Common Misinterpretations of the Tai-chi like Motion of Peter Vido's "Mowing with Ease" Field Mowing Technique I should have "nipped this in the bud" years ago, but I didn't want to be rude to the European scythe instructors. But now thanks to the internet, it seems to be spreading all over the world like a weed. Somehow, in Europe they've turned Vido-style mowing, namely mowing with a weight-shift to the side, aka "Mowing with Ease", into a sort of airy-fairy, tippy-toe dance. I learned how to mow from Peter Vido back in 2006, and I know that many of the European scythe instructors learned directly (or indirectly) from him as well. But something must have gotten lost in translation in Europe, and now it's spreading all over, and even to the lands "down under". In order to maintain the higher level of mowing performance (for farming purposes, as opposed to competition mowing), that Peter Vido initiated, I'd like to try to steer it back on track. The goal is to develop and teach and maintain a higher level of efficiency of mowing with a scythe, for successful sustainable farming. Farming with a scythe is a lot of work. Let's not make it any harder, with bad equipment and confusing instruction! Here on my blog, I can post a series of videos for simultaneous comparison. Let's start with the "Scythe Pope" himself. 2 Comments New Reed Canary Grass Mowing Video 02/27/2012
Baby, it was cold outside! 15 degrees F and breezy! Hence my yeti hat. The snow at the base of the grass, had fallen as wet snow on a warmer day, so it had frozen to be quite firm, and added a lot more resistance to each scythe stroke. So at 2:38 you can see how I really have to put my weight into each stroke. It was also too cold for a wet whetstone, so I just used it dry, to hone the blade. I use the dry grass for straw bedding in my goose house.  Scything in Winter 12/09/2011
I've been mowing my reed canary grass for straw, the past couple of days. If the snow is not too deep, and the grass is still upright, you can mow even in winter, with a scythe. This grass makes a great straw bedding for my geese. New Scythe Video 10/30/2009
I recently posted this new instructional scythe video on YouTube. The first part of the video shows the cutting action of the blade, and basic mowing form. The second part explains the advanced field mowing form that incorporates an exaggerated side-to-side weight-shift, that turns mowing with a scythe, into quest for perpetual motion. Mowing with a side-shift requires a more closed hafting angle on your scythe blade, than is commonly available. I learned this advanced technique from Peter Vido at the 2006 International Scythe Symposium in Canada. The technique was developed by Peter and it is a MAJOR INNOVATION in the use of the scythe. The Austrians have tradionally mowed in-circle, powering their cutting stroke by moving their arms & shoulders, and twisting their torsos. Some regions even had the tradition of incorporating a squat into the motion! At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Basques traditionally mow by pulling their scythes from right to left in a nearly straight line. Peter Vido studied both these techniques, and combining the two, into an innovative new style of mowing, which he likens to the Cloud Hands Form in Tai Chi. Combining the full half circle mowing technique of the Austrians, with the lateral, side-to-side movement of the Basques, results in a full, half-oval of a scythe stroke, that cuts a swath that's more than 1 1/2 x the height of the mower, ...with ease! Competition mowers had cut swaths this wide before, (with super-long blades and heroic bursts of effort!), but this is really the first mowing technique to quest after a much greater efficiency of mowing sytle. Peter called his new style "Mowing with Ease" and began to develop a new style of snath that would fascilitate this new technique. Although scythe blade design had been greatly improved over the centuries, snath design had remained comparatively pretty basic. This had been further impeded by the modern need to supply scythes by mail-order. Low cost and shipability had become the priority. Some of the results of Peter Vido's ongoing research and development, is now available from Scythe Network retailers, and also myself. The Swiss snaths that I sell were designed with Peter Vido's input.  | Botan Anderson ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll  |
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