager at Brantwood, the former home of John Ruskin and perhaps the most idyllic house in the Lake District,  invited the north-west scything group to a dawn mow of a lakeside haymeadow which is at present cut … Continue reading →

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Sharpometer

Posted on July 14, 2011 by stevetomlin

One of the keys to efficient, easy mowing is a sharp blade acheived through peening and sharpening with whetstones. But how sharp is sharp? This year for the Somerset Scythe Festival there was talk of having a peening competition which, … Continue reading →

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Mowing in the Czech Republic

Posted on July 12, 2011 by stevetomlin

I’m heading off this week on holiday – to go mowing! Christiane and I are driving to Valašské Klobouky in South Moravia, close to the Slovakian border to take part in a volunteer project run by Kosenka, mowing and making … Continue reading →

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Russian Snaths

Posted on July 8, 2011 by stevetomlin

The production company for ‘Anna Karenina’ have decided they want 30 extras for the mowing scene with Levin. At the beginning of the week I was commissioned to make the straight Russian-style snaths for everyone. Since time is short and … Continue reading →

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Cumbria Scythe Weekend – Team Mowing

Posted on July 5, 2011 by stevetomlin

The Sunday of our Cumbria Scythe Weekend was a group mowing day for members of the ‘North West Mowing Group’. This is mostly folk who met when I was teaching at the Scythe Festival in Elterwater last July. We meet … Continue reading →

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Cumbria Scythe Weekend

Posted on July 4, 2011 by stevetomlin

What a weekend! Under glorious blue skies I spent two fantastic days of mowing at Sprint Mill near Kendal. On Saturday I ran the second of my ‘Mowing with an Austrian Scythe’ courses for a group of 6 students. This … Continue reading →

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