The Amish scythe isn't the Russian-style heavy straight one. It's an Austrian scythe: light (700 g), curved snath, two grips. Mowing with it is a pleasure.
Technique
Stance: feet shoulder-width. Movement from hips, not arms. Blade glides 2-3 cm above ground. Rhythm: swing-step, swing-step. Grass falls in windrows.
Productivity
Good mower — half an acre per hour. Lawn mower — three quarters. But mower costs $300, guzzles gas, breaks, and stinks. Scythe costs $60, sharpened with a stone in 30 seconds, doesn't break, and smells like grass.
One Amish farmer said: 'I hear birds while mowing. My English neighbor hears an engine. Which of us is richer?'