Don't know about a scythette, but after many exhausting hours using a scythe I reckon the most important thing is keeping the blade sharp - I use a nifty little gadget I got from Homebase, which is about the size of a nailbrush with 2 crossing carbide tips, which you pass the blade through. I probably sharpen after every 10 strokes or so, which seems a lot, but it does give you the chance of a rest every so often, which can't be bad! I think the bit of the scythe that does the damage is nearest the tip, so you need to direct the tip rather than the middle of the thing. Hope this helps!