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Scything workshops

The correct use of the scythe is a learned skill!

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Indeed, the right movement doesn't seem to come naturally for most people. Often, people who have been mowing for years or even decades have not developed an efficient mowing technique if they have never learned from someone who really masters it. Such experienced people had become very rare in industrialized countries.

Since 2010 I have been teaching scything workshops for groups of 8 people. These workshops cover both theory and practice, covering the following points.

  • The importance of a suitable and ergonomic snath.
  • The correct adjustment of the blade and grips.
  • Understanding the geometry of the cutting edge; a keen edge is essential for comfortable and efficient mowing.
  • Maintaining the blade: peening with the peening anvil, traditional peening with the field anvil and honing with different natural and synthetic stones.
  • How to avoid damaging the blade and how to repair cracks.
  • The principles of comfortable and efficient mowing: the correct movements and techniques, as well as the importance of body posture, relaxation, flexibility and breathing.

A one-day workshop is really the minimum needed to learn how to assemble and use the scythe correctly and how to maintain the edge through peening and honing.

A second day allows you to better understand the gestures of mowing and especially peening, which often requires more practice than mowing itself, and which is nevertheless essential to the proper functioning of the blade.

During the workshops, participants practice and refine their skills with the help of one-on-one advice.

I provide all the necessary equipment for the workshop and I peen the participants' blades in advance so that they can work with the tool at its maximum potential.

If you already have equipment, I suggest you bring it along so that we can assess its potential, as many old blades are of good quality and can be restored.

Workshops are organized throughout the mowing season. Please​ check the calendar regularly or subscribe to our newsletter via the footer to get regular updates as new workshop dates are announced.

If you're interested in organizing a workshop in Belgium, France, or Luxembourg, you'll find more information here.

man honing his scytheA young man sharpening his scythe in an orchard, Sigvard Hansen 1888