The Scythe Book: Mowing Hay, Cutting Weeds, and Harvesting Small Grains with Hand Tools

by David Tresemer

2001 ALAN C. HOOD & COMPANY Second Edition SOFTCOVER

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Agriculture

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1982

Reviews

[Rob Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who needs yoga, Zen meditation, or antidepressants? Learn to mow hay with a scythe and you can get the same results. Works for me! Even if you don’t want to go out and mow hay, if you have an interest in understanding how the pre-industrialized agrarian mind that built America works, you will gain much and read history much differently after reading this.

[Walter Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. Sometimes you may think you're reading about yoga, or tai chi, or zen meditation. You're actually learning how to cut grass like a zen master.

DO NOT skip the addendum. It's not more of the same (though you wouldn't know it from the contents). It is evolved and clear advice about scything better.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mowing without gasoline, fumes and noise. Good exercise to boot! Read the book, then go to www.scythesupply.com to get a good European pattern blade and snath at a good price (I am not affiliated with them - they're just good people.)

[Aleksandar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is an excellent book that goes deep into the tools, techniques and philosophy of using the scythe. The addendum by Peter Vigo goes a step further in sheer practicality, while the writing of David Tresemer is more for the scythe completionist.

Being an amateur scythe user on a homestead, I had expectations that this book would take my scything to the next level. However, after reading it I decided to hang up my scythe for the time being and get an engine-powered brush cutter. Here's why:

1) Finding quality scythe parts (blade, snath, honing and peening tools) has become a big challenge in most places today
2) As most manual skills on the homestead, this one requires quite a bit of practice
3) Spring time is the most action packed time of the year on any homestead, when we're looking to get the job done as fast as possible. This also happens to be the time that the scythe would see the most use

Considering all of the points above, ideology would be the only reason to go for the manual scythe over its motorized counterpart. While an admirable goal, reading this book is only the first 5% of the journey. I will be on the lookout for quality scythe parts in the coming years, as well as fashioning my own snath with hopes of one day mastering this ancient tool.

[Kevin Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just bought a scythe and this book was part of the package. It was really interesting and I enjoyed learning the history of this tool going back to neolithic times.
The addendum by Peter Vido I found almost unnecessary. He comes across as contentious about everything. He even admits it.
Really good book overall and contains lots of good information if you are interested in mowing with a scythe or curious about starting.

[Jacob Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book when I got my scythe; I still use my riding mower too (I have too much land and a day-job that takes too much time), but I love the thought that went into this and the gentle appreciation for the art of work.

[Mohammad Ali]

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[Will G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the two books on scything I've read, this is the best one - by far.

[Madeleine Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real gem of a book. Particularly enjoyed the references to Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little book. The author cites scything verse by Robert Frost, Andrew Marvell, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and many other poets and writers, but it's not just a romantic overview of the scythe in history. There's lots of practical detail to help a person teach herself how to use a scythe. Here is an enticing passage:
" Until the invention of the hand-pushed rotary lawn mower in 1831, all lawns were kept trimmed by nibbling animals or by gardeners with long-bladed scythes. From reports of travelers, the scythe is still used in Greece and Turkey, and perhaps elsewhere as well, for cutting lawns. To cut my lawn of eight thousand square feet, the 70-centimeter scythe requires an hour and a quarter; a hand-pushed and a gasoline-powered mower both average about forty minutes. Considering the cost of new equipment and of maintenance, and granting myself a reasonable wage for my labor, the scythee is economically competitive. It is also free of noise and exhaust..."
The book covers a lot of ground in a compact text: details about equipment and its maintenance, techniques for mowing (including using the Alexander technique) as well as neat things like a laudatory section on traditional "Haytime Drinks", and an historical overview of mowing implements through the millenia. Its premise: "There is a certain romance in using an ancient tool in the old way, experiencing what our ancestors must have experienced. However , a tool must still be efficient today. That is, romance aside, it must make such an effective use of a person's time and energy that it is competitive with other means for accomplishing the task at hand." And best of all, it allows productive work to be done while "relating intimately to the earth."

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful details on how to select, adjust, sharpen, and use a scythe. I liked the historical anecdotes and information, like the origin of the phrase "needle in a haystack" -- I never knew that! Now I want to get my hands on a good scythe and have at it...

[Nich Traverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! Even if you don't own a scythe, the history in here would be fun to read. If you dislike weed-eaters and the smell of 2-stroke engines, you should read this just to get an intro into how nice it might be to leave that all behind...it's fun! I swear!

[Nick Woodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for learning how to use a scythe. I just bought a scythe, so I wanted to read something about it before I began using it. I guess the best thing is to simply go out in the yard and start swinging!

[Jackson]

I have only cut myself once

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course, this isn't considered "fun" reading (which is why it's taking me a while to finish it!), but the book also isn't a miserable read. It's a useful book and I'm glad I have it.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

good. useful. i should buy a scythe if i ever get a big lot.

[Linnet]

It was really interesting it's a very good mystery