OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories BOSCLIP Company - c1950s

PART FIVE – Electric Trimmer & Edger
Perhaps the most well-know Bosclip is their domestic garden edger and trimmer.
This was introduced late c1963, and a period article (presented in the introduction,
above) introduced the Lawn Barber ‘n Edge Trimmer to the market.

But note the wording: “The lawn barber is the product of two years’ research
under Mr. Boseley’s direction, but only came on the market about three weeks ago.”

This is clear, and further proof that Joe used an unknown third party to engineer
this clipper. Joe was an ideas man, not an engineer, nor manufacturer. However,
there is clear evidence he was a patent applicant [see below].

Also note what this machine did: the Bosclip could rotate a steel blade to cut both
horizontally and vertically. This was a decade before ‘line trimmers' would enter
the market.



The Bosclip website in 2019 says this:
“There have been approximately 1,000,000 Bosclip electric lawn edgers sold
over the past 42 years & a greater [sic] percentage of these are still in use today.
We are still servicing the original model & parts for all models are available /
a sign of quality.”

I think the 1M sold is a bit ambitious, but folks certainly remember the little Lawn Barber.

So, how did the Bosclip edger survive the advent of the line trimmer?
These were introduced to AUS and NZ markets in the late 1970s under
various names … ‘Weed Eater’, ‘Whipper Snipper’, or whatever…

A brilliant North American invention, the line trimmer would change the
approach to garden path edging, trimming, difficult slope work, etc.,
world-wide! The line trimmer is one of the greatest garden equipment
inventions of the late 20th Century.

Bosclip met the challenge - and quickly! The Bosclip Lawn Barber had
always used a steel blade for edging or trimming; but by the late 1970s,
Bosclip also offered a line trimmer attachment. Quite remarkable!

The thing is, the only patent I have found of the Bosclip dates to January,
1979. Joe Boseley is not stated as the inventor, but he was the patent
applicant for an addition to a patent.

The addition covered the new line trimmer attachment …



For the record, I attach this patent below.

Finally, a note on the gallery images I present below.
This is a simple cross section of newsprint ads from the earliest days
to about 1990. I think they are a fair representation of the Lawn Barber
‘N Edge Trimmer at this time.

TO BE CONTINUED …