2024 Northern Scythe Festival

I knew this event could not have been in the States. back in the early 1960's My ranching Great Grandfather Billings always grew a small plot of oats for his horses. He had a horse drawn mower but I remember he always had trouble with it so more often than not he would pull out his scythe to do the job. The handle Billings had on his scythe was different than what you see in Ireland. GF Billings showed me how to use it I was too young to really make a go at it but what he showed me was you kept your arms in one place to control the angle of the blade, the cutting motion is supplied by your lower abdomen, you quickly develop serious washboard abdominals.
 
I specialize in American scythes, actually! It's best to use some degree of arm action in most cases, but your core is very much involved in the stroke, as is the rest of the body when done well, and your core strength definitely improves in the course of using one! I believe this scythe festival was in the UK. I've been seeing clips from it in the Scythe Association for Britain and Ireland (SABI) Facebook group just recently.
 
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