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Category Archives: Scytherspace
Mowing on the Black Isle
Continuing our international mowing theme, Christiane & I are just back from the Black Isle, Scotland where we ran a two day mowing course for members of the Transition Black Isle group. We took a few days to work our … Continue reading
Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace
Tagged black isle, Christiane Lechner, course, learn to mow, learn to scythe, mowing, peening, Scotland, scythe
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Straight snath making – handgrips
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
Posted in Scytherspace, scythes
Tagged anna karenina, film, handgrips, movie, russian scythe, snath, woodwork
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31st Kosení in Czech Republic
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
"Thus it was when Grandfather harvested"
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
Dawn mowing at Brantwood
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
Posted in scythe festivals & events, Scytherspace
Tagged brantwood, cumbria, meadow, scythe
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Sharpometer
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
Posted in peening & sharpening, scythe festivals & events, Scytherspace
Tagged peening, scythe, sharpening
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Mowing in the Czech Republic
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
Posted in scythe festivals & events, Scytherspace
Tagged czech republic, hay, hay making, kosenka
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Russian Snaths
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
Cumbria Scythe Weekend – Team Mowing
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
Posted in scythe festivals & events, Scytherspace
Tagged cumbria, hay making, mowing, north west, scythe festival, team, yellow rattle
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Cumbria Scythe Weekend
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
Posted in scythe courses, Scytherspace
Tagged beginners, hay making, improvers, learn to mow, learn to scythe, mowing course, refresher, scythe
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