There is no better therapy for bodily pain and discomfort than creative working in wood. During winter months I try to spend 2 or 3 hours each day in the workshop making traditional Northumbrian scythes. Making the scythe handles on my lathe is particularly satisfying – seeing how the different woods (oak, sycamore, pine and yew) show their individual and varied beauty when the final product is sanded down. With every scythe I make I discover new “tricks” to make a better tool – there is nothing like direct experience which acts like a “teacher” allowing us humans to perfect skills in ways which even the most careful forethought cannot foresee.
Although I am very good at making these beautiful traditional tools, I am hopeless as a salesman trying to promote their wider use. With a little care and practice the scythe becomes a wonderfully capable tool – far exceeding the noisy strimmer in its effectiveness on most jobs. It is true that there is what can be a tricky learning process which can, for some modern people, be a barrier to progress when a quick fix answer is usually required!
Please do get in touch here if you are interested in purchasing one to learn this very useful skill!