Steve Tomlin Crafts

Whether it’s for controlling the nettles and other weeds around your allotment, clearing an overgrown patch of garden or larger-scale mowing in a meadow or orchard, the Austrian scythe is a wonderful tool to use.
I always sell scythes as a complete kit, with sharpening stones and equipment for peening the edge because the scythe, like any tool, will only work at it’s best when sharp. You can buy a directly from me during courses or from my home in Kendal, Cumbria. The biggest choice is which blade to go for. There are various models in the UK (many, many more on the continent) each in two or three sizes and their names (Grass, Profisense, Ditch and Bush blades) are somewhat unhelpful in making the choice.
For beginners I recommend the 65cm ditch blade  which is what my students use on my ‘Learn to scythe’ courses.
Why pick the Ditch Blade? Here are the features of this blade which makes it the best scythe for beginners in my opinion:
1. It’s short. Most people starting out with a scythe are using it for smaller jobs around their land and the shorter length makes it easier to control and get between trees, around edges, into corners and so on. 65cm is still long enough to do a larger area or some meadow mowing. You can mow just as wide a swath, you’ll just take a smaller bite each time meaning the work will go a bit slower but you’ll be less tired.
2. The hooked shape of the blade means it’s tip is always pointing around the arc you’re cutting along so the scythe is helping you make right movement for a slicing cut.
3. It’s got a stone point. The last few centimeters of blade are replaced with a sacrificial  metal point. Beginners are often using the scythe to control weeds or working in unchartered corners of the garden, home to stones, branches and rusting strimmers all hidden in the grass and waiting to be discovered by the end of your blade. With the stone point you have a bumper which takes the hit when you strike that rock (we’ve all been there).
4. It’s more dished along it’s length from tip to heel compared with some other models. You’ll not get such a neat finish on your lawn (though it will cut short grass) but it will ride more easily over any uneven ground. Sticking the scythe in the ground is no good for your rhythm or the blade and this will help you avoid it. If you do stick the end in then again it’s mostly the stone point rather than your carefully sharpened edge which takes the knock.
5. It’s tough. The design of the blade and it’s geometry make this a tough scythe capable of dealing with tough grasses and weeds including bracken and hogweed. You still need to treat it with respect and learn to slice the weeds rather than chopping but of all the blades, this is the most robust.
The Ditch blade name is nothing to do with it’s use and I’ve been trying to get it changed for a few years. When I bought my first blade I can remember thinking “Well, I’m not cutting in a ditch so I don’t need that one.” My own preference is to call it a ‘trimming blade’ since that’s what it’s most commonly used for. If you go on to mow bigger areas of meadow then you may want to get a longer scythe blade like the 75cm Profisense but you’ll never regret having the Ditch blade.