Patten (shoe) shoes of Japan and other Asian countries. What are in effect snowshoes for mud, as used by wildfowlers, boatmen, and Coast Guards may also be called pattens, or "mud-pattens". These are shaped boards attached to the sole of a shoe, which extend sideways well beyond the shape of the foot, and therefore are a different sort of footwear from the patten discussed here. "Horse-pattens" were used on horses, especially for ploughing muddy fields. The word was also used for ice-skates, as it is in French ("patiner", to skate). In London, the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers remains the Livery Company, formerly
Shovel Humans are once again mostly content to let one coal scoop handle various bulk materials of differing densities. During the Second industrial revolution around year 1900, the shovel gave way to heavy equipment such as excavators. Shovel Most shovels are hand tools consisting of a broad blade fixed to a medium-length handle. Shovel blades are usually made of sheet steel or hard plastics and are very strong. Shovel handles are usually made of wood (especially specific varieties such as ash or maple) or glass-reinforced plastic (fibreglass). Hand shovel blades made of sheet steel usually have a folded seam or hem