Concrete Spades

Concrete spades have flat, perforated blades for facing concrete in formwork. They were developed along with other concrete tools in the early 20th century. Vaughan's patent concrete spade was first manufactured around 1908 by Concrete Spade Manufacturing Co. of Valparaiso, IN.

"By use of Vaughan's Patent Concrete Spade, you can force the coarse aggregates in the concrete back, while the forms are still about the wall, and let the finer cement mortar flow forward, the perforations in the spade allowing it to come to the front. Your wall is thus given a smooth finish, without applying face mortars."

Other early manufacturers included the Ross spade by Harold L. Bond Co., Boston, MA. The Ross and Vaughan spades can be seen in the 1914 catalog of Crerar, Adams & Co. of Chicago, IL. 

Concrete-Cement Age, Vol. 1, Dec. 1912, pg. 18