Rough Mowing Scythe Set

Ditch Blades

The Styria 65cm or 55cm blade is the most versatile option, suitable for rough weeds, docks, bracken and young brambles. The 65cm length will allow you to work quicker in more open areas. The 55cm length is better for confined areas eg paths < 3ft, around similarly closely spaced obstacles, plants etc.

The Syria blades will also cut grass and soft weeds, though for best results this requires peening.

Other blade options

The following short, tough blades are suitable for mowing tough weeds, bracken, bramble and woody plants such as raspberry canes and young tree suckers.

The 40cm Fux Bush blade is capable of cutting older, woodier tree suckers in addition to the above, but it is not suitable for grass.

The Fux Bush blade is a good choice if you have a small area to control or you want to target individual stems. It’s short length means it puts less strain on the snath but care is still needed in use.

The longer Falci Bear is a good choice if you have a lot of bracken to mow or a large area of other weeds to control.

It’s heavier weight gives it more momentum across the stroke so helps when mowing through tougher vegetation.

Be aware – this blade is stronger then your snath! Make sure the hafting angle is properly set and the clamp is tight before you start to mow and check it frequently as you work.

• One Scythe Blade
• An adjustable wooden snath (inc movable hand grips, clamp and wedge)
• A whetstone holder (for carrying the sharpening stone whilst out scything)
• A natural Sharpening Stone (for regular sharpening of blade when scything)
• A Quick Set up Guide.

Snaths are available in four lengths. The length needed depends on your height

Your Height———Snath Number

Less then 5ft ———Size 1 (small)
5ft – 5ft 10————-Size 2 (medium)
5ft 8 – 6ft 4————Size 3 (long)
6ft 2 – 6ft 5————Size 4 (extra-long)
6ft 5 and taller——–Size 5 (xx-long)

Each size of snath has adjustable handle positions so it can be fine tuned to suit your height and mowing style.

If you are at the edge of the height range you may not be sure which snath length to choose.

If your legs are long in proportion to your body length you should choose the longer snath. If they are short in proportion to your body length choose the shorter snath. This should give you the most useful range of adjustment of the handle positions.

We are often asked if two people can share a snath.

• If your heights fit onto one size, it is relatively easy, though you may have to move grips between users.
• If the difference in your heights is large you are likely to need different snath lengths and it will be hard to share.

If you really only want to buy one snath but don’t fit on the same size:

• Buy the snath length for the person who will use the scythe most frequently.
• Or buy the correct length for the taller person, if the shorter person is not far off fitting on the bottom of that size.

Add a file and Carborundum sharpening stone to your kit to aid with reshaping of the blade edge in place of peening

Each set comes with a printed copy of our Quick Set Up Guide.

Additional instructional books you can add to your set:

Learn to Scythe by Steve Tomlin

We highly recommend adding this comprehensive instruction book to your scythe set. It is clear, informative and easy to read. It’s the next best thing to going on a scythe course! 

£10.50Add to basket

Managing Grass with a Scythe by Simon Fairlie.

Newly revised and extended edition, this excellent book contains guidance on how to manage grassland with a scythe, everything from hay making to mowing the lawn.

£8.00Add to basket

All new blades should have the lacquer cleaned off the cutting edge to prevent it clogging the sharpening stone. See this guide for further details.

With basic preparation as outlined in the FAQ “How do I prepare my new blade?”, you can mow with your blade from the box.

Peening is part of the subsequent maintenance of the blade.

If you are only mowing rough weeds, docks, bracken and brambles it is possible to get away without peening your blade.

To manage these blades with out peening, use a file and a coarser stone to periodically re-shape the edge of the blade. This is a simpler way to create an edge with the correct profile for rougher mowing.

The edge needs to taper to a point but not be as fine and thin as an edge used for grass mowing.

Note, if you choose not to peen

you will lose out on the advantages of peening such as:

• work hardening of the edge, which allows it to hold a longer lasting sharp edge.
• the drawing out of new metal to replace that worn away by work and sharpening. This prolongs the life of the blade.
• the ease and effectiveness of mowing with a really sharp blade (particularly when mowing soft weeds and grass).

See this guide for more information on peening.