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Author Archives: stevetomlin
Making hay rake teeth with tine cutter
The teeth on a factory made wooden hayrake are often the first part to break because they’re made from cheap dowel. I made the teeth for my rakes from ash with the fibers of the timber running perfectly along each … Continue reading
Learn to Scythe courses 2026
Learn to Scythe workshops for beginners and improvers at venues in Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire. I can also deliver private training for you or your group at your venue across the UK. Learn to Scythe Courses 2026 30 May, Bell … Continue reading
Posted in Scytherspace
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Spoon carving course
My next spoon carving course for beginners and improvers is on 18th Oct 2025 at Chorlton in Manchester. During the day you’ll learn to use an axe and knives safely and efficiently to create your own unique cooking spoon from … Continue reading
Scything course in Penrith
I took a trip up to Penrith yesterday to teach a scything beginner course for Cumbria Wildlife Trust. The group are managing a new site in the area and wanting to Scythe to manage their meadows and orchard. They picked … Continue reading
Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace
Tagged cumbria, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Penrith, Wildlife Trust
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Wooden hay rake making workshop
A wooden hay rake is a brilliant craft that incorporates a lot of skills and techniques in a deceptively simple product. First we start by cleaving an ash log and shaving the heads on the shavehorse getting them as straight … Continue reading
Scything with toads and frogs
A meadow is home to all kinds of life and during the summer I see lots of voles, lizards, mice, toads and frogs. Scything is a much more wildlife friendly management tool. The lack of distraction from machinery noise and … Continue reading
Scything a meadow in Cheshire
Today I’ve been in Cheshire, scything a garden meadow for a client. The site is being managed as a wildflower meadow so I cut and remove the grass to reduce the fertility. I’ve cut this area a few times now … Continue reading
Peening a scythe blade
Learning how to peen a scythe can feel like a daunting task. Reshaping the edge of the blade by hammering it into shape with a peening jig can feel very technical and difficult and there’s often a fear of damaging … Continue reading
Can you scythe in the rain?
I’m often asked this question as the British summer doesn’t always guarantee long sunny days. The short answer is yes, the scythe has no problem with the rain and you can even work with it underwater if managing a pond … Continue reading
Hebden Bridge scything workshop 2025
I’m just back home after two days teaching a group how to scythe at Hebden Bridge for the High Hirst meadow project. During the workshop we looked at setting up the Austrian scythes, honing, peening and mowing technique for cutting … Continue reading