Admittedly, there is some justification for the (erroneous) notion that to maintain a short lawn a mowing machine or at least a reel mower is necessary; especially so if it's a lawn which is walked on a lot, because even during their short life the grass stems will have been pushed over in all directions, thereby making scything more difficult. Besides, a stand of grass cut or grazed frequently is usually quite dense, which adds to the challenge. Attempting to do the job with less than a very sharp scythe blade, you might as well try to whistle the grass away... But this is precisely the case with many novices -- they use a blade sharp enough for tall grass or "weeds" perhaps, yet inadequate for a lawn. Secondly, they often mow during what seasoned scythe users in all agrarian cultures considered the "toilsome" hours, in the mid-afternoon. Thirdly, they haven't learned how to "hug the ground" with the blade. Given the lack of success, they conclude that the scythe in general is poorly suited to lawn cutting.

Well, these short amateur videos are meant to demonstrate that a scythe can be a fine option for at least the ecologically-minded lawn owners of today -- provided they are willing to learn how to use a hand tool well enough. Here are some hints:

The first prerequisite is an adequately sharp edge. (Many pages of explanations/instructions are available on this website -- and we dare to say that more comprehensive written material on this topic does not exists anywhere else, certainly not in the three languages we can readily understand and do research in. If any of you think otherwise -- for instance know of a more detailed text in Italian, Greek etc. -- please let us know)
Then, it would help to start earlier. The best time to cut a lawn is early in the morning (before sun-up!) after the stems had a chance to stand up a little overnight and also because in the cool part of the day they are more easily severed. Yes, with a well-peened scythe it can be done at high noon if need be. Novices, however, are thereby asking for more of an unnecessary challenge.
The next ingredient to success is good technique. Specifically with regard to lawn- cutting, additional downward pressure should be applied as the blade is slicing. This does not mean the pressing of the edge towards the ground any more than usual; rather, it is the blade's "belly" (the centre of the blade's body) that should press against the ground.