Author Archives: stevetomlin

Hay rake making workshop 2025

During this very hot summer weekend it was great to be in the shade of the woodland teaching a group how to make a wooden hay rake. We split and shaped the ash head and made teeth with my tine … Continue reading

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Spoon carving course in Manchester 2025

Spoon carving is a fantastic pastime and great introduction to working with wood suitable for beginners and improvers. You learn to use axes and knives to transform a freshly cut birch log into a practical cooking spoon during a fun, … Continue reading

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Scything while visually impaired

This is Rob who came on my Learn to Scythe course earlier this year. He has macula degenerative disease and is registered blind though, as you can see, it doesn’t hold him back. Scything is lightweight, low impact work which … Continue reading

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Learn to Scythe instruction book review

It’s great to hear that my Learn to Scythe book is helping people who can’t get to a course. The book covers all aspects of using am Austrian scythe including how to set up a scythe, honing, mowing, peening the … Continue reading

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How to peen a scythe workshop 2025

Peening is an essential element of maintaining your Austrian scythe. Hammering the blade creates a finer edge so the blade cuts sweetly as you mow your meadow. This can be a daunting process for a scythe beginner so each year … Continue reading

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Scything course in Kendal

I’ve done quite a lot of scythe training for Cumbria Wildlife Trust over the years and it was great to be delivering another Learn to Scythe workshop for them in Kendal. A group of volunteers were being trained to scythe … Continue reading

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Learn to Scythe in West Cumbria

I was in Whitehaven in Cumbria earlier this week, delivering a Learn to Scythe workshop at Haig Country Park in conjunction with the National Trust and The Land Trust. We had a great group with a range of interests and … Continue reading

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Scything workshop in Manchester

A damp day in Manchester for a beginners scything workshop for volunteers of Friends of Chorlton Park. This didn’t dampen the group’s spirits though and you can still scythe in the rain so we had a great day. If your … Continue reading

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Can you scythe in the rain?

I’m often asked if a scythe will work in the rain and what difference rain makes to scything. We’re pretty lucky in the UK that, contrary to what we might think, it doesn’t rain that much during the summer! Often, … Continue reading

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Learn to Scythe in Cumbria

Last summer I travelled up to Whitehaven in West Cumbria to teach a Learn to Scythe workshop for The Land Trust at Haig Park.It was a great day mowing their wildflower meadow with views over the harbour. I specialise in … Continue reading

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