REELS

[Mark Odegard]

A weed whacker whacks weeds with nylon cord, rolled into a bobbin, the
bobbin slowing letting out cord.

Idiom calls it a reel, probably a la fishing reels. In fact, as I recall,
the nylon fishing line on a fishing reel was the inspiration for weed
whackers.

Good question. What was 'fishing line' made of before they invented nylon?
Cotton? Silk? Wool? Flax? Hemp? What did the Corded Ware Horizen
stockfish-fishers of the Lofoten Islands use? Hemp, I think.

Lawn mowers always have (metal) blades, tho' better living thru chemistry
may give us plastic blades too. I suspect there are ceramic lawnmower blades
out there already. Lawnmowers and weed whackers can do the same thing, but
are designed for different purposes.

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