On June 18, 1903, Mary Anderson applied for a patent on her “window cleaning device.”

This device closely resembled the windshield wipers of the early days of the automobile. It operated by the driver or passenger manipulating a lever or crank on the inside of the passenger compartment. A patent was granted on November 10, 1903, to Mary Anderson who tried to market the device to automotive companies but was unable to find anyone interested. She put the patent in a drawer and it expired.

Competition was almost immediate.

At about the same time, James Henry Apjohn patented a device in the United Kingdom in 1903 which moved a pair of brushes up and down on a vertical plate-glass windshield.

A lack of locations to use windshield wipers delayed interest.

Part of the problem with the earliest versions of windshield cleaning devices was the lack of windows on the cars of the day. For many cars, windshields were an option. In 1929, wraparound windows, available as an option, became a status symbol. But the problem of having to reach out the window with a squeegee was enough to spur on inventors long before enclosed cabin vehicles became standard.

A rainy location becomes a hot-bed of invention.

April of 1911 saw a patent registered for windshield wipers by Sloan & Lloyd Barnes, a patent agent of Liverpool, England, for Gladstone Adams of Whitley Bay. Claims of patents on the wiping device sprang up in the rainy United Kingdom by pianist Josef Hofmann and Mills Munitions, Birmingham, both claiming to have the first patent.

A car accident that bolstered the development of wiper technology.

The history of the windshield wiper received a major boost on a rainy night in 1917. John R. Oishei, who owned a theater in Buffalo, New York, was struck by a bicyclist while driving in his National Roadster. In spite of the fact that the injuries to the cyclist were not serious, Mr. Oishei became determined that this type of accident shouldn’t happen again. He formed the Tri-Continental Corporation that introduced the first windshield wiper called the “Rain Rubber.”

Again, competition creeps in like a vulture.

In 1919, William Folberth applied for a patent for the first motorized windshield wiper system. The patent was granted in 1922 for the vacuum powered wiper system. Vacuum is a by-product of the operation of the automotive engine and was tapped to power his design. Vacuum powered wipers were installed as standard equipment until approximately 1960. As the owner of the Folberth Auto Specialty Company of Cleveland, Ohio, a dispute arose between Folberth and the Tri-Continental Corporation.

An equitable settlement is reached concerning the vacuum powered wiper system.

As a means of settling the dispute, the Tri-Continental Corporation purchased the Cleveland company. Tri-Continental went on to become well known for their vacuum powered wiper systems. While they worked well to keep the windshield clean, they were known for not being fast and would slow down on acceleration of the vehicle.

The birth of TRICO.

Tri-Continental became known as TRICO and has become one of the world’s leading producers of windshield wiper blades and refills. Another development of this company was the air-powered wiper systems for trucks, military vehicles and diesel powered boats.

A change comes in the late 1950’s.

The late 1950’s and 1960’s saw the changeover to electric motor powered wipers. While an intermittent wash system was in use for vacuum powered systems, electric motors maintained their speed and allowed more versatility in various speeds and modes of operation and allowed for a larger wiper size and larger windshields.

The development of intermittent wipers.

Robert Kearnes, an engineering professor at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, invented the modern intermittent wiper system which was offered for the first time on the 1969 Mercury line produced by the Ford Motor Company. Kearnes claims to have come up with the idea from the human eye lid action which sweeps across the surface intermittently.

Keeping the headlights clean and bright.

1970 was to see the introduction the most recent major advancement in wiper technology with the introduction of the headlight wiper by the Saab Automobile company. These have not seen a wide range of usage in the United States except on cars which come so equipped.

A cold saw uses a circular saw blade to cut metal. It got its name from the fact that these saws transfer the heat back into the blade rather than into the object being cut, thereby leaving the chopped material cold unlike an abrasive saw, which heats up the blade and the object cut.

Typically high speed steel (HSS) or tungsten carbide-tipped circular saw blades are used in these saws. It has an electric motor and a gear reduction unit to control the speed of the saw blade rotational speed while maintaining the constant torque, which will increase its efficiency. A cold saw produces minimum sound and no sparks, dust or discoloration. The materials that has to be cut is clamped mechanically to ensure a fine cut and to prevent dislocation. Cold saws are used with a flood coolant system that will keep the saw blade teeth cooled and lubricated.

Choosing the right cold saw blade is very important in ensuring the best quality cut. There are special saw blades to cut wood or metal sheets and pipes. Here are some tips to remember while buying cold saw.

Blade Material: There are three types of cold saw blade basically including carbon steel, high speed steel (HSS) and tungsten carbide tip. Carbon blades are considered the most economical of all and are preferred for most basic cutting jobs. However HSS blades are more durable and long lasting than carbon steel while Tungsten carbide blades have the fastest cutting speed and life span of the three types.

Thickness: The thickness of cold saw blades is related to the diameter of the saw's mounting wheel. For a smaller wheel of 6 inches, you may need only a blade of 0.014 inches. Thinner the blade more will be the lifespan of the blade. Make sure to find the correct diameter for the blade from the user's manual or consult the local supplier for these essential information.

Tooth Design: It is better to choose standard tooth designs for fragile materials and general-purpose cutting. Skip-tooth blades are used for the smoothest and fastest cuts for massive objects. Hook-tooth units are typically used for cutting thin metals like aluminum.

Pitch Rating: It is measured in the unit of teeth per inch (TPI). The optimal TPI is between 6 to 12, depending on the material used. While soft materials like aluminum need fine blades with a relatively high TPI, thick materials require hard blades with a low pitch.

Tooth Set Pattern: Regular blades have single alternating teeth on either sides of the blade. These blades ensure the most uniform cuts and are well suited for cutting curves and contours. Wavy pattern blades with many adjacent teeth set arranged on one side of the blade, which forms a wave pattern with the next group of teeth set to the opposite side are long lasting. Wavy patterns are used mostly on delicate materials.

A saw blade is an integral part of many tools found in a wood or metal working shop.  Saw blades come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are not typically interchangeable.  One thing to keep in mind is the general difference between saw blades meant for wood and metal. 

A blade for wood generally has teeth that cut through the wood due to their sharpness.  On the other hand, a blade for metal typically does not have teeth: instead it has some sort of abrasive or grinding agent such as silicon carbide or diamond that grinds away the metal.  This also means that the two different kinds of blades generally age differently:  a wood saw blade will have teeth that get dull but generally the blade stays the same size.  A metal blade will actually become smaller over time as the blade gets worn down. 

Saw blades also come in different forms to match the cutting tools they work with.  A bandsaw uses a blade that is a continuous circle with a cutting surface on one edge.  A circular saw or chopsaw uses a circular blade.  A reciprocating saw uses a straight single blade.  When replacing the cutting blade on any of your tools, it’s critical to buy the right kind of blade.  The easy way is usually to find a blade from the same manufacturer which is almost guaranteed to work.  More generic blades are usually cheaper and probably work just as well in most cases, but you will need to be careful to buy the right style and size.  The manual that came with your tools can generally give you the specifications for the appropriate replacement saw blade.

There are many causes of pain in the shoulder blades. Pain between the shoulder blades can occur as a result of mundane problems such as working at the computer too long without a break. Some causes though are serious and must be addressed immediately.

Here are some them:

Gall Bladder Pain

Sporadic pains in the middle of the upper abdomen, or just below the ribs on the right side are felt. The pain may spread to the right shoulder or between the shoulder blades. The pain can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and sometimes excessive gas. The attack can last from a few minutes to two to three hours before getting better. The frequency and severity of attacks is very variable. Attacks can be triggered by eating fatty foods such as chocolate, cheese or pastry. It can be difficult to distinguish the pain from other diseases, such as: gastric ulcer, back problems, heart pains, pneumonia and kidney stones.

Neck source from arthritis or disc disease

This is a general pain located in the neck area and may be associated with stiffness in the neck muscles. The pain may radiate down to the shoulder or between the shoulder blades. It may also radiate out into the arm, the hand, or up into the head, causing a one-sided or double-sided headache. The muscles in the neck are tense, sore and feel hard to the touch. Acute pain can give rise to abnormal neck posture in which the head is forced to turn to one side; this condition is known as torticollis.

The pain at the base of the skull may be accompanied by a feeling of weakness in the shoulders and arms. There may be a prickly or tingling sensation in the arms and fingers.

Angina Pectoris

Angina pectoris derives from Latin and translates as ‘tight chest’. It feels like a heavy, crushing pain or a constricting feeling in the center of the chest behind the breast bone (sternum) or on the left side of the front of the chest. The pain can radiate out to either one or both arms, more often the left. It can be experienced in the throat, jaw, the stomach and, more rarely, between the shoulder blades.

Angina is often brought on by:

o physical exercise

o psychological stress

o extreme cold

o a heavy meal.

Once these trigger factors stop, the pain generally ends quickly, usually within 2 to 10 minutes.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer, an abnormal cell growth in the liver presents in two ways:

o Primary cancer means that the cancer started in the liver

o Secondary cancer of the liver occurs when a cancer starts someplace else and spreads to the liver.

The early warning signs of liver cancer:

A hard lump in the abdomen, below the rib cage on the right side.

Discomfort in the upper abdomen on the right side.

Pain around the right shoulder blade, or pain between the shoulder blades.

Yellowish skin color (jaundice)

Abdominal swelling causing a feeling of fullness

Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer appears as a tumor, or an abnormal growth of cells in the esophagus. The esophagus is the food passageway that connects the throat to the stomach.

Esophageal cancer usually does not cause any symptoms until the cancer has advanced to a stage that is too late for effective treatment. The main symptom is difficulty in swallowing food. There is a frequent sensation of food getting stuck in the throat or chest.

Signs of advanced esophageal cancer include:

Pain when swallowing.

Pain in the throat or back, behind the breastbone or pain between the shoulder blades.

Decreased appetite and weight loss.

Hiccups with the feeling of food getting stuck in the throat or chest.

Vomiting and coughing up blood.

Aortic dissection

When the aorta, the major artery leading from the heart, tears, there can be sudden sharp pain in the spine between the shoulder blades. This is an obvious surgical emergency.

This article will aid you with the pivotal decision of whether you want forged blades or stamped blades for your kitchen knives. There is a lot of misinformation going around when you’re shopping for a new set of knives and it can be really confusing when all you want to do is slice or dice in style while preparing your food.

The myth all starts with the idea that forged blades are inherently better than stamped blades. The idea behind this is that forged blades steel molecules are aligned better and therefore give them much better cutting properties. The fact is this used to be true, but no longer is due to updated manufacturing processes. In the old days the only way to make steel was to forge it, now days knife manufacturers just go down and buy the steel pre-made.

This is where the pivotal differences between kitchen knives start to form. The forged blades are heated up again pounded into the shape of a knife, and then ground and sharpened. The stamped or machined blades are cut or ground into the shape of a knife, and then heat treated twice to align the steel structure. The first heat treatment starts at 1400-1900 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving the steel brittle but very hard. The second heat treatment hits the blades at 400-700 degrees reducing both the brittleness and the hardness, but in turn making more durable blades.

As you can see the manufacturing processes are just different which leads to different knives. The forged blades tend to be much softer than the stamped or machined blades, because of the lack of high heat treatment. The benefits to this are that it’s much easier to sharpen at home, the knife will have a weightier feel, and you’ll have a bolster. The drawbacks are that it won’t be quite as sharp as a comparable stamped blade, and it won’t hold a comparable edge as long. The Germans who are the primary manufacturers using the forged method rectify this by sharpening to a 22 degree angle instead of a 16 degree used by most stamped manufacturers.

The stamped or machined blade benefits and drawbacks are in reverse of the forged. You’ll have a much lighter knife with no bolster, unless welded on, that’s extremely sharp, and durable. You may also have a harder time sharpening it at home.

In the end it all comes down to you the consumer, and which knife fits you the best. If you’re going to be slicing a lot of heavy vegetables and meats you may find the German forged Wusthof knives to your preference. On the other hand if you do a lot of Asian style cooking the high end stamped Global knives or Shun knives may fit you best.

If you are serious on buying the Hunting Knife, please consider following 4 points.

Made To Be Strong

A hunting knife is designed for the hunter who is looking for a strong and reliable knife. There are no moving parts on a fixed blade; therefore, the knife must be carried in a sheath, which makes it somewhat more awkward than a folding knife.

Sturdy and Dependable

The newest fixed blade knife offers a rubber handle, which provides for a better grip making it easier to work with in various types of weather or under different hunting circumstances. Most fixed blade knives have blades that can be changed, so even though you can only use one blade at a time, you can carry a variety of blades with you. For example, if you are hunting larger animals, a heavier blade may be desirable in order to cut though a thick hide. A serrated edged blade may help say through an animal's bones, and other special blades may help in removing the skin.

Made For the Serious Hunter

The blade knife is made for the serious hunter who wants to own a hunting blade that is strong and serves a variety of purposes. The fixed blade is a straight forward knife with no bells or whistles, and can be found for very reasonable prices. The blade usually runs about six inches, and the knife usually weighs somewhere around seven to eight ounces, measuring between 10 to 11 inches in overall length. The most popular choice in fixed blade knives are the drop point, because they are made of stainless steel with a curve to the blade that js quite efficient when it comes to skinning hides. It works on almost all hunted game, which does make it one of the more expensive fixed blade hunting knives on the market.

Internet Deals

Searching the Internet for fixed blade hunting knives is the best way to find the various types, styles and prices available. Look for knives that have stainless steel blades and a non-slip grip handle made in the USA. There are also website that deal with antique fixed blade hunting knives. These sites have have fixed blade relics that go back hundreds of years and have intricately carved handles and unique blades. There is usually a story that goes with each antique knife making for interesting research and reading.

A Bowie knife today refers to almost any large, wide-bladed knife with a curved and sharpened tip. The fancy presentation blades often carry some reference to Jim Bowie who was famous as the designer of the original knife. Not only are such knives decorative in nature and appearance today, but they are an efficient and comprehensive tool for the outdoorsman, hiker, camper or anyone who hunts recreationally or for food.

A number of features help to make this knife style perhaps the most famous of any type of knife in the history of the United States, at least. The first element is the size of the knife. It typically has a blade that is at least six inches in length and may extend to a foot or more in length. In fact, at this size, it resembled a short sword more than a knife. The length of the knife is matched by the width of the blade – usually from one and a half inches to two inches in width. The wide blade makes it usable as a small hatchet or machete for the hunter who needs to chop some wood to get a fire going or to clear a spot for a tent or other shelter for the night.

For those who hunt, a Bowie knife’s curved tip is ideal for the more delicate work of skinning out the animal while the guard protects the hands. Anglers use the curved tip for cleaning fish and preparing the fillets for a quick dinner over a campfire. Hiker’s and backpackers appreciate the fact that the Bowie knife is multidimensional in its uses so that additional tools are unnecessary, thus reducing the weight of the backpack or hiking pack. At the same time, the fact that the knife is not double-sided provides for more safety in carrying and using the knife.

Another positive feature of today’s Bowie knives, just as in the originals made during the 1800s is the quality of the steel used in the blade. These knives typically use a high carbon steel that provides both the ability to not require repeated sharpening in order to maintain the cutting edge and the flexibility to not snap with the stress of everyday use.

While the qualities of the steel are critical in the reputation of the Bowie knives throughout their history, this is one area where modern science has not yet caught up with the secrets of the original makers. Black, the blacksmith who is credited with producing the original knife carried by Bowie and made famous during his lifetime, died before sharing his secrets for the blade strength, and his process has not been duplicated even with modern means.

Today’s Bowie knives tend to have more elaborate handles and decorative touches, but the balance and clean lines have not changed much since the originals. High carbon stainless steel blades are joined with composition handles, or sometimes bone, wood or metal handles in order to create a beautiful and utilitarian product. Handles are even embellished with brass, silver or gold decorative elements.

There are several companies out there who produce both inexpensive and high-end bowie knives for collectors and users alike. Bowie is a name outdoorsmen can count on for quality and usefulness no matter what the need.

~Ben Anton, 2008

Many of my friends and colleagues have been asking whether it is best to use traditional dressing fabric scissors or the new rotary blades currently sold under the popular Olfa brand. Well, my answer to this question is pretty simple. Use what works for you in terms of cutting fabric and making dresses or tailoring. Both scissors and blades have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s all about how you are going to use them.

For example, if you only cut dresses, tops, skirts, and other loose fitting womenswear, where precision is not so important, traditional fabric scissors do a great job. They are versatile and can be used even without a table. Or you can at time trims thing or prototype mock ups while the garment is still worn on a model. Scissors are also convenient to carry around the work room or sewing machines for small tasks that need clipping, like trimming excess threads, chopping the corners of cotton fabric, unpicking faulty stitches and etc…

Fabric scissors’ other great advantage lies in precise cutting and slicing control over curve shapes or contours. While blades can be very good at getting the straight lines perfectly lined up, they can’t compete with shear dressing scissors when you need to create curly artistic cuts on expensive fabric like leather skin. Blades also surrender to heavy duty scissors when it comes to cutting a bulk of fabric, any where thicker than a quarter of an inch (e.g. you cut several suits for the same customer, but they come in four different colors and types of wool fabric).

Olfa rotary blades, on the flip side, are very efficient fabric cutters. An experience cutter will tell you that they can be as twice as fast as using ordinary shear scissors. This is due to handling differentiation. With scissors you have to hold its circular handle and pick the fabric up between two cutting blades to do the cut. With rotary system, you simply lay the fabric flat on the table (with a cutting mat underneath), and this alone save on huge amount of time.

The second benefit comes when you can actually avoid the chalking step which is almost a must when using scissors. When you cut with a rotary cutter, all you need to have perfectly neat cut edges is a solid piece of garment pattern (which can be bought cheaply at fabric shops) with heavy weight put on top of it to prevent skewing. Then simply grab the rotary cutter and run it around pattern edges, without chalking or marking anything (well, you still need to mark things like drill holes, plackets, button position, etc…).

So depending on situations, either scissors or rotary blades will become your best friends. Many home sewers prefer traditional method with shears and scissors because they got used to it, but for those who do cutting on regular basis (if you run contract cutting service) a rotary blade along with properly equipped cutting table using safety cutting mat will prove to be the best investment you have ever made in your carrier as apparel clothing cutter.

You've been using your reel lawn mower for a little while now and think that perhaps the blades aren't as sharp as they should be. Or maybe you are wondering if the blades should be sharpened because you've reached the time the manufacturer recommended sharpening? How do you know when your blades should be sharpened?

Most people will notice that the blades aren't cutting the grass as well as they were. You may see stragglers, or areas of grass which are missed, or laid down instead of cut. You might observe that these areas correspond to a certain point along the reel. You may also notice that the tips of your grass blades are browning – this may mean the grass blades are being torn, rather than sheared as they were when the blades were sharp. This is a definite indication that the blades are not sharp. Other clues that the blades need attentions are that the reel is noisier than it was, or when you examine the blades, they appear dull, nicked or bent. You can watch the blades as they pass over the knife blade or bed; there should be light contact between them. If not, then the blades definitely need adjusting and possibly sharpening.

To check the sharpness and / or adjustment of your blades, you will need a few items; a flat head screwdriver, your sharpening kit, and cut some strips of paper into approximately 2 inches by 6-8 inches. Newspaper will work okay but something with just a little more weight or stiffness works a little better. It will help if you have well lit area and can lay a sheet under your mower to collect any parts that may fall off while you are taking it apart. It is probably more comfortable if you can work with the mower on a table, but if you need to work on the floor that will be fine as well.

Some people recommend taking the handle off first, but with ours, we find that we like the leverage the handle gives us when we are turning the reel. You may have to experiment on which is the easiest way for you. Turn the mower upside down. Use the flat head screwdriver to pop off the wheel cover on the side of each wheel. This will uncover the axle or reel shaft. The wheel is held on the shaft by a E ring (some people call this an C ring). There should be a flat spot in the E ring where you can insert the head of the flat head screwdriver and pry it off. Make sure you put the E ring in a safe place. Slide the wheel off the shaft. Removing the wheel will expose the gear that sits on the shaft just inside the wheel. Slide the gear off the axle and keep it in a safe place. There is a small piece of metal called a pawl, that fits into the shaft just behind the gear. Be careful that it doesn't slide out unawares or you may lose it.

Fit the sharpening crank over the shaft and pawl. Insert one of your pieces of paper between the blade and the knife bed at one end of the reel and turn the crank so the reel is moving forward, the same way it would be moving if you were mowing the lawn. You will want to continue the turning until all of the blades have had a chance to pass over the piece of paper so you can see if they are all cutting the paper smoothly. Repeat with more pieces of paper in the middle of the reel and then again on the opposite side that you started from. If the blades are not cutting the paper cleanly and easily all the way around then they need sharpening.

From here you can re-assemble your mower and have is professionally sharpened, or easily do it yourself.

So, now you have several nasty and inconvenient issue to deal with here don't you?

The first one is the lack of vision which has to be overcome.

Next you have to actually deal with the problem, which means spending money, getting wet and cold and probably shredding your fingertips a touch. Sometimes it means a paint scratch or even a broken wind-screen. Perish the thought.

So, unless you 'went blind' outside your favorite car-parts store or garage you are in for a hunt. Hunting for a place that sells wiper-blades at 11pm on a Sunday night and quite miraculously just happens to have your type. Yeah, and pigs can fly too.

And if you do find somewhere they will happily overcharge you for a little piece of crummy rubber just because you're stuck. Not 5 bucks like they used to but now, being super duper 'designer' psychotropic hippy-blades or something developed by NASA, they are now sort of talking $ 55 bucks a set and climbing. It will be blade auctions soon for sure.

So, while your day only appeared to have been breaking down a little, now it is actually going to.

You have the fun bits of this exercise to enjoy next.

You have to stand out in the cold and wet, leaning at a precise angle absolutely guaranteed to destroy the nerves in your spine and left leg. Also, your partner, sitting inside in the warmth will suddenly become two things that will not impress you … first they become a brilliant engineer and second, they become a wonderful mime and press their face up to the screen to show you these brilliant new talents. They might even turn the wipers on soon, just to make you laugh.

While holding this odd posture the clouds will open their hearts in real sympathy as you try to figure out the impossible …. how do these blasted things come off anyway? (and in a way where they might even go back on again) (Yes, I do know that tearing them off and launching them into the traffic will feel good but trust me … it can make it difficult to find and refit them later ).

It will be while you are in pain, wet, cold, miserable and being tormented by your spinal column and your partner's face glowing from the heated interior that you will reach out for a screwdriver and plunge it with built up loathing into … the top of the wiper shoe, in a desperate hope it will perhaps come off and let you finish the job and just be on your way. This is generally when either the paint gets scratched or you drop the metal wiper arm, which will promptly spring forward and crack your windscreen or knuckles.

While your fingers may be in tatters by now, I have to tell you something I really should have said earlier …. All this pain was really totally unnecessary you know.

Wiper blades can be repaired many times over, in 30 seconds without hassle, if you have the right tool.

It takes less than a minute to eradicate the cracks, chips and worn edges of your wiper-blades and to recover your lost vision ….. IF you keep the right tool in your car.