The metal fan rake
Oct 25, 2019
1 minute
PHOTOGRAPH BY LEVI BROWN
The backstory
he first rakes have been traced back to , when Chinese farmers used them to keep their fields tidy. Fast-forward some 3,000 years, to around, and this agricultural implement had morphed into a fan-shaped tool designed to keep yards free of leaves. In , the first metal leaf rake received a U.S. patent. That basic design remains the template for today’s versions, which benefit from better materials and improved engineering.
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