Karin Kronberger is the European scythe mower champion and, when time permits, also works as a mowing instructor. The professional mower is happy to share her knowledge of scythe mowing with us. Here are some basic information and helpful tips:
The basic equipment for mowing.
- Scythe throwing, scythe scythe "Gricht": made of steel, aluminum or wood
- Scythe blade: for everyday use, approx. 70-80 cm long - Karin Kronberger achieves her success with the scythe blades from Schröckenfux!
- Whetstone: coarse and fine, natural or artificial stone
- Whetstone Kumpf (made of horn, plastic, wood or metal)
The preparation - the hammering and sharpening.
The scythe must have a good edge before mowing. Sharpening is essential to achieve a razor-sharp edge. The goal is to make the lower edge of the blade (called "dangl") wafer-thin and razor-sharp. Sharpening can be done in two different ways:
- Sharpening with the sharpening device – also called a "squeezing tool." With this device, the scythe is easily worked with a foot pedal or handle. The scythe blade is clamped between two jaws and pressed together. This is comparatively quick.
- On the other hand, there is the classic hammering technique, although different styles have developed in different regions. Basically, every hammering technique requires an anvil and a hammer. The scythe blade is hammered either from above or below. This requires a considerable amount of practice and sensitivity. However, it pays to persevere, as this technique produces a much finer and thinner edge.
Both techniques are often combined. This means that rough work is done first with a hammer, followed by fine work with a hammer.
Then, you grind it with a moistened whetstone. This is called sharpening. If the edge is still very good and thin, you use the fine whetstone. If the edge has deteriorated after prolonged mowing, you use the coarse stone first, then the fine stone.
The technology.
It's best to have a mowing instructor or grandpa or great-grandpa demonstrate the mowing technique. However, the following basics should be observed:
- Position: legs wide apart with firm stance and bent knees.
- Perform the mowing swing from right to left smoothly and in one go; no short chopping movements; the back of the scythe blade rests on the grass to achieve an even mowing height.
- Always try to mow in a way that's gentle on your back. This means using as much power as possible from your legs and arms.
The professional sport. Mowed quickly and cleanly.
Scythes with blade lengths of 125-140 cm are used in professional sports. Homemade scythe blades are also available in longer versions. Scythe blades are also mostly handcrafted and unique. Currently, there are experiments with carbon fiber. However, it is still difficult to say to what extent these will replace traditional scythe blades in the future.
In professional sports, women mow a competition area of 5x7m and men an area of 10x10m. Not only the time but also the cleanliness is evaluated, from which a joint score is calculated.
The speed at which the areas were mowed is precisely timed. Women mow the 35m2 in approximately 50-60 seconds, depending on the grass cover. The men's 100m2 patch of meadow is mowed in approximately 2-3 minutes. The competition area is then leveled, and several judges evaluate how cleanly and evenly the mowing was.
