"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
FWIW, consumer-type mower blades for Sears mowers, and probably for
other
brands, were hardened until just before 1960 or so, after which they
were
much softer. I happen to know this because my dad was a Sears store
manager
at the time and he told me about the toe-cropping lawsuits that caused
Sears
to change to the softer blades.

Yeah... and I'm SURE that flesh understands and reacts positively to the
difference between 3000 RPM 'soft' blades, and hardened ones! G

Doesn't the CPSC do the dumbest things?

Well, originally, Sears et al. were just trying to duck lawsuits. They had
several cases in which the mower hit a rock, the blade broke, and somebody
lost a few toes.

That's why my dad made me where steel-toed boots when I mowed the lawn.
'Just checked -- there are ten of them on my feet. That's the right number,
I think. g

--
Ed Huntress