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The Scything Handbook: Learn How to Cut Grass, Mow Meadows and Harvest Grain with a Scythe Kindle Edition

by Ian Miller (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 40 ratings
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The Zen approach to mowing lawns, wacking weeds, harvesting crops, and building modern homesteader abs!

Dreading the weekly law mow? Need to whack the weeds in your orchard? Cringing at the drudgery and incessant blare of the mower? Imagine instead long sweeps of an elegant scythe cutting your grass and pesky weeds in blissful, meditative silence.

That is the power of the "scythe revolution" sweeping North America.

Written by a master of the scythe, professionally trained in Austria, and drawing deeply on research into original German texts, The Scything Handbook brings centuries-old scything techniques into the twent-first century.

Detailed illustrations cover scythe assembly, perfecting the stroke, blade selection, honing, peening, and aftercare, as well as background on how scythes are forged. Also covered are the basics of making hay and mulch by hand, and how to grow and harvest gains at the home and homestead scale for self-sufficiency.

Scything promotes health, flexibility, mind-body connection, and a meditative contemplation of the natural world while producing beautiful lawns and luscious mulch for the modern gardener and homesteader. This is truly an heirloom tool to master.

Join the scythe revolution!

Ian Miller followed a career in music with a degree in Agroecology from UC Santa Cruz. During a two year stint on a biodynamic farm in Austria he learned how to scythe and delved into historic scything texts in German. He has worked for Seed Savers Exchange in Iowa and is developing a twemty-acre scythe-based homestead near Decorah, Iowa, where he grows his own grain for bread making and makes hay by hand.

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  1. Print length
    163 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    New Society Publishers
  4. Publication date
    1 October 2016
  5. File size
    17.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

The Scything Handbook by Ian Miller...will provide bedtime reading on how to improve your technique.

-- Caroline Donald ― The Sunday Times

"The Scything Handbook by Ian Miller, newly released contains all of the information your need to buy, maintain and use a scythe for any grassy area, from a meadow to a lawn

-- Lia Leendertz ― The Daily Telegraph

Whilst this book is neatly segmented into chapters that will allow the reader to dip in and out as required, this is a book that I’m going to read cover to cover. It’s full of lovely little nuggets from the Tolstoy quote at the start to the sourdough recipe at the back and all the other little gems in between.

― A Pentland Garden Diary

"Years of passion have gone into this elegant little book."

-- Rory Dusoir ― Gardens Illustrated

"My book of the year? The Scything Handbook published by @filbertpress. Expert, readable, beautifully produced, indispensable..."

-- John Lewis-Stempel ― Twitter

Ian Miller's new publication, The Scything Handbook, is one of those books that manages to be both practical and enchanting.

-- Hari Alexander ― Deco Online magazine

From the Inside Flap

Whacking weeds, and harvesting crops


Practical how-to advice that can make your homestead hum with the music of self-reliance more efficiently and eclectically than you ever imagined. JOEL SALATIN, Polyface Farm


DREADING the weekly lawn mow? Need to whack the weeds in your orchard?
Cringing at the drudgery and incessant blare of the mower? Imagine instead long sweeps of an elegant scythe cutting your grass and pesky weeds in blissful, meditative silence.


That is the power of the "scythe revolution" sweeping North America.
Written by a master of the scythe, professionally trained in Austria, and drawing deeply on research into original German texts, The Scything Handbook brings centuries old scything techniques into the 21st century.


Detailed illustrations cover scythe assembly, perfecting the stroke, blade selection, honing, peening, and aftercare, as well as background on how scythes are forged. Also covered are the basics of making hay and mulch by hand, and how to grow and harvest gains at the home and homestead scale for self-sufficiency.


Scything promotes health, flexibility, mind-body connection, and a meditative contemplation of the natural world while producing beautiful lawns and luscious mulch for the modern gardener and homesteader. This is truly an heirloom tool to master.


Join the scythe revolution!

Part Zen and the Art of Mowing and part owner's manual... The Scything Handbook deserves a place of high prominence on every homesteader's and sustainable farmer's bookshelf. HANK WILL (Oscar H. Will III), Editorial Director, Ogden Publications and Editor in Chief, Mother Earth News

IAN MILLER learned the scythe during a two-year stint on a biodynamic farm in Austriawhere he also delved into historic scything texts in German. He has a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on Agroecology from UC Santa Cruz and is developing a 20-acre scythe-based homestead near Decorah, Iowa for growing his own grain

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01M0YLXPL
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Society Publishers (1 October 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 17.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 163 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

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4.7 out of 5 stars
40 global ratings

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Top reviews from other countries

  • David B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful..........
    Reviewed in the United States on 15 June 2023
    Verified Purchase
    As with any skill, the more you know, the further you are ahead of any potential problems, this book simply adds to your base of necessary knowledge.
    Report
  • sue
    5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I have so far given a copy to three friends, all whom have said it is the perfect gift. Gives all the information needed for someone keen to master the art but is also a delight to browse through even if you are not going to be scything.
    Report
  • Paul McFarmer
    5.0 out of 5 stars well packed and good condition. Very interesting and well written
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The book came in time, well packed and good condition.
    Very interesting and well written.
    Will follow a course this month, very curious.
    paul
    Report
  • Linda Beasley-Bradford
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what he wanted!
    Reviewed in the United States on 11 January 2023
    Verified Purchase
    My husband loves this book!
    Report
  • Rambo Tribble
    4.0 out of 5 stars Scythes: European vs. American
    Reviewed in the United States on 27 July 2022
    Verified Purchase
    DISCLAIMER: I just want to mow my lawn.

    Both books offered by Amazon on the scythe, The Scythe Book and The Scything Handbook, offer worthwhile presentations on the European scythe, its construction, fitting, use and maintenance. Of the two, SB offers the more exhaustive coverage of the actual mechanics of mowing, while SH provides historical color and hay processing techniques the other text does not.

    Did I mention I just want to mow my lawn?

    Unfortunately, there appears to be a substantial vein of snobbery surrounding the subject of scythes. Rather preposterous claims are made that American scythes were only designed for this or that purpose, but not for real mowing. Nonsense.

    The sad truth is that accurate information on the American scythe is hard to find. I recommend the videos of Mr. Chickadee on YouTube as a good place to start. One of the best texts on the American scythe can be found on the Baryonyx Knife Co. blog page, it is titled "A Primer on the Selection, Use, & Maintenance of the American Scythe". It provides comprehensive information on properly fitting an American scythe, and offers a wealth of usage and maintenance information, as well. One feature of the American scythe is its nibs are able to rotate around the shaft of the snath to obtain perfect balance. It is a crucial adjustment; if the scythe is out-of-balance, the difficulty in working it quickly multiplies.

    You may wish to note that European scythes use tensioned blades which the experts say require sharpening every 5 minutes. My experience suggests in good conditions you can go double that. American blades are untensioned, and require honing much,. much less often. European blades also require periodic peening, a task requiring skill and special tools.

    If you, like me, really just want to mow your lawn, check out the resources on the American scythe before you dismiss it. If you want to explore a lifestyle, the books are great, but contain much that is extraneous to the mowing task.

    Additional resources I would recommend are: The Penn State Extension page on "Mowing With a Scythe" for some good tips, especially about grass. Online you can find "The Big Book of the Scythe" which is another comprehensive text on European scythe. It is available free, in PDF format. Be aware, these are both biased against American scythes.

    A final thought: The European scythe represents 16th Century technology at its finest. The American scythe represents 19th Century technology at its finest. With the advent of the aluminum snath, the American snath acquired a mid-20th Century enhancement. So the question is, do you want a romance, or do you want to cut your grass?
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