Posted on 03/15/2017 1:48:23 PM PDT by pa_dweller
Tasked with helping design a shovel for women, the Penn State University graduate student watched a few of them digging, and felt embarrassed for them.
"They are all digging wrong," he whispered to Liz Brensinger as they observed the volunteers pushing a shovel into the ground. As part of the design process, they videotaped scores of women farmers and gardeners. The most noticeable difference was the extreme angle of the shovel.
But, it wasn't the women who were wrong, it was the shovel, said Brensinger, co-owner of the company that commissioned the study.
"It wasn't what he was used to so he thought it was wrong," said Aaron Yoder, the former Penn State engineering professor who oversaw the graduate student. Yoder, an expert in designing tools and machinery for disabled farmers, has worked with Brensinger and her partner Ann Adams in developing several tools specifically for women.
Until Brensinger and Adams stepped in, tools marketed to women were usually modified flimsy children's tools, or men's tools painted pink. There was little research on what women needed, "Women use their lower body strength to make up for weaker upper body strength," Yoder said. "Typically, women have better lower body strength than men."
(Excerpt) Read more at readingeagle.com ...
Link to Green Heron Tools
Green HER OwN Tools............
So now the woman’s right and the shovel’s wrong...should’ve known.
Boy oh boy ,,, that’s one way to break the glass ceiling !
My mom has done farm work for 50 years and never once needed a special shovel or rake or pitchfork...
She grew up poor and worked hard, she is a a lot stronger than most men in the cities. Even in her old age.
66 bucks plus fedex freight? What a load of liberal bunk.
Upperbody strength is not used much when driving a shovel, they need to teach their wimmens how to properly use the tools.
About as useful as designing a vacuum sweeper for a man.............
Pfffft... just a marketing strategy, nothing more. A shovel is a shovel. Yeah, because evil men designed shovels they purposely sought to exclude women because everyone knows women are inferior, right?
Their site also has other implements as well. They all look indistinguishable from any other implement. What next? Pink shovels?
don’t give them any ideas. maybe mad cow can be their spokesthing. oops!
They all make them smaller and paint them pink. That’s what they all do for our stuff. As a starter, my guns are not pink. Neither is anything I have or use.
The best cleaning device for a single male is a monthly maid..........
That’s Sexist!!
“But, it wasn’t the women who were wrong, it was the shovel...”
“Women use their lower body strength to make up for weaker upper body strength,”
In other words, women are not built for shoveling and they have to overcompensate in order to get the job done. I’m sure you can make a tool that works better with that style, but they’ll still be less efficient than men at the same task with a plain old shovel that probably costs half as much.
I can hardly wait for frost-free week (first week ini May around here) so I can plant some new stuff. I've already been tidying up dead leaves and stalks, installed a new stretch of low fencing to keep the irises and perennial salvias where they belong, etc. End of March is rose pruning time. It's all worth it!
That is not what they said.
Women are built differently from men. Our center of balance is difference. I am so sorry that bothers you.
The shovel was designed by men for men. This was normal as men did most of the designing and men would be the ones usually using the shovels.
Now there are enough women using farm tools that there is now a small market niche and this company is filling it.
I don't get what is the problem with this.
Are you upset with people who design women's clothing as well? Do darts in a shirt offend your tender sensibilities?
Diana & Ellendra - thought you two would be interested in this.
Shhhh! I don’t want my husband or 21 year-old son to find out about this! LOL! ;)
There’s a sucker born every minute.
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