Learn to Scythe courses 2025

Learn to Scythe Courses 2025

Learn to Scythe workshops for beginners and improvers covering all aspects of using an Austrian scythe to manage your garden, wildflower meadow, orchard or wildlife habitat. The scythe will cut grass, nettles, docks, thistles, rushes and other vegetation and is a pleasure to use. Venues in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.

    • 25 May, Foxglove Covert LNR, N. Yorkshire
    • 31 May, Bell Sykes Farm, Slaidburn, Lancashire
    • 14 June, Brigflatts Meeting House, Sedbergh, Cumbria
    • 20 July, Bell Sykes Farm, Slaidburn, Lancashire
    • 1 August, Broadrake, Chapel-le-Dale, Yorkshire Dales
    • 20 September, Brigflatts Meeting House, Sedbergh, Cumbria
    • These courses fill up quickly so book to avoid disappointment. Please sign up to my newsletter to receive updates on further dates

Book your place on Eventbrite:  Learn to Scythe

I can also travel to your venue to teach an individual session or group workshop for you and some friends, see my Learn to Scythe page for details or email stevetomlin8[at]gmail.com

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Ash splint pack basket Feb 2025

Very satisfying to send this new ash splint pack basket off to its happy new owner.

All the ash was pounded in the UK from English ash then graded, cut to size and woven in my workshop in Manchester. Veg-tan leather straps and brass buckles complete the basket to give it a timeless beauty.

I make these baskets to commission, if you’re interested in finding out more details or would like to order, please contact me stevetomlin8[at]gmail.com

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Improve Your Spoons Workbook

Improve Your Spoons Workbook
A practical guide to improving your skills and carving better spoons.

Over the last 20years, I have taught hundreds of people how to carve their first spoons on my in-person workshops. Increasingly, I’ve become aware that their is a need for some tuition for people wanting to take the next steps and progress their carving. This workbook is designed, through a series of practical exercises, to help you master your tools and develop your designs to make better spoons.This workbook has taken several years to create, including trialing the exercises with carvers during my workshops. I’m incredibly pleased with it and excited to make it available at last.

Buy the Workbook from my Etsy store:Steve Tomlin Crafts Etsy shop

The workbook includes
• 70 pages of instruction, including advice on principles of learning
• 22 exercises based on carving with an axe, straight knife and hook knife as well as creating spoon designs and refining their shapes.
• Colour photos throughout to show the techniques and principles along with providing design inspiration.
• 8 templates to use during the exercises

Contents
Introduction & principles
Improve your axe work
Improve your knife work
Improve your hollowing
Improve your symmetry
Improve your design
Templates

 

 

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Scything on Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country

Did you watch Sarah Beeny and her husband learning to scythe and feel inspired to start managing your own wildflower meadow?

My Learn to Scythe courses are a perfect introduction to using an Austrian scythe to manage your land, whether that’s a meadow, orchard or a garden. The scythe is lightweight, silent, effective and fun to use.

Book now for my summer 2025 Learn to Scythe courses via Eventbrite or find out more on my Learn to Scythe courses page.

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Turtle doves Christmas decorations

Two turtle doves are an essential part of your Christmas decor and these handmade wooden decorations are a sustainable option as well as adding a touch of handmade charm. Available in two sizes, they’re ideal for the Christmas tree or as window dressing.

My fan birds are based on a traditional European craft and all individually hand carved from a single piece of wood.

Visit my Etsy store to purchase your fan bird turtle doves decorations and see more of my work – there’s even an instruction guide if you want to learn to make your own Turtle doves handcarved decorations

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Spoon carving workshop 2024

I’m just back from a brilliant time teaching a spoon carving beginners course for a lovely group. Starting with a greenwood log of fresh silver birch, the day covered all the skills to carve with axes and knives. They made terrific spoons, ready for cooking!

My next workshop is on 19th Oct 2024 at Chorlton in Manchester. Book via Eventbrite: Spoon Carving workshop

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Scything with Patrick Grant

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to teach Patrick Grant of The Great British Sewing Bee, how to scythe at his home. Here’s his article for the Financial Times : Patrick Grant scythePatrick Grant scythe

Find out more about my Learn to Scythe courses and discover how to manage your land efficiently, safely and with no more strimmer noise and fumes.

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Scythe peening workshop 2024

I will be holding a scythe peening workshop at Bell Sykes Farm, Slaidburn, Lancashire on 4th Oct 2024. Learn how to peen a scythe using the jig and we will also cover making repairs and an in-depth look at sharpening.

Places cost £100, please email stevetomlin8[at]gmail.com to book

Note that this workshop is intended for existing scythers and will not cover how to scythe.

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Patrick Grant learning to scythe

Last week I was hired to teach Patrick Grant how to scythe at his home. The clothier, author and presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee is writing a new column for the Financial  Times Weekend about managing his land using traditional techniques and skills. Scything fits perfectly with this as a traditional method for managing long grasses instead of a strimmer.

He’s a lovely guy and a great student, quickly picking up the skills and neatly scything the lawn.

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Scything meadows at RHS Bridgewater

RHS Bridgewater at Salford is a new RHS Garden close to where I live so it was terrific to be asked to teach their staff how to cut a meadow using scythes.

During the workshop we looked at how to set up an Austrian scythe, how to hone and sharpen the blade and, of course, how to scythe long meadow grass efficiently and easily. We had a brilliant time and I look forward to going back to see how their meadows develop over the years.

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