How to use the grass
and weed Slasher - Garden slasher gives details
of a traditional hand held English garden
slasher used to cut down garden weeds
Garden Slasher - Hardened and
Ground Taper Steel Mounted on Hickory Shaft by
Steel Rivets - made in Sheffield, England.
Safety
instructions
Technique for use of a garden
slasher.
It is imperative anyone using
a garden slasher is fully aware of how to use
the tool and the potential dangers to both themselves
and those around them!
For clearance of scrub the garden
slasher should be held with one hand on the heel
and the other halfway along the shaft. The garden
slasher should be swung through a wide arc bringing
the hand along the shaft to meet the one at the
heel towards the end of the swing. The cutting
relies on the momentum of the swing rather than
energy from the user. Both hands should be kept
on the shaft at all times, do not end the swing
hanging on to the end of the shaft with one hand.
The garden slasher is a dangerous tool if not
under control.
Conserve energy by using regular
swings as clearing is heavy work. If started swinging
wildly you will quickly tire. This could lead
to pulled muscles or injury through the slasher
not being under control.
Gloves should not
be worn when using a garden slasher as it reduces
the grip on the handle. Goggles or safety glasses
should be worn to protect your eyes from wood
chips or thorns/branches. Ensure you are AT LEAST
5m (16') away from anyone working in the same
area. Equally, do not work on your own in case
you have an accident. Stop work if you begin to
feel tired.
Do not use a garden slasher down
hill and do not work if it is raining heavily
or is slippery underfoot. Garden slashers should
be carried beside you at an angle with the blade
pointing down in front of you.
It is very important the blade
is kept sharp as it is tiring to use when blunt
and can bounce off the woodrather than cutting
it, potentially causing an injury.
Sharpening - On site the garden
slasher blade should be touched up regularly using
either a Cigar Stone or preferably a Canoe Stone.The
canoe stone is finer than a cigar stone which
leaves a sharper edge to the blade required for
cutting woody vegetation.
Sharpening a blade requires concentration
and skill. If disturbed stop until your full concentration
can again be applied.
To sharpen the garden slasher
blade you should kneel holding the garden slasher
firmly with the blade downwards. One hand isused
to hold the handle while the other holds the stone.
Wear a glove on the hand holding the stone. The
stone should be wetted, and then used to grind
the edge of the blade in small circular movements.
It is very important the stone is held at the
same angle as when the blade was last sharpened.
Once the length of the garden slasher blade has
been ground the garden slasher should be turned
over and the exercise repeated. If the blade is
ground with too sharp an angle it will quickly
blunt, but if you try and grind the blade at too
fine an angle you will find it impossible to sharpen
with a stone.
If the garden slasher blade is
damaged it will need grinding on a bench mounted
grinding machine. This should only be attempted
if experienced with the use of such a power tool.
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