[Pil-pc-oceania] Relocalisation and Post Oil machines

[David Arnold]

For Melburnians scythes used to be and probably still are stocked at the
kitchen and garden tools shop in Bell St Coburg just 100 or 200 metres west
of High St, west of the train line I think, on the south side of the
street.  No other shops there like it so easy to find, and a lot of
interesting things there too.  Many many traditional home food production
and processing tools and accessories.

The scythes they sell are adjustable to suit the operator's height.  Scythes
do work, and could easily do suburban home gardens, but at beginner skill
level it is hard to get a smooth clean close cut, and they do struggle with
tough dry stalky tussocky perennial grass if you have that.

I have a scythe, but applying the maximum power principle, that I make the
best use of available time and resources, I have to admit that I haven't
used mine for a while.  Perhaps when I have only a small home garden, or the
orchards and olive grove are more mature and set up better for grazing
management, and I have my fossil fuel use way way down.

Good luck with the scything, they are not so impossibly hard to get going
with.

Dave A


On 30/05/07, Linda Shewan <linda.shewan at bryn.com.au> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Please keep the discussion going on list. I would love to get a chaff
> cutter for the same reason as you Joel so am very interested in Sue's
> response. I also have started researching scythes but am worried about
> selection because I am only 5 foot tall - so if anyone knows who the
> best supplier etc could you please share details (I'll check out the
> Restorer's Barn next time I'm in Castlemaine as well).
>
> Thanks, Linda
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Meadows, Joel [mailto:JMeadows at portphillip.vic.gov.au ]
> Sent: Wednesday, 30 May 2007 2:40 PM
> To: permacultue discussion list
> Subject: RE: [Pil-pc-oceania] Relocalisation and Post Oil machines
>
> Dear Sue,
> This all starts getting very Grass Roots magazine, but I'm sure there
> are ways of adding a Permaculture design twist to the "back on the land"
> interest we share.
>
> I have a scythe (the Restorer's Barn in Castlemaine Victoria had a bunch
> of them a while back too) and a few blades that I have tried out, but my
> technique, or perhaps my sharpening is not up to scratch. I've had the
> same issue with cut-throat razors, I just can't get them sharp enough to
> do a good job. I'm hoping to learn from an old barber before they all
> die, but it might be hard to find someone alive that ever used a scythe
> for a living.
>
> I'm on the lookout for a chaff cutter too in the hope that I can use it
> for hand shredding/mulching of light garden prunings. Is this a
> realistic hope, or can they only handle chaff?
>
> Feel free to reply off list if you feel this is getting to particular
> for the general edification of the other list members.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Joel Meadows
> jmeadows at portphillip.vic.gov.au
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pil-pc-oceania-bounces at lists.permacultureinternational.org on
> behalf of mossmans
> Sent: Tue 5/29/2007 8:18 PM
> To: 'permacultue discussion list'
> Subject: Re: [Pil-pc-oceania] Relocalisation and Post Oil machines
>
> I am also into the trad tools, and am currently importing a scythe,
> hoping to master it, so that I can present a segment on these tools at
> the Convergence in Sydney next Easter.
>
> I also have a cream separating machine, and a chaff cutter... perhaps we
> can get this little tool thing happening.
>
> Sue
>
>
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>



-- 
David Arnold
Permaculture Designer
4446 Murchison Rd
Violet Town VIC AUS 3669
03 5798 1679
arnold.vt at gmail.com
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