When I teach people how to mow I show them a method of sharpening the scythe in the field by kneeling down and supporting the scythe on the ground. It's much safer than to learn sharpening standing up and also has additional benefits which give better accuracy but is slightly trickier for left-handed students. On a recent day of individual scythe tuition, I took some photos of Jen demonstrating the method for left-handed mowers.The adjustment is simply to swing the snath out away from your body so the edge of the scythe blade is in line with the left arm. This means that the scythe is not so well supported but makes the sharpening motion much easier and avoids the hazards of crossing your arms in front of the blade.
Jen has 1.5 acres of really great meadow in Derbyshire and was a super keen student who took to scything really well. She already has the date for the Somerset Scythe Festival in her diary for next year and she could be someone to watch in the competition..
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