Mowing with a scythe is actually experiencing a new renaissance, because this extraordinary tool, which seemed long forgotten, offers garden owners a whole host of advantages. Your neighbors too, because these amazingly efficient hand tools do their work completely silently, unlike lawnmowers.
Why is mowing with a scythe a good alternative to a lawnmower?
Scythe mowing is an environmentally friendly, silent and efficient alternative to the lawn mower. However, this requires learning the correct mowing technique and caring for the scythe. A high quality scythe costs between €50 and €60, while matching scythes cost around €70.
The nature-friendly mowing method also saves fossil fuels and money and is also ideal for use on long-growing grass in the garden and on otherwise difficult-to-access terrain. However, you have to know a little about mowing technology and have at least heard the terms “dengeln” and “whet”.
With “a good cutting edge” mowing becomes child’s play
Scythe Parade of the German Scythe Association
Says the Sensenverein e. V. on its online portal and provides an easy-to-understand overview of the most important rules for handling and caring for historical mowing tools in many informative articles. Anyone who registers for (free) forum access will also be taught a number of insider tricks, so that every average-talented DIY enthusiast and allotment gardener can acquire the necessary basic technical knowledge in a short time. If that's not enough, we recommend taking a look at "The Sense Manual", which was published by Schweizer Haupt Verlag in 2017 and presents numerous pictures and drawings relating to the art of mowing with a scythe. All operations, from assembling a scythe to the optimal mowing technique that protects the intervertebral discs, are explained on the 144 pages. There is also no shortage of helpful tips and tricks for sharpening and sharpening, forging scythe blades or tips on how to store a scythe appropriately and safely.
On a date with the scythe teacher
The best way to learn really practically is to take part in one of the courses that are held in many federal states by experienced scythe teachers. The current dates are regular and one month in advance on the Sensenverein e. V. homepage. V. Germany, where you will also find interesting reports on the special mowing events that have already taken place. In the self-test, however, the author of this article found that it doesn't take a lot of practice to get to grips with the wrought iron mowers without injuring yourself.
If you buy (scythes) cheaply, you (usually) buy twice
This ancient aphorism often applies to garden tools and almost always applies to scythes. The partner sales force of the German and Austrian scythe association is the Silvanus shop, where customers are guaranteed to receive a perfectly crafted scythe with a precisely fitting scythe throw that is tailored to their body size. For a 60 to 75 cm long scythe you have to expect a price between 50 and 60 €, suitable scythes with a key cost at least 70 €. Compared to the noisy lawn mower, it's a fairly inexpensive alternative that allows you to work in the evenings or on weekends without any disruption to those around you.
