Tips for mowing lawn with scythe: how to not cut too low

I pulled out the scythe this afternoon and did some cleaning and sharpening - got it sharper than it's ever been before. Which means it's cutting really well instead of partially knocking over the grass and then cutting. What this means is that I'm getting a cut height of about 1/2 inch. Way too low. Does anyone have tips for how to get a higher cut, say 3-4" on young, tender grass? I have an American scythe. My snath has three holes to click the heel of the blade into. Are those for adjusting the cutting angle? I currently have it set into the center one.

As far as I know it's not really possible to cut a full 3-4" off the ground without lifting the scythe, even with a very broad blade and an unpitched tang. I imagine you could modify a blade for the purpose by attaching a prop of some kind to the blade to elevate it, but I've never seen such a thing done. Indeed, the holes are for adjusting the hang of the blade, which allows you to alter the depth of your swath without changing your stroke.

I have an austrian style with fixed handles custome built for my height, but i have seen several american ones that have adjustable handles...maybe a possibility with yours?

jonathan christ wrote:I have an austrian style with fixed handles custome built for my height, but i have seen several american ones that have adjustable handles...maybe a possibility with yours?

It's not the handle height that he's having trouble with--it's the height of the stubble. He's wanting to cut 3-4" off the ground, which isn't possible without modification of the blade or lifting the scythe off the ground.