| Fourth, there's the question of the shape and orientation of the tines designed to actually rake the soil. I am assuming that a farmer uses the rake to cut weeds near the crop plants and break up the soil so water can penetrate. Usually the plants are growing a rake's width apart so one can walk down the rows raking and also erasing one's footprints. The four tines on the fancy rake are diamond-shaped and are about 4.5 inches long and a maximum of 1 inch wide. I am not sure exactly how they are attached to the crossbar. Perhaps in the unlikely event these tines are used in fighting they are intended to rip gouges in an opponent's extended forearms, or maybe an exposed foot. It may be the case that there is more structural strength if the hidden tips of these tines insert into the long axis of the crossbar. Were I free to choose I might prefer that the tines be rotated ninety degrees
so that they follow the axis of the handle. They would then make thinner gouges through the soil or an opponent. On the fancy rake I am skeptical that the four tines would be useful for a farmer to make
regularly spaced seed holes before planting - there are easier ways to do this and I would be concerned the holes would be
too narrow, too deep and too close together (3 inches apart from center to center). |
